September 2022
2 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022 Bartlesville, OK 74006 BECKI GAILEY NM LS # 993347 Sr. M ortgage Loan Consultant 1740 SE Washington Blvd. stridemortgage.com/bgailey918.698.5039 *All mortgage loans are subject to credit approval . Some restrictions apply . Bartlesville ’s Preferred Mortgage Lender Bartlesville, OK 74006 BECKI GAILEY NMLS # 993347 Sr. M ortgage Loan Consultant 1740 SE Washington Blvd. stridemortgage.com/bgailey918.698.5039 *All mortgage loans are subject to credit approval Some restrictions apply Bartlesville ’s Preferred Mortgage Lender
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4 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022 WHAT’S INSIDE what’s inside... 5 Upfront 8 Profile: Scott Ambler Local Architect, Community Leader 12 Feature: The Choctaw Nation The First Tribe to Arrive on Oklahoma Soil 22 Feature Sponsor Story: The Lyda Christian Legacy Life-Changing Acceptance Called Mix to be a Pastor 25 Leadership: Chief Gary Batton Bringing Choctaw Nation Into the Future 27 Kids Calendar 29 Chick-fil-A Events Calendar 33 A Fresh Perspective: I Am Haunted by Waters Our Cry is All for Peace; Let it Continue 39 A Good Word: Little Warrior Mountains Moved for Little Scottie 4 0 Now You Know: Lawton, Weldon & Copan Twin Cities in the Twin Territories 4 3 Looking Back : Providing for Copan Schools 4 5 From the Heart: A Few Notes for Students Be You, But Don’t Miss Seeing Those Around You 48 Funny You Should Ask: What I Did On My Summer Break 52 Out & About: Photos From Around Town 59 Local Events: Friends of NRA 30th Annual Friends of NRA Banquet Set for Oct. 1 61 Arts & Entertainment: The Center: Celebrating 4 0 Years of Arts, Events & Community 63 Let Freedom Ring: Great Galveston Hurricane Storm was One of the Worst Weather Disasters 65 On the Road: Abandoned Steeples & Stone Padlocks, Pure Hearts, and the Secret Sauce SEPTEMBER 2022 48338 52 593912 6140 634322 65452548
I have three daughters. For a Dad, when your daughter has your grandba by, it’s just so unbelievable. The emo tions you have are overwhelming. Today I got to hold Elle for the first time. As the tears filled my eyes, I just praised God because there were so many moments and mountains that this family had to go through and over to get here today. If you notice Elle’s middle name is Tyler. For those who don’t know, Mary lost her oldest brother to an accidental shooting in 2009. Mary was 12 when this tragedy struck our family. It’s so precious that she gave her first child part of her broth er’s legacy. I love that! Christy and I cherish these moments with Elle and Scottie. We know our time on this earth is more than halfway over, but the time we have now will be invest ed into this family — invested into as many grandbabies that we have. Each grandchild will know how precious and how blessed they are to be in this fam ily. I tell Christy all the time that this is the best time of my life and I have nev er been happier than I am today. God has blessed me with seven incredible kids and now two grandbabies! None of us would be here today if it wasn’t for a wife who through all the darkness and Hell she had been through, she held fast and never let go. She never gave up on me because of what she knew in her heart was always there…FAMI
ABOUT THE COVER The Choctaw Nation was the first tribe to arrive on Oklahoma soil. Photo courtesy The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Creative concept by Keith and Christy McPhail Design by Copper Cup Images Volume XIII Issue IX Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by ENGELPUBLISHING Offices located in Downtown Bartlesville in the historic Price Tower 510 Dewey Ave, Suite 400, Bartlesville, OK 74003 P.O. Box 603, Bartlesville, OK 74005 facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthlywww.bartlesvillemonthly.comPublisherBrianEngel brian@brokenarrowmagazine.net CopperGraphicsCupImages design@coppercupimages.com Director of Sales & Marketing Keith keith@bartlesvillemonthly.comMcPhail Community Liaison Christy christy@bartlesvillemonthly.comMcPhail Project Manager Andrea andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.comWhitchurch Administration Shelley Greene Stewart Delivery and Distribution Julie Drake Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Bland, Lori Kroh, Jay Hastings, Sarah Leslie Gagan, Brent Taylor, Keith McPhail, Jay Webster, Abigail Singrey Contributing Photographers Andy Dossett, Bartlesville Area History Museum, John Hurd, Stan Peterson, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Cynthia Alba, Martha Ambler, Oklahoma Historical Society Kids JessicaCalendarSmith All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or otherwise, without prior permission of Bartlesville Monthly, Inc. Publisher & Editor of Bartlesville Monthly Magazine reserves the right to reject any content or advertisement in this publication. Keith & Christy McPhail with newest grandbaby Elle.
Our first year in 2019, we selected our neighbors just west of us — the Osage Nation. Next was the most popular is sue we have printed in the last five years — the Cherokee Nation. We mailed out over 500 copies of that issue from North Carolina to Washington State. Last year’s issue was dedicated to the Del aware Nation, which is headquartered right here in Bartlesville. This year we selected the Choctaw Nation, which is headquartered in Du rant, Oklahoma. The Choctaws were the first Native Americans of the Five Civilized Tribes to come to Indian Terri tory before we were a state. Our Native American issue takes a lot of hard work getting the information and pictures that are accurate. I want to thank Randy Sachs, who is the Public Relations Di rector for the Choctaw Nation, for get ting us to the right people to talk to. He also coordinated the major undertaking to find pictures for this story. Sarah Ga gan writes about this incredible story of perseverance and the history that the Choctaw people have had with our state and our country. Sarah shows how the Choctaws are thriving today. In this month’s issue, I decided to write “A Good Word” which has been heavy on my heart for the last year and especially the last two months. Our first grandbaby, Scottie, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease which has absolute ly changed her life and our family’s life. She has fought battles that most people don’t see in their whole lifetime, and she hasn’t even turned two years old yet. I called the story “Little War rior,’’ and after you read the story, I pray that you can walk away knowing that anything is possible with Faith, Hope and the belief in the power of prayer! I finally want to end this Upfront with some exciting news. When you read this, we will have our second grandbaby! She was born August 12th at 9:05 pm. Her name is Elle Tyler Patterson. Our sweet daughter, Mary, and her husband, Logan, have just put Christy and I on cloud nine! I have a ton of emotions going on right now because of the magnitude of this moment. When Christy and I started dating, Mary was six. On our first date, I remember driving up to Rogers, Arkansas to pick Christy up. I first had to read a book to Mary. She climbed up on my lap and that started the love for this little girl. I still see that little girl and love her as if she is my own. I have written stories of being a Father of four children and a Dad for three. My favorite quote is “Any man can be a Fa ther, but it takes someone special to be a Dad”! So today, I find myself reading to our first granddaughter, Scottie, as she sits on my lap. I can’t wait to have Elle come up to me and hand me a book and say “Pops read me a book!“
LY!
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 5 UPFRONT upfront Welcome to September friends and our annual Native American issue. For the last three years, we have dedicat ed our September issue to our brothers and sisters of different Native American Tribes of Oklahoma.
God Bless, Keith
We live, work, and play in Bartlesville, and we’re proud to serve our neighbors with integrity Experienced, Honest, Local
To end the holiday season, OKM Music once again will present St. Nicholas Day, on December 6. During this event, children will learn about the magical story of St. Nicholas. Parents may also purchase a St. Nicholas Bag filled with special gifts. St. Nicholas bags will be available for pre-order on November 5 at the Christkindl Market as well as OKMhttps://shopokm.square.site/christkindl.isproudtobecollaboratingwiththeBoy Scouts of America, Cherokee Area Council and Jane Phillip’s Elementary School for St. Nicholas Day. Each year OKM Music donates over 50 St. Nicholas bags to the fourth and fifth grade classes at Jane Phillip’s Elementary School. This gift allows OKM Music to give back to the youth of our community as well as share the special magic of music instrumentation and the St. Nicholas story of kindness and giving.
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OKM will be hosting its 10th Oktoberfest this year on Saturday, October 1, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dewey Ave. and 4th Street located in the heart of downtown Bartlesville. Festivities in clude traditional Bavarian games, German food, beer, wine, vendors and more! King Cabbage Brass Band, Blaskapelle, and Mach Schnell will provide live music, with traditional dances per formed by the German American Society of Tulsa. As always kids enter free, which makes Ok toberfest fun for the whole family, but the fun does not stop there. Kids will enjoy jumpy hous es, face painting, crafts, and putt-putt. Adults can enjoy fun games such as Hammerschlagen, Zufall, Root Beer Pong, Bucket Pong, Corn hole, Axe Throwing and so much more.
OKM Music will kick off the holiday season with its Sixth Annual Christkindl Market on Saturday, November 5, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This event will be held on Dewey Ave. and 4th. St. Enjoy the merriment of a tra ditional European Christmas Market right in the heart of downtown Bartlesville. Shop for the holidays with artisan ven dors while indulging your senses with live music, food, drinks, delicious treats, and more. As usual, kids enter free and will be entertained by a life size Candy Land game, Christmas tree bowling, snowball toss, face painting and more!
On Friday, October 28, OKM Music will be host ing a free “Spooky Strings” concert. Enjoy the string renditions of Halloween classics like Thriller, the Addams Family and Ghostbusters, while being mesmerized by stilt walkers, dancers and visual effects. All free to the public. Please visit the OKM Music website for more information at https://okmmusic.org.
How to Travel to Europe for $50
Imagine cruising down the Rhine River and stopping at storybook Christmas villag es in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland all for $50. Enter the chance to win the “Christmas on the Rhine” Viking Cruise Giveaway for two, valued at over $12,000. On this trip, you will browse through a city museum in Amsterdam, sip on Glüh wein while exploring the Christmas markets of Cologne, visit France’s oldest Christkin delsmärik in Strasbourg and admire the scenic mountain views of Switzerland. Raffle tickets are on sale now. Only 2,000 tickets will be sold. The winner will be announced at OKM Music’s sixth annual Christkindl Market on Saturday, November 5. To learn more about this giveaway, or to buy tickets, go to https://shopokm.square.site/oktoberfest or call 918.336.9900 today.
#GivingTuesday is a “movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world” on the fourth Tuesday of November each year. For this reason, 100% of every ticket bought will go toward OKM Music’s music education programming. So come to this event to find your holiday cheer, drink cocoa, enjoy Christmas cookies, and most importantly, support the arts.
Continuing the holiday spirit, #GivingTuesday, will feature a special Christmas concert featuring CRUSA String Quartet. It will be held in Ambler Hall located at 4th and Dewey Ave on November 29, at 7 p.m. During this concert, attendees will enjoy holiday music, Christmas cookies and cocoa. Please visit the website at https://shopokm.square.site/special-events-and-concerts for more information.
byCommunityLocalAmblerScottArchitect,LeaderSarahLeslieGagan
Scott began playing drums professionally in 1972, performing in the area with “Ronnie and The Miracles,” a local soul group with member Lennie Baker performing throughout the four-state area. Scott also played in Jazz Band at Sooner High School. Scott was playing in the OSU band when Professor Montemurro, Head of Instrumental Music, changed Scott’s life forever; he introduced Scott to his fu ture wife, Martha. Scott was drum section leader, and Martha played marching xylophone. They were married in Bartlesville in 1981. Scott graduated from OSU with 32 hours of music credits, playing in 32 different bands during his time there. Together, Scott and Martha played in OSU bands, and then with the Bartlesville Symphony for several years before their children arrived. The Ambler’s three children, Chris, Kelsey, and Cara, are married and have blessed them with four amazing grandchildren.
Scott Ambler was 15 and a sophomore in high school when his dafting teacher, Danny Cowart, recommended him for a job with the City of Bartlesville. That first drafting job was a great experience for Scott and helped shape the direction of his career. His very first professional paycheck came from the architecture business, and some 41 years later he’s still at it.
Upon graduating Sooner High School in 1975, Scott headed to Oklahoma State Univer sity’s School of Engineering, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies. Scott has another passion in addition to architecture, and that is music — specifically, playing the drums. This year marks Scott’s 50th year as a percussionist.
As a third generation Bartian, Scott has deep roots in Bartlesville. His grandparents moved to Bartlesville to work for Phillips Petroleum Com pany. His mother’s parents retired here, while his dad’s parents retired to the family home in St. Louis, Scott’sMissouri. parents, Lewis and Sharon, both grew up in Bartlesville and graduated from Col lege High School. Lewis was an attorney, serv ing as County Attorney and the first District Attorney in Bartlesville. Sharon made custom drapery for many, many years and consequently, Scott worked with his mom, hanging drapes for many years. He has two siblings, Julie and Wade. Growing up in Bartlesville, Scott has many fond memories and recalls many positive in fluences in his life. At Will Rogers Elementary School, it was the gentle influence of art teacher Ruby Fiddler. During his years at Madison Mid dle School, Scott was positively influenced by history teacher Ed Savage. And at Sooner High School, band leader Mort Cuplin, had a pro found impact on Scott. Mr. Cuplin taught Scott a love for making music with others, responsibility to others, and the importance of doing your part. He also gave Scott opportunities that were not available elsewhere.
PROFILE
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After graduating from OSU, Scott and Martha settled in Bartlesville, where Scott began to work for local architect Tom McCrory. Scott’s very first archi tecture job was working on the 10-story Patient Tower at Jane Phillips Medical Center. He has since worked on many other projects on the hospital campus.
“Randy and I realized one day that we were the same age Tom McCrory was when he sold his firm. We thought it was time bring in someone to take over when we were done.” Enter Joey Evans, a Bartlesville native and OSU graduate whom Scott knew as a good friend of his eldest daughter during high school. Joey began his work with Ambler in 2012 and stepped into the role of president three years ago. On December 28, 2018, Scott suffered a profes sional and personal loss with the unexpected pass ing of Randy Weatherly at the age of 61.
About 20 years ago, Ambler realized that his firm needed to expand its trade area in order to keep his staff of 10-12 busy and well-compensated. “Wetargetedsmaller com
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“I don’t have any plans to slow down. I’ve been super blessed to be able to work on so many proj ects over the last 41 years. It’s been very rewarding … and I’m still having fun. It is who I am, not what I Amblerdo.” Architects pumps over $1,000,000 per year into the Bar tlesville economy. Scott continues to work on projects and volunteer in the community. Currently, he is working with Reba McEn tire on her new restaurant and live music venue in Atoka, aptly named Reba’s Place. The restaurant is a partnership with the Choctaw Nation and the City of Atoka.
munities that needed architec tural services and were within a three-hour drive of Bartlesville. We wanted to be able to have meaningful in-person meetings and still be home for dinner.” Tahlequah, Muskogee, Jay, Atoka, Holdenville, Poteau, Ponca City, and Tonkawa are just a few of the Oklahoma communities that Am bler Architects has conducted business over the years. And the last three years they’ve been busy in seven states.
Scott misses his interactions with these inspirational community leaders and recalls, “Most sought my input or opinions on various topics. I never fully understood why, but thought maybe they just wanted me to be thinking about how things affected our commu nity.” Scott followed in his father’s footsteps and became very ac tive with the Bartlesville Jaycees, joining in 1982. He was Oklaho ma Jaycee of the Year in 1983, and Oklahoma Outstanding Lo cal Chapter President in 1984, an award his father had also received yearsScottearlier. says his greatest ac complishment is yet to be written.
“We talk about him every day. In addition to our professional partnership, Randy and I would work on our classic cars together on the weekend, and we were both involved with many volunteer activi ties and the planning and zoning commission. We all miss him terribly.” Through the years, Scott has had the honor to know many of Bartlesville’s most influential citizens. People like Bill Creel, Pete Silas, Tom Sears, Ernie McAnaw, Mike May, and Glenn Cox. Each one had a profound impact on Scott, showing interest in his career and opening doors of opportunity for him.
Scott humbly shares how honored and blessed he feels to be able to do what he does for people, and for our community. To Scott, its all about the people, not the buildings. He enjoys archi tecture, but his real love is working with people. He is a valuable leader in our community who continues to leave his fingerprint on not only our buildings, but also our hearts. Scott Ambler, you help make our community great. Thank you for all you do!
Photo by Martha Ambler
PROFILE
In 1991, after about 10 years of working for McCrory, Scott bought the firm and renamed it Ambler Architects. Joining him as his partner was Randy Weath erly, a landscape architect and registered architect with whom Ambler enjoyed working on over 1,300 architectural projects, local ly and in surrounding states. The very first building that Ambler was able to put his own stamp on was the Bartlesville Public Library. Since then, his work has included schools, churches, businesses, and city and county buildings.
While the name of the business remains the same, there have been some significant changes behind the scenes.
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The Choctaw Nation
The First on Oklahoma Leslie
Tribe to Arrive
Gagan SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
Soil by Sarah
Choctaw Nation Capitol and First Headquarters SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
Located in southern Winston County, Mississippi, stands an important piece of Choctaw history, Nanih Waiya. This large, rectangular platform mound measures 25 feet high, 218 feet long, and 140 feet wide. Nanih Waiya is a Choctaw Indian name meaning “leaning hill.” Archaeologists believe the mound was the location for political and religious meetings of the tribe until the arrival of Europeans in the early 1700s. The age of the mound is unknown, but pottery artifacts found near the base of the mound suggest it could have existed as early as 400AD. The site is revered by the Choctaw and is central to the tribe’s origin legends. In one version, the mound gave birth to the tribe, and as the people emerged from the underworld, they rested on the mound’s slopes to dry before populating the surrounding region. The area is now a state park, but the mound is no longer open to the public.
One of the most distinguishing Choctaw traits was the tribe’s peaceful demeanor. They rarely initiated warfare against their Indian neighbors, although they vigorously defended themselves when necessary.
Chief Pushmataha
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The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma covers approximately 6,952,960 acres, or 10,864 square miles of Southeastern Oklahoma. They are the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States with more than 208,000 enrolled members, and the second largest Indian reservation. The tribal jurisdiction covers 10 and a half counties in the state, with the seat of government located in Durant.
The great Choctaw hero and one of the greatest of all American indigenous leaders was A Pushmatahaahubi,Chief William Durant and Chief George Harkins Nanih Waiya, the Mississippi Choctaw Mound
Nanih Waiya, “Leaning Hill”
Everyday we speak the native Choctaw tongue when we utter the word “Oklahoma.” The name of our great state is Choctaw in origin, meaning “red people.” As the first tribe to arrive on Oklahoma soil, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has helped shape who we are.
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Existing long before their Oklahoma arrival, the Choctaw people’s ancestral homeland spanned most of Central and Southern Mississippi, part of Eastern Louisiana and part of Western Alabama. The Choctaw were fierce warriors, excellent farmers, artful storytellers, and skilled traders.
Agriculture was important to the Choctaw people. They often generously grew a surplus of corn and other crops to trade with other American Indian nations, and later Europeans and Americans. The warm, moist climate with mild winters allowed the people to easily cultivate the river flood plains with maize, beans, melons, squash, sweet potatoes, and sunflowers. The tribe’s farming tools included spades and shovels made from cedarwood and hoes constructed from pieces of flint, animal bones, or bent sticks. The forests provided the Choctaw with firewood and building materials. Wild plants, game, and fish were abundant in the region, providing ample food.
While in Washington, Chief Pushmataha contracted pneumonia and died on December 24th, 1824. General Andrew Jackson visited him in his illness and asked what he could do for him. Chief Pushmataha replied, “ When I die, let the big gun be fired over me.” He was given the funeral of a General of the United States Army and his remains were buried in the congressional cemetery in Washington, where his modest monument may be seen today.
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The Loss of the Homeland Immediately after the American Revolution, the United States sought to gain dominance over the vast amount of land it acquired under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. To strengthen their influence with the Indians, the U.S. government entered into a series of treaties with the Choctaw tribe.
Choctaw Council House Chief Pushmataha
In 1824, Chief Pushmataha went to Washington D.C. on business for the Choctaws, which was the last service he ever rendered. In his address to the Secretary of War, he said, “I can boast and tell the truth that none of the Choctaws ever drew bow against the United States. We have held the hand of the United States so long that our nails are long like bird’s claws .”
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 15 commonly known as Chief Pushmataha. His full name is said to mean, “his arm and all the weapons in his hands are fatal to his Hefoes.” was born in 1764 on land that would one day become Mississippi. Both of his parents were killed by the Creek tribe, which would lead to his lifelong hatred for the Creek tribe.
When asked about his ancestry, Pushmataha replied, “I am Choctaw. Pushmataha has no ancestors. The sun was his father, the moon his mother. A mighty storm, the earth, the roar of thunder, the lightning split a mighty oak and Pushmataha stepped forth, a full-fledged warrior.” Pushmataha was a great warrior, especially against the Osage. On more than one occasion he pursued these enemies far beyond the western banks of the great river that we call the Mississippi. Chief Pushmataha became familiar with the land of Oklahoma, where later his people would come, and knowing its value, he didn’t oppose the removal of the Choctaws from Mississippi. Chief Pushmataha was by nature a leader among men, calm and dignified. No indigenous person of his day was so highly respected by white men as Chief Pushmataha. Some historians give Chief Pushmataha equal credit when compared to Andrew Jackson, in saving the southern states in the War of 1812. Following the war, Chief Pushmataha spent the remainder of his life working in the interest of his people. When the Treaty of 1820 was negotiated, which provided for the sale of the Choctaw land in Mississippi and the eventual removal to Oklahoma, Chief Pushmataha insisted that a large sum of money be set aside as a perpetual school fund for the education of ChoctawPushmataha’syouth. comment on the Treaty of 1820 was prophetic, stating, “ We have acquired from the United States, her best remaining territory West of the Mississippi, and this treaty provides a perfect perpetual fund for the education of our children. I predict that in a few decades its benefits will enable the Choctaws to fight in the white man’s armies and to hold office in the white man’s government.”
The Trail of Tears and Death
The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek represented one of the largest transfers of land that was signed between the U.S. gov ernment and Native Americans, without being instigated by warfare. The Choctaw were the first to walk the Trail of Tears. Nearly 1,300 Choctaws chose to remain in the state of Missis sippi and become US citizens. This caused a division of the tribe into two distinct groups, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The Nation retained its autonomy, while the tribe in Mississippi submitted to state and federal laws.
Pine-saw Mill SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
Chief Green McCurtain and members of the Choctaw nation
George Gaines was named general supervisor for the remov al of the Choctaw people. Gains determined that the best meth od of handling the removal was to move one-third of the Choc taw people per year in 1831, 1832, and 1833. Gains set removal of the first one-third of the Choctaws to begin November 1st, 1831. The Choctaw people were to be gathered in Memphis, Tennes see and sellsonalassemblegatherofthepeoplequate.waswhatment’stheandes,wagons,preparedMississippi. Vicksburg,Ordershadbeentosecureoxen,horsfoodrations,supplies,butU.S.GovernestimateofwasnecessarywoefullyinadeTheChoctawwereallowedfirsttwoweeksOctober1831totheircrops,theirperproperty,andtheirhousesand
government expected the Choctaw to migrate to their new land, however, when the land was properly surveyed, it was discovered that many white settlers were already living on the new land. Ne gotiations began to draw new land boundaries further west, into Indian Territory, and were complete with a new treaty, finalized in 1825. By1830, few Choctaw people had migrated on their own to the new land, and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed. This treaty signed away the last remaining bit of Mississippi land the Choctaws held and resulted in the government-organized forced removal of the Choctaw people to the new land in Indian Territory.
the13formainacresingak’sthereluctantlyChoctawsignedTreatyofDoStand,givup5,169,788oftheirdoinexchangeapproximatelymillionacresinwest.TheU.S.
In 1786, the Choctaw signed what would be the first of nine agreements with the U.S. government, between 1786 and 1830. The treaties established peace and friendship between the two parties, and established land boundaries. Gradually, the Choc taw land decreased, as larger and larger portions were bought for white settlers. Compensation was inadequate, one treaty only paying one dollar for prime hunting land in Alabama, yet the Choctaws agreed, to preserve peace with the U.S. government. With each treaty and loss of ances tral homeland, the threat of removal loomed. InOctober of 1820, the
The only alternative left was to make the removal by steamboat.
Most of the Choctaw people were scantily clad, with some children almost naked when the blizzard hit. All the small military post could offer were 60 small army tents to shelter the more than 2000 Choctaw people from the freezing storm. Rations were in very short supply and were depleted within days. With the rivers clogged with ice, the boats were unable to return for the Choctaw people, so 40 wagons were sent to continue the removal. Their arrival was too late for many that had already frozen to death or died of pneumonia. The wagons could only carry the very young, elderly, and in firm people. If a person was able to stand upright and put one foot in front of the other, they were forced to walk. When the first wagons reached Little Rock, Arkansas, in an interview with an Arkansas Gazette reporter, one Choctaw chief was quoted as saying that the removal to that point had been a Trail of Tears and Death. The Trail of Tears quotation was picked up by the eastern press and widely quoted. It soon became a term analogous with the removal of any indigenous tribe.
The 3000 Choctaw traveling from Vicksburg faced many sim ilar horrific situations. Low rations, ill-prepared guides, and un bearable weather conditions took their toll. The walking party of 300 were led off the path by their incompetent guide and caught in the blizzard while lost in the Lake Providence swamps. A res cue party was dispatched to locate the remaining survivors and join them with the other travelers.
Starving, cold, and weary, the Choctaw people dragged them selves toward the promised land. Progress was extremely slow, as stops to bury their dead or tend their illnesses came often. It took almost three months for the Choctaw people to travel the 150 miles from Camden AR to the new land. By April 1st, 1832, Choctaw Courthouse
The newly-created Bureau of Indian Affairs offered special incentives to any Choctaw person willing to walk to new land. Each indigenous person who decided to walk would be paid $10 in gold, given a new rifle and three-month supply of powder and ammunition, be fed along the way, and be furnished with a quali fied guide to lead them to the new land. Approximately 300 Choc taw people decided to take the offer. As the Choctaw encampments grew surrounding Memphis and Vicksburg in the last week of October, the rains came. Heavy rains flooded the Mississippi, Saint Francis, White, Arkansas, and Bigfork Rivers, turning the river valleys into dangerous quag mires. The roads were impassable, and it became clear that the people could not be taken west by wagons as originally planned.
While waiting for the steamboats to arrive, the rations for the trip were depleted. When the boats arrived, the 300 Choctaws, who had taken the offer to walk, were ferried across the Missis sippi and then turned over to the unskilled guides who would at tempt to lead them to the new land. The 2000 Choctaw people at Memphis were crowded into boats and taken down the Mississip pi and only 60 miles up the Red River before they were unloaded because the Army needed the steamboats for another purpose.
chattels so that they could be at the two ferry points on Novem ber 1st. The Choctaw were ordered to leave all their livestock in Mississippi, with the promise that they would be furnished new livestock when they reached the Choctaw nation in the West.
McCalister SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
Ireland was experiencing the Great Potato Famine in 1847 and the Choctaw knew what starving felt like. Among them selves, they collected $170 (over $5,000 in today’s currency) to send to Ireland, providing sustenance and food to the starving. In 2015 a statue was commissioned and built in Midleton, Coun ty Cork, Ireland, to honor the kindness of the Choctaws. The 20-foot-tall metal sculpture of nine round-tipped eagle feathers shaped into a bowl acknowledges the Choctaw kindness to the Irish people during the great famine, representing the great mo ment of compassion, strength and unity.
A Nation of Sports Sports have always played an import ant role in Choctaw culture. “stickball” and “chunky stone” were used to imitate war, and in some instances, acted as an alternative to war. These games were of
SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
The eagle is a powerful symbol of rising above, just as the Choctaw are known for rising above all they had suffered. From the little resourc es they had, they assisted people half a world away without knowing very much about them other than that the people were suffering and needed help. The mon ument in Ireland reminds people of the greatness of spirit and the kindness and generosity of the Choctaw people and will hopefully encourage others to go out into the world an act in a similar way.
all the Choctaw people who had remained alive through the first removal were located in their new homeland. Approximately 6000 Choctaw people had started out from Mississippi in the fall of 1831, only slightly more than 4000 remained alive. More than 2000 Choctaw people had died along the way and there were two more years of removal to go. Again, improper planning, white man diseases such as dys entery and Cholera, and Mother Nature would turn the 1832 re moval into a debacle of death and disaster. With more severe flooding, at one point the Choctaw were forced to wade through floodwaters and swamps, some as deep as three feet. No records were kept of the Choctaw people who died along the route. Before December 30th, 1832, all of the Choctaw peo ple still living at the end of the second removal trail had reached their new Choctaw nation in the West. The last federally-super vised removal of the Choctaw people from Mississippi came in the fall of 1833. The 1833 migration went more smoothly than the first two. In the three years of removal, more than 7500 Choctaws survived the trip from Mississippi to the new Choctaw nation in the West. By January 1st, 1834, there were approximately 8000 Choctaw people re siding in the new western land in Indian Territory. The Trail of Tears and Death had ended. International Generosity As the Choctaw settled into their new homeland, they built schools, homes, and businesses, and returned to agriculture. While they would always remember what they endured, their spirit of empathy, kindness, and generosity remained strong. Merely years after being removed from their an cestral lands over a harsh winter, and dying by the thousands, they heard a similar tale of suffering coming from across the ocean.
ten used to settle rivalries and disputes between different tribes and families. Stickball also created friendly competition among different clans and tribes.
The Choctaw Code Talkers
Telephone Warriors, Choctaw Code Talkers
The traditional game had very few rules. In the late 1800s, American anthropologist James Mooney declared, “Almost everything short of murder is allowable.” Play took place on a natural field with players wearing no padded clothing or shoes, wielding two Kapucha, or stickball sticks. The sticks were made of hickory or other hard woods cut from the trunk or made of saplings. The ends were thinned and bent into flared cups with leather lacing inside to hold the ball, or Towa, which was made of woven strips of leather. A goal post called a Fabvssa was set at each end of the field, and teams scored by hitting the post with the ball. Full-contact games with limitless players could last for days until either a certain score or time limit was reached. Tribal social customs were an important part of the game. Players went through rigorous mental and physical prepara tions, including fasting, dancing, meditating, and rubbing their bodies with traditional medicines. Drummers worked to set the pace of the game and highlight key plays. Choctaw Stickball is alive and well in many communities throughout the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. In 2009, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma formed its first official stickball team. Teams play regularly, competing with each other and neighboring tribes, and play in exhibition games across the country to educate audiences about the history and vitality of the game. Stickball is one of the oldest organized sports played in America. Part celebration, part ceremony, part physical test of endurance, stickball lives on as a unique and distinctive part of Southeastern Native culture.
Four Choctaws are documented through the Choctaw Code Talker Association as having served in the European Theater as Code Talkers in WWII.
SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
Choctaw stickball, or Ishtaboli, is historically known for its aggressive play. Stickball was a competitive contest within a tribe to keep warriors in shape for warfare, sharpen the defen sive skills of the tribe, and hone hand-eye coordination for suc cessful hunting. It is an enduring part of Choctaw culture, not only as a sport but also as a way of teaching traditional social structure and family values.
Among the Choctaw veterans of WWI were those who are heralded as “WWI Choctaw Code Talkers.” These WW1 soldiers were in France during autumn of 1918, fighting against the enemy. Choctaw soldiers were recruited to transmit messages and devise a system of communications in their native tongue, to foil any wiretapping operations. Within 24 hours after these tele phone warriors began their work, the tide of the battle turned, and in less than 72 hours the Germans were retreating. The achievements were sufficient to encourage a training program for future Code Talkers. The Choctaws had established the stan dard for all other Code Talkers to follow. According to the late Mozelle Dawson from Coalinga, Cal ifornia, her father, Private First-Class Albert Billy, talked to his commanding officer about the Choctaw language being used to confuse the enemy. Billy and other Indians were used on the phone lines speaking in their native dialect, to confuse anyone tapping into the lines. The Germans were more than just a little confused, and after the Choctaw Code Talkers were put on the phones, the Germans immediately began losing. Ms. Dawson said her father told her that during the night, some Germans were captured, and a General of the German army said that he would like to ask just one question: “What nationality was on the phones that night?” The only reply this German officer received was that it was “only Americans” that had been on the phones.
Thriving Today
Preserving Tradition
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma was the first indigenous tribe in the United States to build its own hospital with its own funding. The Choctaw Nation Health Care Center, located in Ta lihina, is a 145,000-square-foot health facility with 37 hospital beds for inpatient care and 52 exam rooms. They continue their spirit of compassion and generosity among their own people and within our state. As the original tribe to arrive in Oklahoma, they have paved the way for much of our success. We are honored to live among them and have much to learn from them about generosity and kindness.
Crafts became a way for western Choctaws to preserve tra ditions that were quickly passing. Their handmade dolls display the elegance and rich variety of Choctaw dress. Today, Choctaw artisans continue to pass on the handcrafted traditions to future generations.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is thriving in their Okla homa homeland today. In 2018, the tribe opened a new 80-acre campus in Durant, Oklahoma, to house their Tribal Headquar ters. Current Chief Gary Batton is the 47th Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, sworn into office on April 28, 2014. Assis tant Chief is Jack Austin, Jr. The tribe is governed by the Choctaw Nation Constitution, ratified by the people on June 9, 1984. The constitution pro vides for an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch of gov ernment. The legislative authority of the tribe is vested in the 12-member Tribal Council.
The Choctaw people are known for their creative, artistic tal ent. They created musical instruments such as cane flutes, and drums that could be heard at considerable distance during their religious ceremonies. Music continues to be an important part of their ceremonies today. Choctaw tradition is to pass down the skill of basketweaving from one generation to another. Women were the primary weav ers for generations. Grandmothers, mothers, and aunts would teach younger women of the family how to weave. Today, there are both female and male weavers. For centuries, the Choctaw people have been noted for beautiful and utilitarian river cane basketry. Early Choctaw baskets were noted as masterpieces, some woven so tightly they could hold water. Baskets were an important part of Choctaw life because they sorted and stored food and goods for the community as well as transported goods to the market for trade with Europeans in the late 1600s. Once settled in Indian Territory, the Choctaw were able to continue the art of basketry using the cane available.
One of the many Choctaw delegations sent to Washington D.C.
SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
‘Kindred Spirits’ Sculpture Cork, Ireland SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE
by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum
Mix Eldon Lyda was born at Caldwell, KS where his dad worked at the Caldwell Movie Theater and became enthralled with cowboy movie stars. He wanted to name his son Tom Mix but his wife was not in fa vor of the name Tom, so Mix it was. Mix was a little difficult to explain to taunting school peers so he went by Mickey.
In 1957, a life changing acceptance found Mix answering the call to pastor the Wann Methodist Church. Five years later, he became the pastor of both the Copan and Wann churches where he served both locations for 14 years. He was drawn to serving the Lord and his church family so he closed his busi ness, attended the St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas and graduated in 1981, at 61 years of age. His education opened pas toral doors at Talihina and Tuskahoma for five years before he returned to Dewey and served as associate pastor in semi-re tirement at Copan until 1993. In 1990, Mix and Lucy celebrated their 50th Wedding An niversary by renewing their wedding vows in the witness of their children, grandchildren and Copan Church fam ily. Their children are Karyn, Pamela, Eldonna, Valorie, Van and Mix Eldon Lyda, II…one more connection to his dad’s favorite western actor, Tom Mix.
From humble beginnings, Mix’s greatest childhood memories stemmed from his grandfather Wilson’s history stories and his grandmother’s prayers, mostly the sweet manner in which she said the name “Jesus,” although he shied from her mealtimeLucilee“preaching.”Ruth“Lucy”
The Lyda Christian Legacy Life-Changing Acceptance Called Mix to be a Pastor
After medical needs required Mix to endure nine years of dialysis, he chose to stop, ending his legacy as a loving husband, devoted father and Christian leader. Mix Lyda died May 4, 1998. He received full military rites by the James Teel American Legion Post 105 and was laid to rest in the Dewey Cemetery.
As a child Mix fled his grandmothers ministering words, words he minis tered to others in his adult life…“Jesus is as close as the air we breathe.”
Lincicome’s mother died when she was just 13 and her grandparents assumed her care. During a Parent Teacher’s Association meeting, the entertainment was a musician group with a handsome and quite debonair banjo player named Mickey Lyda. Lucy was only 15 so their courtship required her aunt to chaperone. Three years later, the couple married at the Methodist parsonage in Deer Creek, OK and they made their first home together in a one-room efficiency tourist court at Wichita with a communal “necessity” building. Making a decent living in the early 1940s was a little difficult and painting houses and barns barely paid the bills. Mix accepted a position as maintenance engineer at the Commodore Hotel in Wichita mak ing $75 per month plus an apartment. Two babies and WWII naval service lat er, the couple landed in Arkansas City, KS where Mix worked as an interior dec orator.In 1954, Mix accepted a position at the Bartlesville Furniture Company as an interior designer and the family moved to Dewey. Three years later, he established his own decorating and drapery business, Creative Interiors, in a Price Tower studio and worked with well-known architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff in decorating the Price Tower. In addition, he decorated the Phillips Petroleum offices and K.S. Adams home. Then he moved the fam ily and business to Dewey where they opened a furniture store and continued the decorating, drapery and upholstery business.
MIX & LUCY LYDA FEATURE SPONSOR STORY
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Other programs help provide jobs for Choctaw citizens. Through the Choctaw Nation BEYOND program, Batton is ensuring that they stay on the cutting edge of technology.
“This way, we can ensure that we can sustain our services, and move our focus to our history and culture.”
Gregory E. Pyle recognized Batton’s leader ship abilities and appointed him assistant chief in 2007. Bat ton’s first initiative was to find ways to help the Choctaw Na tion become more economically sustainable. He developed a plan that included a $385 million gaming facility expansion in Durant, Grant, McAlester, and Stringtown, creating 700 more jobs in the area. Under his leadership, the tribal businesses saw a 69 percent increase in profitability, which has improved the economic outlook for the tribe, its members, and the sur rounding communities. Batton’s success as assistant chief ensured his place as the 47th chief of the Choctaw Nation when Chief Pyle retired. As chief, Batton focused on healthcare, housing, and cul ture. He’s overseen the growth of the Choctaw Nation from 6 ,500 employees to 12,500 employees, with a biweekly pay roll of over $60 million. Last year, they built 340 homes for tribal members, and plan to build another 340 this year.
Batton is no stranger to hard times. He grew up on his grandmother’s original allotment in rural Oklahoma, in an isolated area 15 miles down a dirt road. He was surrounded by family — grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. “When the school bus stopped, it picked up 27 of us,” Batton said. But his childhood was interrupted first by his parents’ di vorce, then his father’s debilitating accident, and then his old er brother’s suicide. But these personal tragedies have pro vided Batton with his life’s mission. “This gave me a burning passion to help people,” Batton said. “I didn’t want to let peo ple go through the same social ills that we did.”
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton found his calling at the intersection of faith, family, and culture. Now he leads a na tion that is 280,000 tribal members strong and provides over 170 programs to its citizens. Batton sees his role as chief as a way that he can make a difference for others.
Batton met and married his wife, Angie, while attending college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Batton got a job with the Choctaw Nation to support the newlyweds, not knowing that this job would lead him down a path to his life’sThen-Chiefpurpose.
Chief Gary Batton
Bringing the Choctaw Nation Into the Future by Abigail Singrey
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly LEADERSHIP
The BEYOND program, a partnership with the Federal Avia tion Administration, allows the Choctaw Nation to operate an unmanned aircraft research and development program.
“We’re creating a path through economic development to make sure that we can be sustainable as a tribe,” Batton said.
One of Batton’s accomplishments was the opening of the Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera, near the Texas-Oklahoma border in 2021. The center features a living village with stick ball and dancing exhibitions. Exhibitions share the history of the Choctaw, from their creation stories to the Trail of Tears to allotments in Oklahoma. Visitors will be immersed in Choc taw culture, preserving the history for generations to come.
Batton has received recognition beyond the Choctaw Nation. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2020 and received an honorary doctorate from Austin Col lege in Batton2022. also considers his family one of his greatest accom plishments. Batton and his wife reside in Clayton, Batton’s hometown. They have two children and two grandchildren.
At 55-years-old, Batton never stops thinking about the fu ture. That’s why he and his wife established a scholarship at Southeastern Oklahoma State University for Choctaw Nation students.“It’sreally important that we build a foundation of future leaders for the Choctaw Nation,” he said.
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Lead Ain’t Dead Kustom Kar Show 9 AM; Downtown Dewey Bruin Volleyball vs Muskogee 4:30 PM (V); Bruin Fieldhouse 5:30 PM (JV); Bruin Fieldhouse Music on the Lawn 6 PM; Frank Phillips Home Enjoy live music on the lawn of the Frank Phillips Home, presented by Truity Credit Union! Music will be provided by Ann-Janette & the Evolution: a trio featuring Ann-Janette. Bruin Softball vs Muskogee 6:30 PM; Softball Fields Bruin Volleyball vs Bixby 7 PM; Softball Fieldhouse Bruin Volleyball vs Ponca City 4 PM (FR); Bruin Fieldhouse 6 PM (JV); Bruin Fieldhouse 7 PM (V); Bruin Fieldhouse Bruin Football vs Collinsville 7 PM; Custer Stadium Woolaroc Fall Trail Ride 10 AM; Woolaroc The country retreat of oilman The trail ride covers approximately 15 miles of terrain that is rarely, if ever, seen by the general public.
CommUNITY Fest 2022 4 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square Bruin Softball vs Tulsa Memorial 5 PM; Softball Fields Bruin Softball vs Stillwater 5:30 PM; Softball Fields Bruin Football vs Booker T Washington 7 PM; Custer Stadium Bruin Softball vs Broken Arrow 5:30 PM (JV); Softball Fields 7 PM (V); Softball Fields Bruin Softball vs Owasso 5:30 PM (JV); Softball Fields 7 PM (V); Softball Fields BHS Virtual Leaning Day All Day; District-wide 7:00pm Bruin Football vs US Grant 7 PM; Custer Stadium all Month Farmers Market AM; Frank Phillips Park
The Washington County Free Fair runs through Sept. 10. Putt Putt for Paws SPCA Fundraiser 6:30 PM; Sooner Jr Miniature Golf BringCourseyourfamily and friends to a fun evening of miniature golf! All proceeds will benefit the Washington County SPCA! Cost is $6 per person per game or 2 games per person for $10 when purchased at the same time or $20 for a Family of 4 for 1 round of mini golf. Pearls on the Prairie 6 PM; Timber Oak Event AnVenueannual fundraiser benefitting Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma Kan-Okla 100+ Garage Sale & Flea Market All Day; Various locations in NE Oklahoma & SW Kansas If you like garage sales and flea markets you will love 100 miles of them. Northeast OK & Southwest Kansas. Sale runs through September 10.
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SPONSOREDCALENDARSEPTEMBERBY 5 7 8 9 10 13 15 17 19 22 23 26 16 17 Saturdays
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7 LivePM Music with We R Called Get Real Ministries 411 W 14th St. Sat, Sep 3 8 BartlesvilleAM Farmers Market
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Fri, Sep 2 9 TaiAMChi with Dixie Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd. The classes are held every Friday out side at Unity Square.
Frank Phillips Park 222 SW Frank Phillips Blvd. Featuring fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, grass-fed beef, fresh eggs, and handmade items.
Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd. This is an indoor market with fresh baked goods, coffee, home decor, clothing, soaps, live succulents, Unique homemade products, local art, and more! It is held every Friday and Satur day, from 12-4 p.m.
10 WoolarocAM Mountain Man Camp Final Weekend Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. Authentic 1840’s trader camp set up at our Mountain Man Camp. The public is welcome to visit the Mountain Man Camp at no additional charge to view the customs and lifestyles of the early day traders. Woolaroc’s Mountain Man Camp, led by brothers Wes and Roger Butcher, is a living history event that recreates the life of a fur trader in the 1840’s. The camp started out as an un paid test run some 25 years ago and has since evolved into one of the signature pieces of Woolaroc. The camp is open through Labor Day during normal park hours.
8 HistoryPM & Haunts Dewey Hotel Museum 801 N Delaware St., Dewey Spend an evening with the hosts at the Dewey Hotel. They will go over some of our unique histories and take a lantern guided small group tour. You will go into some of their rooms, usually blocked off access to guests. Each journey will be unique as you can never predict what our fellow specters will do on tour or what you might hear or see. The tours are held every Saturday at 8 p.m.
12 BartlesvillePM Artisan Market
10 WoolarocAM Animal Barn Final Weekend Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. One of the most popular places at Woolaroc is our Animal Barn — original ly the Dairy Barn for our founder, Frank Phillips. Over the years, the barn has been home to many different animals, including rabbits, chickens, goats, and calves. The animal farm is open through Labor Day during normal park hours.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR
Thu, Sep 1 9 BAAAM 70th Annual Art Show & Sale
10 NotAMReady To Say Goodbye Exhibit Price Tower Arts Center 510 S Dewey Ave. Renowned Tulsa-based multi-disci plinary artist Kalup Linzy will have his long-awaited debut solo exhibition in Oklahoma with the opening of Not Ready to Say Goodbye (Green Country Edition), a survey of his recent collages, Polaroids, and videos at Price Tower Arts Center. This shows is on view through September 3. . Since 2019, Kalup Linzy has been a Tulsa Artist Fellow, and his exhibition at Price Tower Arts Center is made possible through their generous support. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, Oklahoma Arts Council, and Price Tower Arts Center’s generous supporters.
10 ScottAM Taylor Art Exhibit Price Tower Arts Center 510 S Dewey Ave. The exhibit will be on display through November 6 during regular Arts Center hours.
The Center Lyon Gallery 300 SE Adams Blvd. The Bartlesville Art Association cordially invites the community to its 70th Annual Show & Sale at The Center’s Lyon Gal lery. The event runs through September 23, on weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mon, Sep 5
Minimum deposit required to open a checking account.
6 KnitPM& Crochet Night Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. The free event is held in Meeting Room C on the second Tuesday of each month. Fri, Sep 16 9 LivePMMusic with Radio Ranch Soho Club 408 E 2nd St.
Tue, Sep 13
8 2ndAMAnnual Harvest & Hotrods Festival
Saturday: Knowns, Freestyle (daylight pending). Sunday: Unknowns. Awards 1st-3rd in all classes.
6 Johnstonep.m. Irregulars Book Club Meeting Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. The book club meets in the Literary Services Office on the 2nd floor of the library on the first Tuesday of every month.
Fri, Sep 9 All Kan-OkaDay 100+ Miles of Garage Sales Various Locations Along Hwy 75 NE Oklahoma & SW Kansas Over 100 miles of yard sales & flea mar kets, with everything from antique to unique, one-of-a-kind treasures. Spend the weekend having a fun filled shop ping experience. Sale resumes Satur day. 6 PearlsPM on the Prairie Timber Oaks EVent Venue 1639 US 60 Pearls on the Prairie is an annual fund raiser benefiting Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma in Bartlesville. Join them for a fun evening of dinner, drinks, raffle packages, and music while supporting a great cause and helping them provide truly unique opportunities for the future female leaders of Bartlesville. For indi vidual tickets and sponsorship informa tion please go to gseok.org/pearls or contact Fund Development at 918-7455201. You must be 21 years or older to attend.
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The 2nd Annual Harvest and Hot Rods Festival gives all an opportunity to en joy a car show, children’s games, and vendors with us. Their goal is the con tinue raising funds in an effort to reno vate out city park. The city park is used throughout the year by families, multiple organizations and surrounding commu nities. We are excited to have you with us. Classes will be by the decade, Mo torcycles, Unfinished and Best in Show. Prize drawings throughout the event for participants.
6 MusicPM on the Lawn Frank Phillips Home 1107 SE Cherokee Ave. Enjoy live music on the lawn of the Frank Phillips Home, presented by Truity Credit Union! Music will be provided by Ann-Janette & the Evolution: a trio fea turing Ann-Janette Webster (keyboard/ vocals), Donn McCallister (percussion) and Mike Hough (upright bass) that blends classic jazz standards, favorite pop tunes from different eras and their own piano-driven originals. Pack a pic nic, games, and your lawn chairs for this free family event! Note: Our new parking lot is located on 11th and Osage, behind the garage. Street parking is also available but please be courteous of our neighbors!
Wed, Sep 7 9 WashingtonAM County Free Fair Washington County Fairgrounds 1109 N Delaware St., Dewey The free fair is also open to the public on Thursday & Friday at 9 a.m. on both days. 3 SeniorsPM Connect: Living a Balanced Life Elder Care 1223 Swan Dr. Are you interested in self-care? Do you want to improve your mental outlook and enjoy your life? Marilou Bork, LCSW, shares important strategies for making the most out of every day. Ages 65+.
Thu, Sep 8 6:30 PM Putt Putt for Paws Fundraiser Sooner Jr. Miniature Golf Course Sooner Park Bring your family and friends to a fun evening of miniature golf! All proceeds will benefit the Washington County SPCA! Cost is $6 per person per game or 2 games per person for $10 when purchased at the same time or $20 for a Family of 4 for 1 round of mini golf.
The International Miniature Aerobatics Club is excited to welcome everyone back to Copan for the 3rd year in a row. This is a great host club with hot break fast and lunch both Saturday and Sun day. Camping on site is welcome with no hookups. All IMAC classes will be flown.
3 BartlesvillePM Pride! Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.
5:30 PM Free Spanish Classes Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Free Spanish Class every Monday eve ning at 5:30 p.m. in Meeting Room B on the first floor of the Bartlesville Public Library. This class is free and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918-338-4179 if you have any questions.
5 ELLPMConversation Class Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. These classes are held every Tuesday at 5 p.m. and every Thursday at 10 a.m. These classes are FREE and open to the public.
4 HalloweenPM Poker Run Cowboys Dancehall 1424 E Tuxedo Blvd. Live music, free swag event in memory of Austin.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Ochelata Town Hall 149 S Ochelata St, Ochelata
5 FreePM Citizenship Class Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Citizenship classes are held on Tues days at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 11 a.m. on the second floor of the Bartlesville Public Library in the Literacy Services office. These classes are FREE and open to the public. Please contact the Bartles ville Literacy Services office at 9183 38-4179 for additional information.
9 LeadAM Ain’t Dead Car Show Downtown Dewey 700 N. Delaware Saturday, the main part of the show will be held in front of Stray Kat Kustoms shop & Two Tall Okies. The address is 700 N Delaware in Dewey. If we need more room we have plenty of choices to accommodate the Kustoms.
Sat, Sep 10 7 3rdAMAnnual Bill Thomas Memorial IMAC Challenge Bartlesville Falcons Model Club W 620 Dr, Copan
Tue, Sep 6 10:30 ZumbaAMw/Bee Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Zumba w/ Bee is held every Tuesday at 10:30 am in Meeting Room A at the Bar tlesville Public Library. This class is free and open to the public.
Various
10 5thAMAll-Bellanca Fly-In Bartlesville Municipal Airport 401 Wiley Post Rd. 6 CowPM Thieves & Outlaws Reunion Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. Join us for Woolaroc’s annual fundrais er that has been an Oklahoma favorite since 1927! Guests will enjoy an evening of food, dancing, art, and fireworks at the historic Clyde Lake. Get those boots ready for a night you don’t want to miss! What began as a party in 1927, when Bartlesville oilman Frank Phillips played host to cowboys, socialites, thieves, bankers, and lawmen at his country estate, is now an annual tradition that preserves the history and heritage of the American West. This is the major fundraising event benefiting the Frank Phillips Foundation, the non-profit that owns and operates the 3700-acre wild life preserve, museum, and ranch.
Weekdays Food Truck at Tower Center at Unity Square Food trucks will be available every weekday in May, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tower Center.
Sat, Sep 24 Annual Oldies & Goodies Car Show DowntownLocationsDewey Registration is $25 at the show, (No Pre Registration). Proceeds will go to sev eral local charities. Registration desk opens at 8am and closes at 11am. Enjoy a live DJ, event tee shirts, vendors, food, 50/50 pot and a salute to Veterans at noon. This is an “Open Class”, rain or shine show judged by members of our club. From the Top 20, a HIGH FIVE will be recognized. The four runners-up will receive $50 cash and the best of the High Five will receive $100 cash. The top 20 trophies, High Five, along with May ors Choice, Police Chief’s Choice and Ladies Choice trophies will be present ed at 3 pm sharp. For more information call Ken at 918-440-2677. See you there!
6 JesusPM Burger Get Real Ministries 411 W 14th St. Get Real Ministries is having Jesus Burger every 3rd Saturday of the month. Mon, Sep 19 Times Vary OLLI Lifelong Learning Classes Various BartlesvilleLocations
4 CommUNITYPM Fest 2022 Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd. CommUNITY Fest will be Sept. 17 from 4 pm to 10 pm, with cultural groups on the green, food trucks in the parking lot and musical groups on Unity Stage from 6 pm to 10 pm. In Early 2022, interest ed organizations and individuals came together to see if they could create an event that would allow our community to come together as a whole and cele brate the cultural diversity of that can be found in Bartlesville. These organiza tions and individuals have collaborated to bring CommUNITY Fest to our com munity in hopes that it will be a day of celebrating the culture that makes Bar tlesville unique.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 31 EVENTS CALENDAR
Sat, Sep 17 9:30 AM Fall Trail Ride Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. The country retreat of oilman Frank Phillips, Woolaroc is hidden away in the beauty of the rolling Osage Hills. The trail ride covers approximately 15 miles of terrain that is rarely, if ever, seen by the general public. Nothing would have pleased Mr. Phillips more than to have known that riders were enjoying his ranch doing something he loved to do... ride. It is common to see bison, elk, deer, and longhorn cattle along the trails of Woolaroc. Registration check-in time is from 7-9 a.m., and the ride begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. Lunch and rest pe riod is from noon-1 p.m. at the front gate. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., non-riders can enjoy the main grounds of Woolaroc.
8 35thAM
OLLI@OSU’s local lifelong learning classes: Sept. 19 - Nov. 11. In person and Zoom. Daytime classes — learn ing just for the fun of it! Course cata logs at Bartlesville Public Library and Dewey libraries, banks, cafes, etc., and online: https://education.okstate.edu/ olli. Questions? Email or phone: OLLI@ okstate.edu or 405-744-5868. Visit OLLI on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/olliosu.
32 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022 ForrestManorNursingCenter “Caring is our Tradition” MOCEVISITUS THERAPY & REHABILITATION Forrest Manor has a long track record of providing premier, skilled care for its residents. Trusted by individuals and their families to continue recovery when leaving the hospital and to enhance residents’ lives by promoting independence and safety. Forrest Manor provides rehabilitation services by caring, licensed therapists. Forrest Manor offers: • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy • Restorative Therapy • Personalized Care • Social ServicesSocial • Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation • Planned Activities • Skilled CareSkilled • Respite Care • Short & Long Term Care • Hospice • Senior Fitness CenterSenior • Theater Room Room • Private Party Room • Elegant Private Dining RoomElegant • Meals planned by a Registered Dietician • Complimentary transportation toComplimentary doctors’ appointments • And much more! SERVICES 1410 North Choctaw, Dewey, Oklahoma 74029 (918) 534-3355 • ForrestManorDewey.com
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Norman Maclean writes at the end of his novella, A River Runs Through It, “...all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The riv er was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless rain drops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
(Source: www.nancyward.org)
I have always loved nature and hiking on wooded trails with my son. This affinity for nature never seemed connected to my Cherokee heritage until I read about my 6th great-grandmother. Before this investigation into my Cherokee lineage, I sensed the Cherokee blood within me as too diluted to be significant, my skin too white to hear the words of my Cherokee ancestors.
I Am Haunted by Waters
by
Lauren’s 7th great-grandmother was a full blood Cherokee by the name of Nanyehi, anglicized to Nancy Ward, and her husband was Kingfisher, members of the Wolf Clan. Nancy first became prominent in Cherokee affairs during a battle with the Muskogee (Creek) Indians in 1755. The Cherokee and the Muskogee had waged a war for possession of what is now northern Georgia. The Cherokee, at first, fell back, but ral lied and drove the Muskogee from their cover. The defeat was so great that the Creeks left the upper portion of Georgia and the adjacent part of Alabama and never returned. Nancy had accompanied Kingfisher to the battle. Kingfisher was killed, and Nancy picked up his rifle and continued the fight. Sometime lat er, she was given a title, “Ghi-ga-u” translated as “Beloved Wom an.” Holders of this title had a right to speak and vote at Cher okee Councils and had supreme pardoning power; both rights Nancy used through the remainder of her life. Nanyehi became a de facto ambassador between the Cher okee and the whites. In 1781, when the Cherokee met with an American delegation led by John Sevier to discuss American set tlements along the Little Pigeon River, Nancy expressed surprise that there were no women negotiators among the Americans. Sevier was equally appalled that such important work should be given to a woman. Nancy told him, “You know that women are always looked upon as noth ing; but we are your mothers; you are our sons. Our cry is all for peace; let it continue. This peace must last forever. Let your women’s sons be ours; our sons be yours. Let your women hear our words.” An American observer said that her speech was very moving.
We think about the Ameri can Woman’s Suffrage Move ment of the 20th century as the leading edge of women striv ing for peace and respect in a paternal culture. Nanyehi was speaking out for the well-being of women long before that.
I too am haunted by waters, haunted by the raging waters of progress and civilization that carried the Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole along a trail of tears to a destination masquerading as the promised land. I’m a card carrying Native American Cherokee. But I remain, like my daughter, mostly pilgrim, born on the edge of western prairie and eastern timber in what was once called Indian Territory. My pilgrim blood mixes uneasily with my Cherokee blood. The churning waters of Manifest Destiny and the Indian Remov al Act mingle with the resounding echo of Nanyehi’s words to John Sevier, “Our cry is all for peace; let it continue. This peace must last forever.”
Our Cry is All for Peace; Let it Continue
Brent Taylor During four years of living and working in New Jersey, where my wife was raised, the question of my roots would invariably arise given my Okie speech inflection. When my New Jersey friends discovered that I hailed from Oklahoma, they would curi ously ask, “Are there lots of Indians in Oklahoma?” My daughter is Native American. She has an ear tag from birth about the size of an uncooked lentil. When she was four, we were driv ing down Cherokee avenue in Bartlesville and her young er brother asked, “What is a Cherokee?” “A Native American tribe,” she explained and went on to announce that her ear tag was Cherokee Indian and the rest of her was Pilgrim. While my daughter did not know it, her proportion of Cherokee Indian in her DNA probably matches the scale of her ear tag to the balance of her flesh and blood.
34 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 35 SWIM’N HOLES CHLORINE $ SAVE MONEY $ Better Health Add Only 2 Times A Month • Free Delivery (Bartlesville Area) • Free Assembly • Free Start Up • 32yrs Local Family Pool CompanyBig Green Egg Grill Traeger Grill GRILL SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIES SALES, SERVICE, CONSTRUCTION 918.333.4442 • 412 SE WASHINGTON BLVD, BARTLESVILLE, OK 74006 swimnholesinc.com
JEFF HALL REAL ESTATE “My commitment to service is my commitment to you!” 36 Years of Real Estate Knowledge Jeff Hall, Broker/Associate (Licensed Broker in OK and NC) 124 SE Frank Phillips Boulevard, Bartlesville, OK 74003 918.440.9199jhall@mcgrawrealtors.com
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 37 Choose the team that provides physical, emotional, and spiritual support to you and your loved ones. Locally owned and operated. Serving the Bartlesville area for 15 years. www.comfortinghandshospice.com 918-331-0003 Sandra Brown, Administrator Affordable apartments where you can enjoy new friends and feel right at home! We have independent living apartments available to rent for those ages 55 or older. All apartments are unfurnished, 1 bedroom, $850 per month and include: • All utilities paid; including basic cable • 24-hour emergency response • Fully equipped kitchen • Patio with sliding glass door • Restaurant-style dining or you can have meals delivered directly to your apartment • Planned activities; to include regularly scheduled happy hour • Scheduled transportation for shopping • Housekeeping • On-site laundry • On-site beauty shop • Daily exercise classes offered • Year-round building & grounds maintenance • Interior maintenance • Pet-friendly 3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com
38 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022 Green Country Pet Cremation Service offers private pet cremation with timely return of ashes in your choice of a decorative wooden urn with an engraved nameplate. If no return of ashes is requested, the ashes will be gently scattered on a beautiful pastoral/garden property. We are located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and gratefully serve pet owners from a wide area surrounding Bartlesville, Dewey, and Northeast ForOklahoma.ourfee schedule, please feel free to call us at any time. 918-766-3812 GCPetCremation@aol.com Like us on srussell@mcgrawrealtors.com918-213-5943
These scars are a reminder of the unbelievable journey she has been on and how God has touched her with His supernatu ral healing. They are a reminder of how God took these moun tains that were in front of her and made them sand! We can not even begin to tell you that we BE LIEVE with all we have that the power of prayer from thousands of our friends and people across the country was the cata lyst of HIM moving! If you follow us on our personal Facebook page, you have walked this journey with us and seen the mir acles that have happened in Scottie’s life. She was put on the Liver Donor list, and in three weeks there was a match. On June 22nd, she was flown to Houston and had a six-hour surgery where she received her new liver. (Praise God!) We started posting Scottie’s updates and status and received so much support just like this community has done before when we lost our son Tyler! You — thousands of our Prayer Warriors — came out like I have never seen before. We had people stopping us when we were out, asking about Scottie telling us that they are praying for her. To live in a community like ours that rallies around our people is amazing, humbling, and breathtaking to see. We be lieved in your prayers and stood on the rock of our faith and yours that God was going to see Scottie through. We have seen Hope that never ends and miracles just happen with her journey. For Lolly and Pops, we are so grateful for each of you who just whispered Scottie’s name and asked for healing.
God bless…Lolly and Pops
Finally, it just breaks our heart to know that a mom and dad out there lost their whole world, and they decided un selfishly to help another child by donating their child’s or gans. We know that Scottie lives today because of their love for children and their sacrifice to help another child in need. Thank you! There will be a day that Scottie will read this sto ry about mountains that were moved even when the sky was falling. The word impossible was never mentioned. It was al ways the Hope that never ends and believing in prayer and our faith in HIM!
Little Warrior Mountains Moved for Little Scottie
by Keith McPhail
It’s 12:15 a.m. on August 10th, and I’m writing these words that have been heavy on my heart for the last year. For Christy and I raising seven kids, we knew the odds of us having grandchildren were really good. As the years went by and one by one four of our kids got married, we just knew we would have one soon. We waited patiently and, finally, our first grandchild, Scottie, was born on November 10th, 2020. (I always smile with joy when I just say or hear her name). Of course, this was during COVID, so we couldn’t see her very much. When we were visit ing her, we told our son, James, that she looked jaundiced. We suggested he should talk to their doctor about it, and, in fact, they had already noticed her yellowness. The next week, when visiting the doctor, he told them to quit worrying because Scottie was fine. Britta ny — through mother’s intuition — started researching Scot tie’s symptoms and narrowing down what she might have. A few days later, James and Brittany took her to the emergency room with a high fever. The doctor told them they needed to go to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and they needed to go now! We got the phone call that no parent or grandpar ent wants. They told us she had to have surgery to remove her gall bladder. Scottie was diagnosed with a rare liver dis ease called Biliary Atresia. This is a condition in infants where the bile ducts outside and inside the liver are scarred and blocked. Bile can’t flow into the intestine, so bile builds up in the liver and damages it. The damage leads to scarring, loss of liver tissue and function, and cirrhosis. We left immediately for Little Rock, knowing we couldn’t see her but wanted to be there for James and Brittany. Before Scottie had her surgery, Brittany and James couldn’t both be in the hospital together because of COVID, so we just tried to be the comfort and encouragement for them. With the incredible help of Marybeth, Jame’s sister, we helped find them a place to stay and get them food and supplies. No one knew how long they would be in the hospital. After surgery, this little war rior didn’t let the ordeal keep her down. When looking at her you wouldn’t have known anything was wrong except her little belly being protruded because of her swollen spleen and liver. The road this precious child has walked down is amazing. Our little Scottie has been poked, pricked,and prodded. She has had two major surgeries. One of those surgeries was a full organ transplant. She’s been held down with sandbags on her little arms. She’s been where most people will never go in their lifetime ... and she hasn’t even turned two years old. This child has scars that will be with her for the rest of her life.
A GOOD WORD
Lawton, Weldon & Copan Twin Cities in the Twin Territories
Prior to the Civil War, it was easier to cross the pond to Eu rope than it was to travel to California for the “gold rush.” This situation presented a challenge and necessitated a plan. Enter the Transcontinental Railroad, which was much more than lay ing 1,911 miles of rail track across hills and valleys, it was blasting through mountains and bridging rivers. Once the railway was completed, the areas of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas established their rail systems bringing opportunities to explore the vastly untamed frontiers of Indian and Oklahoma Territory.
In 1898, two gentlemen from Caney, Sam Porter and Harve Truskett, joined forces with Jacob Bartles of Bartlesville to se cure a railroad from Caney, though Bartlesville, to the Horse Pen Coal Pit Mining Company in Collinsville. Their intentions were purely personal economic gain as all three were all stockholders in the mining company. The trio also held controlling interest in the Kansas, Oklahoma, Central & Southwestern Railroad which was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1899 and the Santa Fe pushed the railroad south.
by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum
Where railroads planted depots, towns sprang from the earth and when the Santa Fe placed the Copan depot in 1899 that is exactly what happened. There is confusion about the naming of the Co pan Depot; some say the depot was named for an ancient city in Honduras, while others point the name refers to ‘Cow-Pen’ for the large cattle holding stockyard in the depot area. Communication was slow to develop, creating controversy between the twin territories of Indian and Oklahoma. In early January 1900, a post office was officially appointed to the set tlement of Lawton, Indian Territory with U.S. Deputy Marshall James Gibson as postmaster. Then, August 1901, a community was named after Civil War Major General Henry Ware Lawton. Lawton, Oklahoma Territory was founded as the county seat of Comanche County and the Rock Island and Frisco Railroads expanded into Lawton O.T. where a railroad depot was estab lished. Perhaps this may sound like a minor complication but trou ble was brewing. The railroad played an important role in the transportation of people, mail and freight. The Rock Island an nounced free tender for the postal department to Lawton, O.T.
In 1908, M.J. Courtney established the Copan Leader newspaper, although only copies from 1910-1919 have been preserved.
NOW YOU KNOW
NOW YOU KNOW
January 8, 1912 FIRE consumed all buildings on the north side of Copan’s Main Street. Beginning about 3 a.m. in the Cen tral Hotel, the fire spread fast and overtook several buildings before the fire alarm could be sounded. Town folk sprang from their slumber to witness the eleven buildings aglow in the frigid winter morning. The largest losses were that of the G.C. Schatz Grocery and the Central Hotel. While the other buildings sus tained heavy loss, most of the contents of other buildings were emptied to safety. Jess LaPrade emptied his meat market to the skating rink and continued business as usual the following day.
Did You
In offer of solution, the post office at Lawton I.T. was renamed Weldon. However, the Santa Fe Railroad protested as this name closely resembled Welda, KS, so to prevent another destination nightmare, Weldon became Copan in 1904 to match the name of the railroad depot. Before the turn of the century, the earliest families to settle in the area were William Metcalf and Widow Lucy Kitterman. They were joined by other firsts: G.C. Schatz, first store building with living quarters in the back; Dr. W.E. Curd, the first physi cian; W.A. Montgomery, first drug store; and A.L. Munger and his wife, the first bank, Bank of Copan. In 1903, John Churchill helped lay out the township and, for his efforts, a street was named for him and his wife, Gertrude. With a population of 350 people, Copan encompassed 37.5 acres designated by the Cherokee Nation with an additional 35 acres of the Coombs Addition annexed into the town-site mak ing the town 72.5 total acres. Tensions were high the 19th day of December 1905 when M.J. Courtney, A.B. Sparks and W.H. Bowersock stood before the North District of the Indian Terri tory court at Nowata, I.T. seeking the Incorporation of Copan, I.T. By March 1906, the mayor and town council passed the first ordinance, the appointment of John Childers as the first town marshal. Copan was located “within the oil and gas belt of Indian Ter ritory.” The Prairie Oil and Gas Company established a tank farm with 107 oil storage tanks near Copan which brought tax reve nue to fund the Copan schools. A Tent City was established to house the oilfield workers joined by four hotels: Metcalf, Turner, Central and Indiana House. In 1906, an arsonist plagued the community of Copan.
Indiana natives Sanford and Gertrude Bugh moved to Copan in 1909 and established a boarding house about 1912-13 across from Copan’s Santa Fe Depot. Greeting weary and hungry rail road travelers, the Indiana House provided room and board for $1 per day. The abundance of oil and gas in the area brought free warmth to the Indiana House during the winter. In the 1940s, Mrs. Bugh was milking cows and feeding chickens when she turned to see the Indiana House in flames. Sanford (1868-1945) and Gertrude (1871-1949) Bugh rest in Memorial Park Cemetery. ~ Thank you Toby Moreland and Dewayne Bryan. ~ Among notable Copan icons: (1) The Community Water Well, just north of Copan, was a self-serve local source of cool fresh drinking water. The well was refurbished in 1938 by the depression era Works Progress Administration (WPA) allowing area residents 24 hour access, pumping as much as 2,000 gallons per day. The well was condemned and closed in the 1960s. (2) The Copan Truck Stop and Restaurant, your one-stop convenience store, gas station and most of all, reasonably priced down-home cooking with family friendly wait-staff. (3) Gone but not forgotten, Ruth’s Country Kitchen for the best chicken fried steak and home made rolls in the land. Now You Know * Know?
and the issue erupted. Soon the Copan Depot at Lawton, I.T. was receiving thousands of misdirected packages and pieces of mail daily which overwhelmed the small Copan Depot, re quiring the overflow to be sent to the Dewey Depot for holding until arrangements could be made to forward the overtaxing items to their intended destination…Lawton, O.T. The telegraph keys were pecking and special baggage agents were hired to straighten the tangled clog.
August 30, FIRE consumed seven wooden framed buildings from the Meeker brick building to the Steffen’s brick building, a block east on Main Street. Among the destroyed buildings were Curd’s Drug Store, Copan Post Office, Reidell’s Drug Store, Bowersock’s Grocery, Folk and Huffman’s Meat Market, Dr. McAdoo’s Dentistry, a storeroom full of flour owned by A.L. Munger and William Anderson’s empty storeroom. The build ing owners held little to no insurance to cover the estimated $ 4,000 in damages plus merchandise replacement. Area res idents worked feverishly to save mail from the post office and groceries at Bowersock’s. It was believed the suspicious fire started in the flour storeroom, and when the smoke cleared, only two business buildings remained.
CALL OR TEXT FOR A TOUR!
As seen on: The Knot and Wedding Wire, “The Room At The Top” heart of Downtown Bartlesville 100 SW Frank Phillips Blvd | Bartlesville, OK 74003
Located in the
42 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022
Johnstone-Sare Building Events And Jewel Box Hotel 918.440.6773
Thursday: The staff at The Room at The Top set up your wedding on our second floor and your reception on our third floor and give the pillows a fluff in The Bridal Suite. Up to 300 gold Chivari Chairs are available and up to 250 in mahogany, all of your chairs, tables and basic linens, black or ivory, are included in your package.
Total Price: $5,000.00 Additional guest rooms available on-site through your AirBnB App destination Bartlesville, The Jewel Box Hotel Apartments 1-4. Approximately $140.00 per night. Addi tional party space available for showers, Bridesmaids lun cheons, Anniversaries and other celebrations.
• www.johnstone-sare-theroomatthetop.com
Sunday: Pick up your own decor and minor cleaning, no big messes left, and you are leisurely out of the space, 8:00 am to noon. Some prefer to do this Saturday eve ning. Let us know.
Saturday: Your vendors arrive and further decoration takes place; flowers are put out, food beautifully laid, and you are getting makeup and hair in our Bridal Suite, then your wedding on our second floor, your guests go up to three, while your photographer takes your group and individual photos, before you proceed to your formal entrance and announcement as a couple on the 3rd floor, greeting your waiting guests. 8:00 am to midnight under the happy gaze of friends and family. Saturday or Friday night over night in our Bridal suite in cluded, an extra night is $250.00.
Friday: You decorate, possibly with props from our props room, bring in your own items, rehearse, relax, and have rehearsal dinner with friends. 8:00 am to midnight.
Platinum Wedding Package
The donation of land for the schools did not end in 1955. In 1956, mother and daughter donated more land for a vocation al agriculture building. After Mrs. Sheets died, Alice donated more land for future buildings. With all these donations, the family made only one specification; that the land be used exclu sively for school activities.
After Joe died in 1922 at the age of 48, Alice and her mother took over the family business. In 1955, Alice and her mother donated more land to the school for an athletic field as a memorial to Mr. Sheets. In the fall of 1967, the Copan Schools celebrated a Homecoming win and the dedication of the athlet ic field being named Sheets Field, in honor of this very benev olent family. After all, if it was not for the Sheets family, there would not be a school in that location.
JOE SHEETS ALICE SHEETS LOOKING BACK
November 19, 1876, a very important man to Copan’s his tory was born in West Virginia. J.C. Sheets, better known as Joe, became involved in the oil business, eventually becoming a producer. Attheage of 26, Joe moved to Copan with his brother and they organized the firm of Sheets Brothers. They were some of the prominent representatives of the oil industry in Washington County. They drilled more than three hundred wells and were also involved in the lumber and agricultural businesses. Joe then lived in Independence, Kansas for a time before moving to Bartlesville, where he married Millicent Holdren in 1904. Later that year, their only child, Alice, was born. The family lived in Bartlesville until 1905, when they moved back to Copan for Mr. Sheets to pursue his businesses. In fact, Joe was the first oilman in Copan. During his time there, he was also a bank president and school board member. In 1905, they built a beautiful home in Copan. The home was a showplace and after the family died, the community preserved it and hosted open houses. Alice remembered as a young girl watching her father shoot wells. She even helped one of the workers find the lo cation of a well. Her father was not happy when he found out, thinking about how she could have placed herself in danger of the Schoolsnitroglycerin.were very important to the Sheets family. In 1908, the family donated 2.56 acres to the school district to build their first brick school building, for grades 1-12. By 1919, the school had grown and needed another building, so the fami ly donated another 5.38 acres. They also donated land so the school could build some homes for faculty.
“Mr. Sheets recognized his duties and obligations to his fellow men and was quick to extend a helping hand where as sistance was needed.” The same could be said of his wife and daughter. The city and schools of Copan are blessed to have had the Sheets family in their lives.
Providing for Copan Schools by Kay Little, Little History Adventures
44 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022 EXPLORE HANDS-ON LEARNING Short Course Programs Our short course programs are designed for those interested in a new career path or earning advanced certifications. These programs range from one to five days per week with schedule options including daytime and evening courses. We offer Basic Phlebotomy, Certified Medication Aide, and Certified Nurse Aide. Also, our short course programs don’t have an application process. Register online, and you’re enrolled! If you have any questions about our programs, the enrollment process, or financial assistance, contact Randall, our Outreach & Enrollment Specialist, at Randall.Jones@TriCountyTech.edu or 918.331.3269 SHORT TERM PROGRAMS NOW ENROLLING There will be no discrimination in the technology center because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender expression or identity, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information in its programs, services, activities and employment. The following individual is designated to handle inquiries regarding the technology center’s non-discrimination policies, including Title IX: Tara Stevens, Director of HR & Compliance Offi cer | 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918-331-3248 | Tara.Stevens@TriCountyTech.edu. According to the State of Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act, registered sex offenders must self-disclose their status before admissions. View our privacy policy: TriCountyTech.edu/Privacy-Policy. View our full non-discrimination policy: Bit.ly/NonDiscrimination-Policy. Title IX Training provided by: OSSBA Workshop Resources: Bit.ly/TitleIX-Policy. Start your healthcare career! TriCountyTech.edu/Adult 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918.331.3333 | EnrichingLives@TriCountyTech.edu ENROLLDATESPROGRAM SCHEDULE COST 9.6.229.13.22 - 10.5.22Basic Phlebotomy 4:00pm - 9:00pm $269 10.10.2210.17.22 - 11.11.22Certified Nurse Aide 8:00am - 4:00pm $799 10.18.2210.25.22 - 11.16.22Basic Phlebotomy 4:00pm - 9:00pm $269 11.8.2211.15.22 - 2.23.23Certified Nurse Aide 5:00pm - 9:00pm $799 DAYS TWThTWM-FTW
Few
Fall is around the corner and the school year is back in swing. I love Bartlesville when the leaves turn, Friday nights and the stadium lights and Saturdays have garage sales to spend the mornings with cof fee in hand. I got to see a pep rally for the 9th graders during Bru in Camp and it sure did bring back memories. I looked around and wondered if they knew these years can be the most formative and that your life flows from the friends around you.
As the drums banged in rhythm and the pom poms were in unison, it seemed like nothing had changed al though it was 35 years ago for me. I started to laugh as I re membered what we wore and the music choices and how ev erything was such a big deal to us at that age.
A Notes for Students Miss Truly Seeing Those Around You
Be You, but Don’t
As the band played, I watched the crowd divide into clique’s and observed the lonely become even more alone. I noticed the smiles on some faces, the fear on others, and the searching for significance on some. They are about to navigate the halls, the classes, and the cafeteria as an individual in the bigger collective. I wanted to jump on the table, tap the microphone, and speak to them from the future. I wanted to go back and change the mistakes I made and right the wrongs of my youth. I want ed to speak to them and have them weep at my wisdom, yet I just sat there and smiled. This is their journey and it’s a rite of Thosepassage. hallsform you, and yet you do not have to conform.
I jot out a few notes and feel compelled to share, just in case my son is at Eggbert’s and wants to learn a thing or two from his Mom.
One more thing that comes to mind … don’t let what others say ruin your day. Control is all you have over yourself and you always have a choice. Many will expect more from you, so go ahead and expect more of yourself! Learn to experience fun in ways that you can look back on and not have regrets. You only have today, so don’t ever let despair rob you of another one. Al ways give yourself the privilege of one more day when it comes to decisions. Brave souls seek answers. Find your moral com pass and stick true to North. Never shrink yourself to fit plac es you’ve outgrown. Most of all, learning is more than passing tests and getting the desired grade. Learning never stops in life unless you Knowingdo.yourself is a gift you give yourself for a lifetime. Be ing interested in others will never get boring. Be grateful for the chance to learn, the choices you have and this community that gives back more than you ever know. Learn to be content with your content and the world will know the real you. by Lori Kroh
On that note of observing others, notice! Look around, and when you do — see if anyone needs a friend. Look at people and see their eyes. Say hi and also, smil ing never hurts. Pay attention to the ones who need attention or it will cost you. If you see something, then say something. It is never wrong to ask someone how they are doing. Make sure you watch their eyes and listen to their voice and see if what you see truly matches what they say.
FROM THE
I think the first thing to recognize is that you are one person among many. You can be an individual with opinions, yet no need to be a knuckle head. Use manners. Respect those above you and around you. Finding your voice does not mean stifling others. Be you, yet don’t be a you that is so self-absorbed you miss ob serving others.
I looked around and saw the teens snapping moments to re member and wondered if they knew how much friends matter and if they are really content with their content?
HEART
The biggest difference from my days at high school com pared to now is that anything is magnified on social media and everything is seen by someone. I would hate to have my content then for the world to see. I spent a lot of time TP-ing houses and even more hanging out with friends. I spent every cent at Shane’s games and Godfather’s Pizza, and my week ends doing chores in order to buy the latest cassette. I loved Thomas Dolby, MTV, and anything Pretty in Pink. We ruined the atmosphere with Aussie Spray and perms from a box were on purpose. We had one movie theater and the phone cord was stretched thin to give privacy when needed.
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by Jay Webster Friends, it’s time for another installment of “What I Did on my Summer Break,” when I interview my now 10-year-old daughter, Evanjalyn. We hope your Summer was a good one.
48 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022
E: Umm, I’m in 5th grade. Me: So, I think that makes you an upper-class man at your school. Have you considered making this your last year of school? I mean next year you’d be in 6th grade which would put you back at the bottom in Middle School. But right now you could finish on top.
E: Uhhh. Well, I think it’s kind of cool being able to be at the top and then going straight down to the bottom cause it kinda gives you a few chances to do it, I guess. Me: OK…well…that’s one way of looking at it. So, obviously if you’ve just started a new school year, that means you’ve just completed a Summer Break. How was your break overall?
E: Um, my name is Evanjalyn. I’m 10 years old. And I don’t know how I’m related to this man.
Me: Right. You just recently began a new school year, what grade are you in now?
E: Ummm, it was pretty gooooood. Me: OK, tell readers at home what you did.
FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK
E: Oh wow. That’s a lot. Okay, so first we just ended school. Big party. Woo-Hoo. Yay! Okey, we’re done. Then I had a week end break and then I had to go straight to rehearsals for Mary Poppins Jr. and I played Jane in that. Me: Who is Jane?
Me: So for the at-home reading audience, can you tell every one your name, how old you are, and how we know each other?
E: Wait, sorry. They hope that the volcano won’t erupt over them and so it doesn’t erupt over them. Me: Good. That’s a very different finish. E: Yes… Me: Is that all you did this summer?
E: Umm. I liked that I caught more fish than anyone else we met on our trip, including my dad. I caught six fish and I’m ex cited. Me: Okay, so then you went to California. Whose idea was that?
E: Ummm. So we went to L.A. and we went to see the giant Sequoia trees and we went to Malibu Beach.
Me: If this is the part where you want to brag on your parents for being so cool for taking you places and doing all this stuff, that’s fine.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 49
E: Okay, yes. That’s the point though. Because it’s like so cool but then you think - I’m sad now because all my favorite movie illusions are like revealed and it’s kinda sad. And disappointing. They did have a lot of cool stuff. It’s kinda hard to explain. But it was kinda like Disney a little bit because you’re like - Oh, this is so cool. I enjoy this. I love it. Whaaaaat a gift shop? I didn’t know this was coming Me: So you came home from your amazing parent-pur chased vacation. Did your summer break feel the right length this year?
Me: So you had a pretty big role in that one, how long were you in that show?
E: Umm, I was in a lot of ensembles…So I was in the tap en semble. I think that was my favorite ensemble. Then I was in the superseastarsavior ensemble.
E: Me:Yes.And why was it called Mary Poppins Jr.?
E: Um, a lot of people know her as the “Little Girl”. Me: I see. So she’s the daughter in the family that sorta gets rescued by Mary Poppins?
E: Um…Bikini Bottom will have a volcano erupt over them and… Me: Someone’s bottom is going to have a volcano eruption?
E: The Super…Sea…Star…Savior ensemble. Me: Okay. Sure. I know at some point I saw you on roller skates. What was that? E: Oh yeah. I was “Electric Skate Number Two”. So The Elec tric Skates was this kind of little rock band…umm…that inter fered with Squidward’s dream to perform on the Bikini Bottom Band Shell and play for the concert…Umm…Everybody loved The Electric Skates and that was fun. Me: So it may be surprising, but I don’t know that everyone is familiar with SpongeBob the Musical. What was the overall storyline?
E: Kind of. I might do it a little secretly sometimes. I was on the plane and I didn’t really like the movies my Dad downloaded for me. Kind of boring…no offense. But I could watch Friends on the Southwest website. And so I watched that… like… the whole way there and then I had a headache. Me: Was there anything surprising about Warner Brother’s Studio? Did it take away any of the magic?
E: Uh, thanks for reading this. Me: See ya, friends. Thanks for reading this.
E: Umm, then I had a one-day break and then I went to re hearsals for SpongeBob the Musical. I was rehearsing for five weeks, so a little over a month. Me: What part did you have?
FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK
E: Umm…
Me: Well, I guess we better leave it there. Anything else you wanna say to the at-home-read ing audience?
E: Yes. We went down Hollywood Blvd. That was pretty cool. LA is not what I thought it was. It was just sorta Hollywood Blvd and Universal and then Warner Brothers Studio and everything like that. So, it’s very touristy. I wouldn’t want to live there. You know? But it was still fun. I really liked seeing the Friends set. Me: Your parents let you watch Friends?
E: Umm…
E: Okay, no. That sounds like you when you’re sleeping. Me: Ha…Ha.
E: So you know like you could have a calm summer or a su per busy summer but there’s not a lot in between. Me: Anything else you wanna say about your summer break?
E: Yes. It felt a little long. I jammed-packed it. I kinda just needed a couple of days for relaxing. It was kinda like when you pack it up so much and then you get a little free time you don’t know what to do, so it’s a little annoying. Me: Yes.
E: Umm, it was my idea. Me: I see. And what did you do in California?
E: Bikini Bottom is their town! So Bikini Bottom, where ev eryone lives, is going to have a volcano erupt over them and everyone is super freaked out. And as the story goes on they get even more crazy. In the end, all of the citizens and the fish and everybody… umm come together in the hope that the volcano will erupt over them, and then it does. Me: So, huh…
Me: Did you see any Hollywood stuff at all?
E: Because, it’s not the full Mary Poppins show. Um, it’s about an hour. The full Mary Poppins show is about two hours. And so they shorten the storyline down some, but it’s still really good.
Me: The what is it ?
E: Umm, no. After that we went to Western Hills…kinda by Tah lequah…and we camped there for a few days in our Shasta trailer. Me: What’s your favorite thing about camping?
E: Um, the rehearsals for Mary Poppins were three weeks and the shows were on a Friday and Saturday…so… plus two days. Me: Nice. Then what happened?
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SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 57 918-336-9151 • 3401 Price Rd. • Bartlesville, OK 74006 • HeartMatters-OK.org Cyberbullying & Generation Screen
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58 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022
Friends of NRA supports several organizations that teach firearm responsibility and skills to local youth. Firearm safe ty is of primary focus and one of the first things taught when being introduced to a firearms course. In Oklahoma, there are FFA and 4-H chapters, Boy Scout troops, secondary schools, and universities that offer related introduction and instruc tion through activities, including skeet rifle courses. FNRA endeavors to help support such organizations by supplying much-neededAdditionally,equipment. theFNRA is a primary funding source for the School Shield grant program, available to all accredited non-profit, public, private, and parochial K-12 programs. The program acknowledges school and student safety requires a multi-faceted approach, and affords a variety of opportunities, including the training of law enforcement agencies on conduct ing comprehensive vulnerability assessments and the funding of school projects and activities toward the creation or en hancement of safer learning environments, all focused on best practices in school security.Friends of NRA has been hosting banquets for over 18 years. Roberts said he has helped with the last four, locally, and has seen noteworthy growth each year. Included in this year’s event will be a live auction with several one-of-akind items up for bid. A custom silver engraved Cimarron 1886 Yellow Boy .45 Colt rifle and a Trentman Ranch Edition .357 Magnum revolv er are just a couple of items to be included in the live auction. Other available items include custom-made corn hole boards, jewelry, gun safe, custom buckle, and more.The banquet will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds, where doors will open at 5:30pm. Advance tick ets are available for $25, or can be purchased at the door for $30, and in clude dinner. Children’s tickets are $10. You can contact Roberts, through Facebook at NE OK-26 Friends of NRA, or vis it the website friendsofnra.org events page to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome, so get your tickets to en joy the fun and fellowship, all while helping to support a good cause. by Jay Hastings
The Northeastern Oklahoma Chapter of Friends of NRA is having its annual banquet including dinner, games, and a raf fle on Saturday, October 1, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. in Dewey. Vice Chairman Chris Roberts is organizing the event and said the main goal is to have fun while also raising money for FNRA programs. Roberts explained that while growing up, some of his fond est memories include his parents teaching him a variety of life skills — just one of which happened to be the responsible han dling of firearms. Roberts says it concerns him many children today are not taught such lessons in responsibility by their par ents or other involved adults.
LOCAL EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly 59
Friends of NRA 30th Annual Friends of NRA Banquet Set for October 1
60 thly | SEPTEMBER 2022 Thursday, March 16, 3 gascar The Musical June 15, 2023Thursday, June 15, 20 3 Monday, April 3, 2023 Saturday, February 4, 2023Saturday 4 2023, , Sunday, November 13, 2022Sunda Sunday No 022vember 13 2, ,ov Dates and times su ect t to essanddtchange a m mes sung bjeuj bj o ch g timege time ti h y g gShows may contain langua or adult situations.wss mows ult situt tiosittuuaaatal a ogeecoay co 2022-2023 Season Single & Season Tickets on Sale Now! Broadway Bartlesville! in 918.337.2787 www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com
STOMP – Monday, April 3, 2023, Rated PG STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and ut terly unique — an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered arm fuls of awards and rave reviews and has appeared on numer ous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments — match boxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps — to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse-pounding, electrifying show. As the Boston Globe says, “If you haven’t seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!” STOMP. See what all the noise is about. Madagascar the Musical – Thursday, June 15, 2023, Rated PG Join Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria as they bound out of the zoo and onto the stage in this live musical spectacular. This smash hit musical features all your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This brand-new mu sical from Dreamworks (Shrek The Musical ) will leave audiences with no choice but to “Move It, Move It!”
Single tickets go on sale this month and range from $30$75. Season tickets range from $115 to $345. Season subscrip tions include all five shows in the line-up and save subscribers between $30 and $35. For more information or to purchase season tickets, call The Center box office at 918-337-2787. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and evenings and week ends during scheduled concerts and events. The Center is lo cated at 300 SE Adams Blvd., in Downtown Bartlesville. You can learn more at www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com
The Center: Celebrating 40 Years of Arts, Events, & Community
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
“For 40 years, we have been honored to serve Bartlesville as “the center” for arts, events, and community,” said Val Cal laghan, managing director of the The Center and Unity Square. “ Weʼve hosted weddings, productions, art exhibits, and every thing in-between. On behalf of the Bartlesville Community Cen ter staff and Trust Authority, we cannot thank our patrons enough for celebrat ing this RUBY anni versary year with us. Our community has contributed by mak ing donations; spon soring seats; attend ing Forever Young last spring; and coming out to Unity Square for Sizzlin’ Summer Series events during the summer. As we approach the last quarter of this calendar year, we invite our supporters to help us continue to build up The Center by making a year-end-donation, or sponsoring a seat.” This year also marks 20 years of The Center’s Broadway in Bartlesville! series. Thanks to the vision of past executive direc tor, Patricia Smith, the Broadway in Bartlesville! series became a reality in 2002. Since then, it has become a beloved and long standing tradition in Bartlesville. What better way to support ar ts, events, and community in our city than to purchase season or single tickets to this amazing line up: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, Rated PG R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is the ultimate tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The elevated concert experience brings a community together with timeless music that speaks to the complicated human condition, honoring the impassioned and transcendent music of one of America’s most beloved sing er-songwriters. Rejoice while you are taken on an intimate mu sical odyssey guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat and dancing! The production journeys through Aretha Frank lin’s courageous life of love, tragedy, and triumph starring a live band, supreme vocalists, and a night full of music by one of the greatest artists of all time. On Your Feet! – Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, Rated PG-13 On Your Feet! Is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent – and each other –to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical, win ning the hearts of critics and audiences alike. This crowd-pleas ing show features songs like “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Con ga,” “Get On Your Feet,” Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3” and “Coming Out of the Dark.” Prepare to be on your feet from start to finish!
Chicago – Thursday, March 16, 2023, PG-13+ There’s never been a better time to experience Chicago, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musi cal is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy®, thousands of standing ovations and now the #1 lon gest-running American Musical in Broadway history. Chicago has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, one show-stopping song after another, and the most astonishing dancing you have ever seen.
Path of Hurricane
Great Galveston Hurricane Storm One of the Worst Weather-Related Disasters in U.S. by Jay Hastings
On September 4, 1900, the Weather Bureau—39’s Galveston office began receiving warnings from the Bureau-39’s cen tral office in Washington, D.C., that a tropical disturbance had moved north over Cuba. The Bureau discouraged use of words like “hurricane ” and “ tornado ” to avoid creating panic and, to be fair, forecasters at that time had no real way of predicting a storm-39’s trajectory. Moreover, due to lingering tensions fol lowing the Spanish-American War, Weather Bureau Director Willis Moore had implemented a policy to block telegraph re ports from Cuban meteorologists at the Belen Observatory in Havana. Moore also changed protocol to force local Weather Bureau offices to seek authorization from the central office be fore issuing storm warnings.
Weather Bureau forecasters believed the storm in 1900 had begun a northward curve into Florida and would eventually turn northeastward to move over the Atlantic, resulting in the issuing of a storm warning in Florida on September 5, 1900. Ad ditional warnings were issued the following day further north, up the eastern coast. At the time, the Belen Observatory in Ha vana was considered one of the most advanced meteorologi cal institutions in the world, and Cuban forecasters adamantly disagreed with the U.S. Weather Bureau, saying the hurricane would continue west into the gulf. One Cuban forecaster even predicted the hurricane would continue into central Texas near SanOnAntonio.themorning of September 8, 1900, large swells persist ed despite only partly cloudy skies.
Galveston is an island consist ing of a 29-mile-long strip of land off the Texas coast, approximate ly 50 miles southwest of Houston. The city of Galveston was estab lished in 1839, and was named after the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Galvez. The island was first visited byFrench and Spanish explorers in the 16th and 17th cen turies, and by the late 19th century was considered a boom town.
The Great Galveston hurricane made landfall later that day, with estimated wind speeds of 140mph. A storm of its strength would be considered a Category Four using today’s Saffir–Simpson scale. The highest point in the city was less than nine feet above sea level. The hurricane brought with it a storm surge of over 15 feet that washed over the entire island, and dropped nine inches of rain in Galveston that same day, setting a record for the most rain fall in a 24-hour period. The hurricane resulted in a death toll of between 6,000 and 12,000 people, and can be attributed at least in part to the fact officials with the Weather Bureau brushed off avail able reports and, therefore, did not realize the significance of the threat. Storm damage was estimated to be more than $30 million in Galveston County. Galveston Island was effectively obliterated; bridges and railroads connecting to the mainland wereThedestroyed.hurricane occurred before the practice of assigning names to tropical storms was instituted, and thus has been re ferred to by a variety of names since its occurrence. The storm is now most generally known as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900; however, in older documents and publications is sim ply referred to as the Galveston Flood. Moving beyond Galves ton, the storm continued to cause damage as it moved north ward into Okla homa, with winds near 30mph at Oklahoma City and erMissouridamageadditionalacrossandothstates.
Trag ically, however, the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on September 8th of that year, and is considered to be the worst weath er-related natural disaster in U.S. history. At the time, Galveston was the fourth largest city in Texas by population and had weathered storms before — but not QUITE likeGalvestonthis. was filled with vacationers at the time of the Great Hurricane, and no real forecasting technology existed.
Because of generally unremarkable weather, few Galveston Island resi dents saw cause for concern. Some evacuated across Galveston-39’s bridges to the mainland, but the majority of the population remained unconcerned by the rain clouds that rolled in mid-morning. At that time, the Weather Bureau did issue warn ings for the island, directing people to move to higher ground.
LET FREEDOM RING
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Abandoned Steeples & Stone
Remember when churches were always unlocked? When a sanctuary was actually a place of sanctuary and you could go there and pray any day, any hour? When I see abandoned, locked churches my mind goes to the people who used to sit on hard-backed pews in the days before air conditioning. You know, the ones who pulled to gether to get the funds to build a building where they could meet — and those weren’t just any buildings. They’ve stood the test of time — well-built, the old-fashioned way. Can you imagine hauling in lumber by wagon and quar rying rocks to build a church? Not to mention the windows… And it makes me wonder — would we even think it would be worth it today? Would we make the effort, invest the sweat, and cover the cost to build something spiritual that would stand the test of time? Would we consider building a church a worthwhile investment?
Maybe it wasn’t just the purple suit and white shoes he wore that stuck with me … Maybe it was the fact that he would show up at my parent’s home — uninvited — on a weekday ev ery week around the noon hour and bring a few of his friends with him … to have a church service in the bedroom where my dad lay bedridden — dying of cancer.
Padlocks, Pure Hearts, and the Secret Sauce
#ThisIsMySong#ThisIsMyStory ON THE ROAD
Or maybe it was that for a good part of when I knew him, he couldn’t read and would have his wife stand up and read the Bible out loud to the congregation as he would preach through the passages. Imagine with me if you would an illiterate black man way back in the day, believing he was called by God to preach — and doing so with such passion and fervency it was a wonder that the pews didn’t catch on fire! His name was Brother Hodge and he lived in the back of his one-room church house on the “other side of the tracks” in Haskell, Texas – but impacted my life in a small town just 22 miles north. He was black. I was white. It didn’t matter. To him, the church wasn’t just a building — it was the people. But the way Brother Hodge did church changed lives and affected commu nities. Why, at his funeral, there was a line wrapping around the outer walls of the church just waiting their turn to take the mic and tell how their lives had been impacted by his.
by Kelly Bland
You know, I think Brother Hodge had the secret sauce to successful church building. It wasn’t about the stained glass and carpet. It was about the windows to the soul and the foot prints in the sand. His church building in Haskell, Texas isn’t there anymore. Bulldozers have long since torn it down and buried its remnants — but the church he invested in is still growing and going — because while “this is the church, and this is the steeple…” Brother Hodge knew the church was really all about the people — and I bet the Oklahoma/Kansas prairie pastors of the now silent steeples and stone did too… This is a good part of America we’re living in these days.
Last week a friend of mine was up along the tallgrass prairie working on the pipeline and he came across a couple of old, one-room church houses — steeples standing tall — yet with only cobweb congregations. Smiling pastors were now re placed with silver padlocks.
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68 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022
