Cattle Drovers, Homecoming & Demolition

We are still in Northwest Oklahoma this weekend, but headed back to the cool, Colorado rockies sometime this next week.

This week has been a busy, long week filled with cattle drovers, NWOSU Homecoming and more demolition work on 12th Street here in Alva, Oklahoma. The cattle drive was not in Alva, though! That took place about 45 minutes East of Alva at Hwy 64 & 81 JCT. at Medford, Oklahoma, Wednesday, October 3, 2007.

As for the NWOSU Homecoming... we have put together some digital and movie clip of NWOSU's 2007 Homecoming on our OkieLegacy - You Tube site. The annual parade was held in Alva, Oklahoma this Saturday morning, October 6, 2007, between 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., around the downtown square.

Boy! The bands have shrunk in size and so have the floats, crowds. Woodward had a fancy built float in the parade. K101 radio was also broadcasting from the West side of the square.

You can view more of the digital snapshots of NWOSU's Homecoming parade over at out OkieLegacy , "My Albums" for NWOSU's Homecoming 2007 -- "Pigeon's Domicile" -- Cattle Drive 2007 at Medford, OK. Thanks goes to Eleanor Ring for sending and sharing the Medford cattle drive 2007 photos with us.

Wednesday of this week the Cattle Drive 2007 drovers made the Medford, Oklahoma and headed North towards Renfrow, Oklahoma and Caldwell, Kansas. Eleanor sent us this photo of the "Longhorn Stare" Max Oakes was getting from one of the four-legged, long-horned participants.

Have you been keeping track of the 140th Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive 2007 that started September 10th in Texas, followed the Old Chisholm Trail Route along Hwy 81 through Oklahoma to Kansas. It completed its 2007 journey October 5th in Caldwell, Kansas, about 2:30 p.m., this Saturday. Here is a link to the Cattle Drive 2007 site.

Did anyone get down to the annual "Czech Festival" at Yukon, Oklahoma this weekend, Saturday, October 6, 2007. You know... the place with the homebaked kolaches and Bohemian baked goods! AND... What about the Oklahoma/Texas rivalry across the Red River, in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Go Sooners!

As to last week's story of the camels at Waynoka sand dunes, has anyone ever heard of a five-legged animal that allegedly was at the sand dunes in Waynoka, Oklahoma?

AND... Does anyone know anything about "Gloyd Lumber Co. of Avard, OK? We have noticed that most of the lumber in the 12th street house to the South along Oklahoma Blvd., in Alva, Oklahoma, came from a lumber company in northwest Oklahoma. It had the following written on the 2x4 wood: "Gloyd Lumber Co. Avard, OK." We did some research and found that M. G. Emmert was the manager of the Gloyd Lumber yard and one of the first started in the city of Alva. Mr. Emmert arrived in Woods county around 1902.
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OkieLegacy Centennial Moment

Our OkieLegacy Centennial Moment this week is history of the Chisholm Trail and its 140 year anniversary. "Head 'em up and move-em out."

From September 10th to October 5, 2007, the Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive, in commemoration of Oklahoma's Centennial and the 140th Anniversary of the Chisholm Trail, 450 head of longhorn cattle were driven up the historic Chisholm Trail from the Red River of Texas through Oklahoma to the end of the trail town of Caldwell, Kansas. During their trek across Oklahoma a few head of longhorns were left at towns along the route... from what others have told this NW Okie.

Wednesday of this week Medford, Oklahoma was just one of many towns across Oklahoma that got to catch a glimpse of the longhorns that made the trip up the old Chisholm trail along highway 81. This NW Okie missed the Medford siting, but heard from others that it was a sight to see. Did anyone out there get to witness this 140th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail through Oklahoma from Texas to Kansas?

We did some online research for Chisholm Trail history and put some links in the mailbag section below. If you multiply those 450 head of longhorns they started out with by 10 -- add a few cattle rustlers, restless indian tribes -- less highways & roads -- more prairies, you will get a realistic version of what the real drovers went through 140 years ago.

Here is a link to the Cattle Drive 2007 that was planned in conjunction with Oklahoma's Centennial Celebration

The cattle drive began September 10th and traveled the old trail to Fort Reno on September 22nd for a big Oklahoma Centennial Celebration. Then it was on to the rail head for a big end of the Trail Celebration on October 5th, Friday in Caldwell, Kansas for the celebration of the 140th Anniversary of the Chisholm Trail.

There was a branch off of the Old Chisholm Trail that headed northwest from around the Enid area towards Dodge City and ran near, through Waynoka, Fairvalley and Freedom area in northwest Oklahoma. I believe that branch was called the "Dodge City branch."

If I remember correctly, Darrell Eden once told me awhile back when I was working on the Fairvalley history and attending one of Fairvalley's reunions there in Freedom, Oklahoma, that as the story goes a balck chuck wagon cook had died and requested to be buried up on a hill so the cattle and wagons wouldn't run over where he had been buried. Can't remember the cause of the cook's death, but he was buried on the top of a hill just a mile or so East of the town of Fairvalley, Oklahoma on the south side of the road, I think.
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Who Is This Young Girl?

Who is this young northwest Oklahoma girl in the white, frilly sunday dress with corsage? Was it taken in the late 1940's? Early 1950's? Was this a graduation photo? Was it taken up in the 900 block of 12th Street, Alva, Oklahoma? Notice the old car in the background facing the street and the lady seated in chair across the street.

We found this old photo in the closest of the house at 915 12th Street, Alva, Oklahoma, in the top of a closet when we were tearing away the lathe and plaster.

We were thinking that perhaps someone out there might recognize the young northwest Oklahoma girl in the photo. OR... might know of someone who might be able to help us identify the place and the person in the photograph.

If you look close in the background with a magnifying glass, you can see a lady, or person, seated across the street. The old car seems to be parked in the driveway, facing downwards towards the street. The young girl seems to be standing on a slope.

If any of this jogs some memories, please let us know. Thanks!
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Grace Ward-Smith and Son, Bill

"Would anyone know what ever happened to Bill Smith? Gracie''s boy? We used to run around together in Jr High." -- Steve (Stevie)Nicholson
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German War Medal

"In your September 22 Issue, I read with interest the article about Hitler's attempt to mass produce babies during WWII. I few years ago, I was able to obtain a collection of WWII Nazi war medals while on a business trip to Kazakhstan. One of the medals I have is a "German Mothers of the Cross" medal given to women who produced between 1 and 5 children. Attached is a picture of that medal. This particular medal carries the following inscription on the back, "16 Dezember 1938" and is signed by Adolph Hitler." -- Richard Howell, Larue, Texas
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Brandenburg Style of Classroom Discipline

Kicked Out of Biology Class... Wiebener's Novel - The Margin -- "Not much of a story behind Dorthy and I getting the boot from Brandenburg''s bio class. Brandenburg, a Colonel in the National Guard at the time, was a no nonsense teacher. He put up with NO distractions at all. Dorthy McGill sat in the chair in back of me in the bio class, and being the provocateur she was inclined to be she stuck a pencil point into my earlobe. Of course, I jumped and in doing so, distracted the class and Mr. Brandenburg. What followed was an effective, efficient and judicious exercise in classroom discipline. "Dorthy, you and Marvin out!" Mr. B said with the voice of a Colonel. Of course we obeyed, and went straight to the library where we were ordered to go. Can you imagine that happening today? The instructor would have to notify someone in school administration of his/her intent to dismiss the errant students. There would be paperwork, and the parent(s) would have to be notified. Then a review of the teacher''s act by a member of administration plus a teacher peer and someone from the PTA. The student and parent would be offered an opportunity to protest/question the teacher''s authority to take such drastic action that is certain to maim the students psyche forever. Previous words drawn straight from the impending lawsuit against the School district, the school board, the principal, and certainly the teacher. What's happened to the Brandenburg style of classroom discipline????" -- Marvin Wiebener
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Persimmons In NW Oklahoma

Persimmons In NW Oklahoma... "I remember riding horses when I was a girl with my mother & we would pick wild persimmons on the side of the road & eat them sometimes & pucker our cheeks & lips. I do remember the spoon thing & like the link you gave us. Thank you for bringing back good memories of my childhood." -- Jan Carver
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Long Search For Camels Hits Gusher

1958 News - Long Search For Camels Hits Gusher... "Thanks for the forgotten memories. I remember as a child, way past the origination of how the animals got there, as I was born in the 60''s. But the many summers spent with Grandparents in Alva, we'd always make the trip through the Alabaster Caverns and then onto the dunes. I remember the camels & at one time, I remember something about a 5 legged cow or maybe it was a 5 legged camel... but it was advertised along the highway. Don't really remember if we ever saw one or not though. And I do remember standing at the top of the site tower or whatever it was called, & seeing what my sister & I thought were smoke signals. I don't recall what the explanation was given to us at that time for the smoke we saw. But it was always a fun time. Grandpa would always rent a jeep, to take us all for a trip around the hilly dunes. I remember Grandma always telling the driver not to make the vehicle go sideways, and Grandpa sitting up front & eventually we'd make a turn & go sideways over a hill or two. And Grandma always saying, that would be her last ride. But she always climbed aboard with us. I don't remember where Roman Nose Park fit into all of this, but it was always a summer trip as well. I''d have to ask my Uncle on that one. But I also remember a gas station or something along the way to somewhere, (before, during, or after) that advertised the Rattle Snake hunt. Inside the store, was a box in the middle of the room with a sign reading baby rattlers. What was visible, was a baby's rattle amoung many snakes. Can anyone share some light as to where that is located?" -- Christy
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Enid News of Chisholm Trail Re-enactment

The Enid News had this article, Riding Herd On History written by Ruth An Replogle. Ruth Ann wrote, "The Chisholm Trail stretches from Brownsville, Texas, to Abilene, Kan., and U.S. 81 roughly parallels the old route. Enid's own Bob Klemme marked sections of the trail in Oklahoma with white concrete posts in 1990, and now along U.S. 81, there are official Oklahoma Centennial Corridor signs indicating where the trail crosses the highway.

"The Oklahoma Centennial Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive began Sept. 10 at the Oklahoma-Texas border near Fleetwood and will end Oct. 5 in Caldwell, Kan. Each of the four weeks of the drive has its own foreman or 'trail boss' to guide the cowboys, horses, wagons and cattle 12 to 15 miles a day. Floyd Townsend of Kingfisher and Gary Townsend of Hennessey are serving as trail bosses for the third week, which stomps through Kingfisher and Garfield counties, and Carmen Schultz of Medford and Clark Bittle of Enid are serving as trail bosses for the final week, which stomps through Garfield and Grant counties and then over the Kansas border......"
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Ghost Riders of the Chisholm Trail

The silhouette on the bluff to the East, astride the actual Chisholm Trail, was completed in 1995 after hundreds of hours of volunteered labor, land and donations. The "G=hosts" will forever remind us of the great cattle drives, 1866-1887, when millions of Texas longhorn cattle passed here on their way to legendary railheads, like Caldwell, Kansas. So life-like is the scene, observers are certain they have noticed both dust and sounds coming from the bluff area.

The trail, established by Native American tribes and made famous by Jesse Shisholm, helped in the settlement of the Old West by providing a travel and communication link to the Indian Territory, presently Oklahoms. The history of the chisholm Trail, the Cherokee STrip and early Caldwell can be enjoyed by exploring the many markers like this one located in Caldwell's Historic Cowtown District two miles North and the rest area directly NOrth of this site.
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Oklahoma's Chisholm Trail Centennial Corridor

The corridor, an Oklahoma centennial project, marks the old Chisholm trail cattle trail as it crosses oklahoma as indicated on the map to the left. US Highway 81 generally follows the trail and is marked with signs indicating historic trail sites and crossings. We invite you to explore the corridor as you travel through our historic state.

The old Chisholm Trail was established in 1867 as a route from the cattle ranches of south texas, where millions of longhorn cattle roamed after the civil war, across indian territory (Oklahoma) to the railroads in Kansas for shipment to eastern markets. In use from 1867 to approximately 1885, over four million cattle were driven over this route in the greatest controlled animal migration in the world's history.

Crossing into Kansas just East of this location, beyond the railroad tracks, the trail continued northward a few miles to Caldwell, a famous notorious cowtown and cattle trail railhead during the latter days of the trail drive era. Although Abilene, Kansas was the original destination for the drovers and cattle, the railroad reached caldwell by 1880. It remained the final Chisholm Trail terminus until the Chisholm Trail shut down in about 1885.
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Waynoka's Camels Make Southern Oklahoma Newsletter

Butch's T&T Newsletter that comes out Thursday evenings had this to say this week about Waynoka, Oklahoma's camels in 1958 and even had some pictures of the camels visiting an oilfied drilling site in the sand hills that someone had sent him. Thanks to Butch Bridges & Hoot Gilbert for sharing those Waynoka camel photos with us.

"....I drilled an oil well in the top of the sand hills at Waynoka in the spring of 1958. I was rig supt. for Jack Grace Drilling co. We drilled the well for Mayflow Petroleum Company. My drillers were John Morris, Robert Paul, Jim Graves, John and crew were out of Munster, TX and I send T&T to him each week. We got a fair well but it was to expensive to produce, had to keep road grader on location 24/7, just to much sand. Mr DeVilbliss owned the part of sand hills we drilled in. He and Mr Harmon started the Waynoka Rattlesnake hunt and they were members of the chamber of commerce. The chamber was in charge if the camels, they had a one hump camel and a two hump camel. They brought them out to the rig I am sending pics of camel and rattlesnake hunt! I just walked up to festivities and they said sold to hoot $20.00 was the prettiest snake of the hunt? They skinned it and cooked it, I gave the meat to the crew! and I had the snake mounted and gave to biology teacher. Wonderful people! Thanks. - Hoot Gilbert"

Grace Ward Smith Legacy

"How great to read the story about Grace Ward Smith. She was my first cousin and I didn''t know all this about her since I last saw her in l947. She was a great person, she and her husband had a Medicine Show, selling linament,candy, etc., my Dad worked with them selling snowcones. I last saw her son Bill at the same time. " -- Doris Whittet Guntrum - Email: wrguntrum@comcast.net
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History of Caldwell, Kansas

The Border Queen... Caldwell, the Border Queen, has seen wild days as a cowtown beside the Chisholm trail, a brief period of booming times during the Oklahoma Land Rush days, and quiet prosperity based on the vast grainfields of Sumner County. Ghostly silhouettes on a hillside south of town give a feeling of the vast herds that moved through here in the nineteenth century. South of town, a pink granite marker tells the story of the "real" Cherokee Strip and gives another view of the Border Queen. Lots of things are happening this week and weekend in Oklahoma. One of those being the Cattle Drive 2007 of the anniversary of the 140th Chisholm Trail cattle drovers from Texas through Oklahoma to Abilene, Kansas for the purpose of the eastern beef lovers. -- History of Caldwell, KS
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Obit: Opal Faye Meyers Kardokus - 1914-2007

"Services for Opal Faye (Stuart) Meyers Kardokus, 93, of Anadarko, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, at the First Baptist Church of Anadarko with Dr. Randy Robertson, pastor, officiating. Mrs. Kardokus was born May 11, 1914, in Grandfield to Thomas Lockridge and Callie (Childers) Stuart and died Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, at Silver Crest Manor in Anadarko, after a five-year illness.

In 1964, she married James M. 'Jim' Kardokus of Apache, a farmer who owned and operated Kardokus Equipment, which served farmers and ranchers. A state representative for 16 years, he was serving as such at the time of his death on Jan. 10, 1979.

Mrs. Kardokus attended county grade schools and graduated from Fort Cobb High School. She earned her degree in Elementary Education from Southwestern State College in Weatherford and held a life elementary teaching certificate. She also attended the Oklahoma College for Women, now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, and Central State University, now the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

She taught school for 32 years in country schools, Apache Elementary, Sunset Elementary and West Grade in Anadarko, and at Whittier Elementary in Lawton.

In 1961, she took a leave of absence from school to teach abroad. Fluent in Spanish, she spent a year teaching in Caracas, Venzuela. Mrs. Kardokus was named Caddo County Teacher of the Year in 1964, and was named Oustanding Elementary Teacher of America in 1972.

She was a past-president and longtime member of the Oklahoma State Textbook Commission and served as treasurer of of the Southwestern Oklahoma Education Association.

She served as president of the Caddo County Educational Association, and the Anadarko Business and Professional Women's Club. She also served as a member and president of the Oklahoma State Library Board.

She was a member of the State TEPS Council, and of the Mu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. She was presented the Kiwanis Youth Award for her work in the Summer Youth Program, among many other honors.

Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, Carolyn and Joe W. McBride Jr. of Anadarko, and Sandy and David Hill of Tulsa; her stepsons, Steve Kardokus and his wife, Dorothy of Noble, and James K. Kardokus of Apache; five granddaughters, and six great-grandchildren.

Burial will be in Anadarko's Memory Lane Cemetery under the direction of Steverson Funeral Home." -- N. Talkington - View/sign Guestbook
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Perry, OK Gas Prices

"Yesterday I checked every gas station in our small city of Perry, Oklahoma and each one had dropped the price for regular unleaded gasoline to $2.64.9! I hope that it continues to drop. There are still lower prices in other parts of the state and in the surrounding states." -- Roy K.
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Chapman-Barnard & Borum Ranch

"I grew up on the Chapman-Barnard Ranch and Borum Ranch right north of there. We are trying to locate some of those missing branches off the Thompson family tree. We know there was a Martha Thompson who lived around the Foraker and Shidler area. We also know that Charles Thompson and a brother in law, whom we do not know his name, were going to make the Land Run but Charles backed out. I'm just interested in finding any information about Foraker, it's early day inhabitants, and also to mention I can remember rail cars being loaded with cattle at Blackland." -- Brenda Thompson - Email: brendashank@sbcglobal.net
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Chisholm Trail History

Jesse Chisholm and Joseph McCoy... "In the five years from 1867 to 1872, more than three million head of cattle were driven up the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene. By 1870 thousands of Texas longhorn cattle were being driven over the Chisholm Trail to the Union Pacific (later the Kansas Pacific) Railroad shipping center at Abilene. By 1871 as many as 5,000 cowboys were often paid off during a single day. Abilene became known as a rough town in the Old West. The Chisholm Trail in Kansas generally follows a true north route through or near the following communities in Central Kansas: Caldwell, Clearwater, Wichita, Newton, Goessel, Lehigh and Abilene."

Here is another link - Along the Chisholm Trail - with abandoned cattle trail ruts and the only thing that survives today are the vague stories that others have kept alive.

The Chisholm Trail,.. "Marker on the original Chisholm Trail. These heritage markers, situated on many sites along the trail, were the brain child of Bob Klemme, Enid, Oklahoma."

"Joseph McCoy, a merchant from Illinois, heard about the Longhorn cattle that roamed untended in the southern reaches of Texas. These cows, with long, curved horns and hardier than most bovine, numbered in the millions, a product of years of free range. Many weren't even branded and because they remained wild they were by nature tough and enduring. The added bonus was that these cattle were cheap and - in some instances - free for the taking. McCoy theorized that the victorious north, hungry for beef, would be the perfect market for the longhorn. He persuaded ranchers in Texas to herd the cattle and drive them to Abilene, Kansas. From Abilene, the cattle could be transported by rail to stations back east, then on to Northern markets."

"Life on the Trail... The men on the trail worked long hours, traveling the 1,200 mile route at about 10-12 miles per day. Charles Goodnight explained in his memoirs that the best cattle drivers forged the route according to the distance between watering holes. The herd, which ideally numbered about 2,500-3,000 head, followed the trail in a wide berth, sometimes up to a mile wide. Traveling during the spring, summer, and fall, each season brought with it its own perils. The cowboys had to contend with tornados, hail, flash floods and lightning. A freak Spring blizzard in 1874 at Hell Roaring Creek, Indian Territory, killed several animals. Cattle, men, and horses were lost in quicksand along the Red River, where banks could become even more treacherous after a rain storm. Even the smaller creeks became swirling death traps after flash floods."
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Chisholm Trail- 140 years

"At the close of the Civil War in 1865, the greatest economic asset of Texas rested in vast herds of half-wild longhorn cattle. Locally, a longhorn was worth about $3 to $5, but in the cities of the North and East, the same steer would sell for $35 to $40. Economic conditions were right, but transportation was a problem. No railroads connected Texas to the East, and steamships were unsuitable for shipping the half-wild cattle.

"In an effort to market the cattle, Texans began driving their herds through the eastern parts of Indian Territory to shipping points in Missouri and eastern Kansas. This route proved unsatisfactory primarily because farmers along this passage, known as the Shawnee Trail, feared the loss of their livestock to "Texas fever," a disease transmitted by ticks carried on the Texas cattle. In an effort to stop Texas cattle from entering the area, strict laws were passed to limit importation.

The Trail
"The Texans chose as the shortest and easiest route to Abilene a military trail first opened by the Delaware scout, Black Beaver, in 1861. This trail was also used as a trade route by the mixed-blood Cherokee trader, Jesse Chisholm. Although not a cattleman, Chisholm became a well-known figure on the trail and eventually the route north became known as "Chisholm Trail." Roughly paralleling the later route of U.S. Highway 81, the Chisholm Trail entered the Indian Territory near the present-day town of Terral, Oklahoma. It then passed through the future townsites of Duncan, Chickasha, El Reno, Kingfisher, Hennessey, and Enid before entering Kansas near Medford. The trail was not exact as the drovers often varied the route to avoid swollen streams or take advantage of good grazing areas.

"As word of the new trail spread among the Texas cattlemen its use increased. In 1867, the first year the trail was used, McCoy shipped 35,000 head of cattle from Abilene. The next year the number increased to 75,000. By the late 1880s an estimated 3 million cattle had been driven from Texas to the cowtowns of Kansas." -- Chisholm Trail Historical Museum & Chisholm Trail Heritage Center! View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe