Caddo- My Home Town

Photos

Does anyone have any information about the following photos? I have some assumptions from other people, but need some definite clues.

Loving Letters

It isn't often that I direct you to another site instead of my own. However, today I want you to read some letters written during the Civil War. I've been reading them in order to make some connections between our Mr. Moon's family and the family of his mother's first husband. I'm hoping to learn the identity of his father. You never know where a search for information will lead...The Childress Twins.

1930 Census

The Caddo Herald

April 25, 1930

Caddo Has 933 Folks

Losing 498 since 1920

The population of Caddo for the 1930 census was announced last Friday. There were just 933 residents found by the enumerator. Of course, if there are any missed they can yet be counted by seeing Mrs. D. M. Wilson.

This is a loss of 498 from 1920 when Caddo had 1481 people in it.

Hugo had a loss of 1400 in ten years. Other towns lost except Wilson and Broken Bow. Durant’s population has not yet been announced, but it is said the increases will be but slight.

The southeastern part of the state has lost heavily in population we all know because of the boll weevil and other bad conditions. If a few good crops are made the people will come back.

Town            1910                     1920                       1930

Bokchito       535                         627                         466

Caddo          1145                       1421                       933

Boswell        828                         1212                       997

Achille                                        500                         384

Calera         575                         703                         402

Kenefick                                    413                         284

Another Baby Found

The Caddo Herald

November 1, 1929

Newborn Babe Found Near Depot Tuesday

A newborn babe was found by a Mexican boy among some ties near the depot Tuesday morning about 8:30 o'clock. The child was wrapped only in a woman's thin underskirt and had received no attention of a doctor or midwife. The boy was attracted to the baby by its faint cries.

The child was taken first into the station, thence to Mrs. Cole's nearby where it was washed and dressed and later attended by Dr. Chochran.

The baby is a girl, white, well formed, nice looking and was an hour or two old when found.

Town and county officers have investigated the case, but so far have found no clues as to mother of the child. Indications are that the mother lives in Caddo.

Sheriff Taylor came and took the baby to Durant to be cared for by the county until a suitable home is found.

The infant was given to a well-to-do couple of Weatherford, Tex. who had lost an infant by death.

It is passing strange that such inhuman acts can occur in this enlightened age. Not even the vilest beast will desert its young. 

Another Moon Tale

Note: I found this just this week! There are a few old words and misspelled words in this piece that are copied exactly as they appeared in the paper.

The San Francisco Call

December 12, 1904

BODY   GETS   NO REST   IN   GRAVE

Devoted   Husband,   Digs   Up Corpse   of   His   Wife   at
Intervals   and   Reclothes   It

DEVOTION   IS   GREWSOME

She   Died   When   He   Was   Away From   Home   and   on   Return
He   Becomes   Almost   Frantic

Special   Dispatch   to   The   Call

Caddo, I. T.  Dec. 11- As strange as fiction and so grewsome as to cause those most familiar with it to shudder when it is mentioned is the story of J. W. Moon's remarkable devotion to his dead wife- a devotion which as caused him to ignore all conventions, the sentiment of the community, and the pleadings of his friends and to practically alienate himself form the society of his equals in a community where he ranks as one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens.

Moon's self-ostracism is the result of his persistent habit of disinterring the body of his wife, bathing it, and clothing it in fresh linen before consigning it back to the grave for another brief period.

When Mrs. Moon died her husband was away from home on a hunting trip. It was impossible to communicate with him, and his neighbors and friends of the family prepared the woman's body for burial and interred it before the absent husband knew of her death. When he returned and learned of his loss he was almost frantic. He appealed to some of the best women of Caddo to assist him in exhuming his wife's body and preparing it for a burial to suit his ideas. he said that he wanted the corpse clothed in a black silk dress which he had given his wife as a birthday present and which she had worn but a few times.

The sympathetic women agreed to humor him and the body was taken form the grave where it had lain for four days. They bathed and reclothed it to suit the grief-stricken husband's ideas.

The incident caused some discussion, but a few days later, when Moon again appealed to certain ladies of the town to assist him in again exhuming and preparing the body for the grave, the community was shocked. Nevertheless, Moon succeeded in persuading some respectable women to assist him. The body was again taken form the grave, bathed, clothe in fresh linen and reinterred.

In a short time this procedure was repeated and again and again did Moon disturb the grave in which his dead wife reposed to carry out his grewsome ideas of devotion. he no longer could obtain assistance from the white women of Caddo, and was obliged to employ two old colored mammies to assist at the periodic rites. Finally the negresses were frightened from the work by stories of "spooks" and spirits told to them by indignant white people. Now Moon attends to the grewsome matter alone and unaided. On every other matter he seems quite rational.

The Washington Times, Washington, D.C., December 12, 1904

The Washington Times carried essentially the same article, but the addition of these last paragraphs:

On every other matter Moon appears rational, but he declares that so long as his wife's body resists decay- and it is said to be in a remarkable state of preservation approaching almost to mummification- he will at intervals purify it and clothe it in clean linen.

Moon is worth about $100,000 and is known as a shrewd businessman. There is a story that he had a serious quarrel with his wife before he went away on his hunting trip, and it is suggested that remorse and contrition have prompted his strange action.

Old Caddo

I've been looking at old photos taken by Dorthea Lange during the depression years. Copies of these are in the museum in Caddo. I've cropped them and probably reduced the quality, but I want you to pay attention to the buildings shown that are no longer standing- the one on the southwest corner of Arkansas and Buffalo (gas station), the old McCoy building at the corner of Buffalo and Main (highway), and the one on the northeast corner of Arkansas and Buffalo (with white trim above window). (I hope I have my directions correct!) Caddo was once much bigger and there were many more tall bricks in the downtown area, especially along Main Street. I have two more photos I'm trying to identify before posting them.

 

   

Mrs. Jim Tom Story Dead

Jim Tom Story was a Confederate veteran, long-time newspaper man, and editor of the Bokchito News. His son Robert was editor of the Bryan County Democrat.

Bokchito News

March 27, 1913

At the hour of 3:20 Saturday morning at the family residence in Bokchito, occurred the death of Mrs. Leonora Story, wife of Col. Jim Tom Story, after an illness of a few days of pneumonia.

Funeral services were held at the family residence Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, Rev. Hotchkin of Durant, officiating. The remains were shipped to Mineral Wells, Texas, where interment followed.

Deceased was a native of Alabama and at the age of fourteen she was married to Col. Jim Tom Story. They lived in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, the greater part of their married life being spent at Hot Springs, Ark.

From Texas they came to Oklahoma some two or three years ago, living at Sulphur, later at Durant, and thence to Bokchito some nine or ten months ago when Col. Story assumed control of the News.

Deceased had been in poor health for some time. Some eight or ten days ago she was helped to her bed, where she gradually became weaker. Pneumonia set up and it was but only a short time until death came to her.

She was a most devout Christian woman, being a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church. Those who knew her best say that no sweeter and nobler character ever graced the earth. She was as the lilies of the valley, as the star in the heavens.

Deceased leaves her husband and six grown children, who are Robert F. Story of Durant, Jim Tom Story of Mineral Wells, Texas, Jasper Story of Phoenix, Arizona, Alex Story of Nebraska, Will Story of Arthur City, Texas, and Miss Hattie Story of Bokchito. 

Money Troubles for Corn Carnival

The Caddo Herald

May 2, 1919

Do We Want the Corn Carnival This Year?

A meeting of the stockholders of the Caddo Corn Carnival was held in the office of John L. Boland Monday afternoon at which time a resolution was passed authorizing the directors to sell the property of the corporation.

This was made necessary by the fact that the Carnival was in debt about $2,000, and enough money could not be realized by assessment of the stock to meet it. It would require about $2,000 more to put the grounds and buildings in shape for use.

So also many of the stockholders have moved away, other are dead, and it might not suit some to stand an assessment, so it was decided to sell.

It may be that another company or association will be organized to buy the property, in which case they will use it for Carnival and Picnic purposes, or it may be sold to individuals for farm purposes.

It depends upon what the people want. If they want to come across with the necessary money to buy the grounds and put them in shape, we can have the Carnival, and frankly this is what The Herald believes Caddo folks will do. The property as it stands is just about worth what the company owes, so the old stock is practically worthless. Stock in the new company could not be hoped for as dividend paying property, for the very nature of the institution is such that no profit is hoped for when the entertainments are put on. It is purely an advertising and pleasure proposition, and Caddo likes to have her friends come to see her. It is good for the town. It is good for the people that they mingle once a year in festive entertainments such as the carnival offers.

The matter is in the hands of the officers and directors of the Carnival for such disposition as they see fit. If you favor having the carnival, see one of them or Mr. Chiles, the president and say how much.

First Christian Church

The picture shown here is an artist's sketch from the newspaper. Surely someone, somewhere, has an actual photo of the building. I'm also having a bit of difficulty finding the story of the dedication of the completed building because several issues of the paper are missing. I'll keep looking!

The Caddo Herald

March 21, 1913

The First Christan Church of Caddo under construction

Too much praise can hardly be bestowed upon the noble, public-spirited citizens whose names are in the charter and on the subscription papers for the erection of the Christian Church displayed in the above picture. "In union there is strength" to do large things for Christ the King. The foundation is finished and paid for; four car loads of brick on the lot paid for and so many kind offers of money and help. It will only be a few weeks till the day will be announced for the Corner Stone Ceremonies. My acquaintance justifies the confidence that five hundred people will join heartily in the splendid enterprise. Again, thanking the donors enrolled and the wide-awake people who offer assistance, and thanking The Herald, particularly, I am, in Christ, W. B. Young, Minster, Caddo, Oklahoma, March 17th, 1913

May 16, 1913

Christian Church Cornerstone Ceremony

At the church lot Sunday afternoon the cornerstone ceremonies of the Christian Church were held, lead by Bro. W. B. Young, who has charge of the building operations.

The program was as follows:

Song

Scripture reading, I Cor. 3:9-11

Song

Prayer

Song

Address by chairman J. L. Campbell

Song

Announcement of articles to be placed in cornerstone, by A.C. Chaney

Address by W. B. Young

Song

Benediction

The ceremonies were attended by a large number or people.

The work on the church building is rapidly progressing, and it is hoped the work will be competed before many weeks. When completed, the building will be a monument to the zeal, enterprise, and faith, not only of the members of the church, but of others who have aided in its building.

Research List

This is a list of the people and things I am currently researching. If you have information, questions, photos, or comments, please contact me.

1. Fedelia Edelen- Listed on the 1910 census as 62, born in KY, widow, residence- Brown, OK.

2. Nicholas Cochnauer- Probate Judge of Blue County, Elder of the Pleasant Hill church (1844).

3. David Cochnauer- Justice of the Peace of Blue County (1858).

4. Eva Irene Dodd- Wife of W.F. Dodd, died June 2, 1954.

5. Construction (1913) and history of the First Christian Church, Caddo.

6. Death of Lizzie Dobbs, 1913.

7. Closing of the Caddo courthouse.

8. More information about the murder of Thomas Craghead (1921).

9. Death of Oscar Moon (1923-26??)

10. Spanish Flu epidemic (1917-18).