Castle On The Hill

Northwestern State Normal School
Alva, Oklahoma, Woods "M" County

Burning of the Castle on the Hill - 1935

The "Castle on the Hill" -- After browsing through old yearbooks, family journals, and old newspaper clippings from the archives of the newspaper department at the Oklahoma Historical Society, this is what I compiled about Alva, Oklahoma's "Castle on the Hill".

The following article is taken from "The Alva Daily Record", Volume 33, Number 53 pg. 1 & 2, Friday, March 1, 1935.

It concerns the burning of "The Castle on the Hill" (Northwestern State Normal School) that burned completely down Friday, March 1, 1935, in the early morning hours around 2:30a. m.. "The Alva Daily Record" was a local newspaper that began in Alva around 1903 and served Alva and Alva's territory for 32 years before the "burning of the castle on the hill, March 1, 1935". It was Alva's morning paper that went out every morning except on Monday. The following is the front page article stretched across the page with one-inch double headlines......

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF TEACHERS
COLLEGE DESTROYED BY $200,000 BLAZE

FLAMES RAZE HISTORIC PART OF NORTHWESTERN
AS ALVA'S FIREMEN SAVE THREE LIVES

Sleeping Students Trapped In Room, Take To Roof, And Are Brought To Safety With Use Of Long Ladder After Cries For Help Heard By Engineer.

BULLETIN --

Every citizen in Alva interested in the Northwestern State Teachers college is called to meet this morning at 10 o'clock at Herod hall to discuss plans for rebuilding the college administration building. The announcement of the call was issued this morning at 5 o'clock by Charles Lamphere, president of the chamber of commerce. The call is urgent and every person in Alva is asked to be present.

BULLETIN --

The residence belonging to Harry Williams, Fifth and Normal, was in flames this morning at 5:15, and probably will be almost a total lose.

BULLETIN --

Arrangements will be made to carry on college class work Monday in spite of the destruction of the administration building. There positively will be school Monday," Dean Sabin C. Percefull declared this morning. Efforts will be made to obtain the use of local churches for class rooms, he said.

"Old Main," the adminisrtation building of Northwestern college, was completely destroyed by flames of unknown origin that broke out early Friday morning. A high wind accelerated the spreading of the flames, and the entire fire department with an army of volunteers worked far into the morning, but the flames continued to spread.

Three college students, who had their sleeping quarters in the building, were trapped on the roof. Their frantic cries for help roused G. R. Bradley, college engineer, from his quarters in the engine room on the campus. Bradley cut ropes from the stage settings in Herold hall and came to the rescue. The fire department arrived in time to save the boys with ladders.

The alarm was turned in by Bob Deal and Herman Hammerstead of the Magnolia Service Station across from the campus. When the trucks arrived, the three boys, Floyd Antis, Tony Anderson and Clyde Friend, were trapped on the southwest corner of the roof with the flames lapping around them. The ladders were erected just in time to prevent them from being burned.

No Insurance --

There is no insurance covering the approximately $100,000 building, and there was little hope of saving the library with its 30,000 volumes worth about 50 or 75 thousand dollars as the high wind from the south fanned the flames beyond control. The water pressure in the hose was not sufficient to reach all parts of the roof where the worst flames were raging.

The fire war reported to have started in the attic of the huge building, but before the alarm was turned in, the first floor was in flames, too. Bradley suggested that the obsolete wiring in the building as a possible cause of the fire.

Volunteers Help --

The fire department's entire force was supported in its valient efforts to check the flames by a host of volunteer college students and citizens who rushed to the scene when the siren spread the alarm. The leaping flames could be seen from all parts of town.

The oiled floors in the building burned like tinder, and the wind aided in spreading the fire to all parts of the great edifice. Black smoke poured out of every vent in the red brick structure as the "castle on the hill" became a seething furnace.

Immediately after rescuing the three students from their precarious position on the blazing roof, the fire fighters turned to the east door and battered it down. The lower floor was flooded with water, and every effort was made to cut the fire off from the library on that floor, but those efforts failed.

Army in Fight --

The army of men were fighting the flames from the time the first truck reached the scene at about 2:30 in the morning on, but it was impossible to gain control of the flames.

The oldest building on the campus, affectionately called "Old Main" was being completely destroyed with records and books, invaluable to the college. The loss will be a tremendous blow to the state, the administration and the students.

The students of the college had just finished a special schedule that made up the three weeks of class work missed during the scarlet fever epidemic, and another great shake-up in their class work and schedule is evident now that the main building on the campus has been destroyed.

ALVA SCHOOL BUILT AFTER LONG BATTLE

Historical Sketch of City Institution Gives Many Intersting Angles

The administration building of Northwestern State Teachers college, destroyed by fire, Friday morning at 3 o'clock, was erected in 1898 at a cost of approximately $100,000, and was the result of untiring efforts of many of the best known pioneer residents of northwestern Oklahoma.

The cost, according to the first plan, was to have been about $68,000, but this amount was later increased to $110,000. The laying of the corner stone took place on July 1, 1898, in the presence of more that 5,000 persons.

First Committee --

The first committee selected to start the work of trying to get the school located in Alva was chosen at a meeting of the citizens to what was known as Mead's hall, over the building that was used for a post office.

This committee was made up of S. L. Johnson, chairman; H. L. Ross, secretary; W. F. Hatfield, James Kelley, C. C. Hudson, A. H. Andrews and Jesse J. Todd. The committee advertised for offers of land near town for a college site.

Fight For Plans --

Following this, another committee was chosen to go to Guthrie, the state capital, to fight for the program in the legislature. S. L. Johnson, James Kelley and C. C. Hudson were chosen, and went to Guthrie, where they were to assist two others, J. P. Gandy and G. W. Vickers in the efforts to finish the plans. They were relieved from time to time by other Alva residents.

Bill Carries --

The bill providing for the institution, then known as a normal school, carried by four majority in the senate and was hurried to the house, but being the last day of the session, and requiring a vote of two-thirds to take it up, it lost under that rule. This ended the fight in 1895.

Later, however, in 1896, the people of Alva again took up the fight for the school, and another meeting was held, and the battle continued until the bill providing for the institution was carried through the state legislature.

S. L. Johnson was named to head the group that was to take up the fight. Johnson named W. F. Hatfield as his first assistant. A committee was put to work, and the fight again was on in bitter earnest.

Measure Signed --

Governor Renfrow signed the bill, after its passage by the legislature, on March 12, 1897. On May 18, 1897, bonds amounting to $5,000 were voted to aid in the erection of the school. After that the plans went forward swiftly, and the now famous building was completed in 1898.

Prof. James E. Ament was the first president of the institution. He arrived in Alva Sept. 20, 1897, with 58 young men and women enrolled. On November 1, 1898,.........

(Excuse the cut-off here of the article. I forgot to copy the last half of the second page of the article. I guess I'm going to have to make another trip back to the Oklahoma Historical Society, huh?)

August 25, 1999 News Update on Castle Burning --

Recently I Emailed Norhtwestern Oklahoma State University's website concerning information about the burning of the "Castle on the Hill." I received a reply back this evening and according to Steve Valencia, Director of Public Information, "The Castle burned in the early morning hours of March 1, 1935. Cause of the fire has been largely a matter of speculation ranging from faulty electrical wiring, to spontaneous combustion in a janitor's closet to a carelessly tossed cigarette. I hope this helps."

Grandpa Bill McGill's Journal --

March 1, 1935 - The old Administration building burned down -- Boy! Was everybody sick. March 14, 1935 - $300,000 passed by both houses to rebuild. Only 4 opposition -- parade by everybody at noon, March 14, 1935.

OkieLegacy NSN Pages...

Castle on the Hill -- NW Normal School -- History of... Normal School
NSN Burning of Castle on the Hill -- Northwestern State Normal
NW Normal Basketball Ladies