You know I enjoy looking into Caddo’s past, but today I want you to think about the future. What do you want Caddo to look like in ten years? What kind of community do you want it to be?
I read a rather sad report in the November issue of “Mistletoe Leaves”, the newsletter published by the Oklahoma Historical Society. They were “pleased to announce” that The State Historic Preservation Office has added eight new properties to the National Register of Historic Places. However, at the end of the article they added this bit of news:
“The Bank of Agra was removed from the National Register due to a loss of historic integrity. When listed in 1990, the two-story, stone, Romanesque Revival-style building was Agras’ lone historic building. Empty for years, it became the focus of preservation efforts by a group of concerned citizens. Lack of funding and lack of a viable use stalled their efforts, and the building continued to deteriorate. It became a safety hazard and was demolished.”
I’m still actively researching the history of Caddo’s downtown business buildings. Many of you have emailed me about specific historic houses in town. There are even some farms in the surrounding area that may have historic significance. The Town Restoration Association of Caddo hopes to nominate some of these properties for the National Registry. However, that doesn’t accomplish much if they continue to deteriorate and eventually crumble into dust. In order to remain historically significant, many of them need restoration. I hope 2007 will be the year that many of you decide to get involved in Caddo’s future by joining a community organization, contributing money to a project fund, or physically helping with fund raising event. Caddo is going to change… whether it changes for the better...or not... may well be up to you.
