Caddo- My Home Town

Something New

I love this! Just think of “self-service" being so new that it had to be explained and demonstrated. Although I think the number of visitors might be a bit inflated, it was probably a great attraction for a few months.

 

The Caddo Herald

June 3, 1927

A New Store with a New Service Idea

W. H. Stevens opened his new Self-Serve Grocery last Saturday. The event was widely advertised and many inducements were offered to the people, so that a large number came. A check was kept on the visitors and during the first day 1730 people visited the new store.

This store is arranged so that customers may help themselves. Every item is price-marked and the customer goes about the store, selects what he wants, and pays for it just as he goes out.

Durant the week this new store has enjoyed a good patronage.

Mr. Stevens is very well pleased at his reception, and will continue to offer great inducements to get people acquainted with his store.

Everyone is cordially invited to visit the store at any time. The prices and service are sure to please.

Racial Tensions

Today’s post shines a light on the early racial tensions in Caddo. Throughout the history of this area there was a dividing line between whites and blacks. Caddo had a Negro church, school, baseball team, and “area”. On the one hand there seemed to be a little tolerance here and there. There are mentions in biographies and interviews of whites who had black friends. The Choctaws intermarried with some blacks. But for the most part the tolerance was short-lived if anyone crossed the line. There are accounts of the beating, lynching, shooting, and burning of “negroes” and the word is never capitalized. There are other more derogatory terms used openly in the paper.  And I can find no evidence that a black person ever held a place of prominence in Caddo.

I suppose the reasons for the racial tension are pretty obvious. This was an area settled by a lot of former Confederate soldiers and former slave owners. Many Caddo residents were from the Deep South. Many blacks who wandered this way after the war were poor and had few skills other than working in the fields. So they continued with what they knew, and the local residents did the same.

Here is a repeat of a piece I posted last year:

Of all the conflicts between the Democrats and the Socialists in Caddo, nothing seemed to upset the editor of the Caddo Herald more than the idea that the Socialists embraced the Negroes as equals. In the August 7, 1914 issue of the paper, in his regular feature “What Socialism Stands for”, Mr. Carraway makes the following statements:

“Clarence E. Darrow, a Chicago lawyer and perhaps one of the foremost socialists of the United States, in an address to the National Negro Committee, in Cooper Union, New York, on the night of May 10, 1910, said: ‘It may be a long way in the future, but intermarriage between the races will finally settle all difficulties as it has with the Irish and Germans, and other people who had to be formally kept apart to preserve the peace. It is not the color that causes the distinction between the Negroes and the white people. The real basis is that the Negroes were once slave and are now in the ranks of labor. It is a race question rather than a race problem that the way for a Negro to gain recognition is to cast his lot with the poor and fight with them and for them.’

In other words, according to Darrow, if the Negro will cast his lot with the socialists they will embrace him as a brother and “Kumrid” and will help him to solve the race problem by giving their sons and daughters in marriage to the Negroes. He can not mean anything else, he says it in words so plain that even a fool may not misunderstand the meaning.(A few more quotes from Darrow about fellowship with Negro workers.)Do you think there can be any mistake as to the socialist position in regard to the Negro? If you believe that your sons are none too good to marry Negro wenches and that your daughters should not be above marrying a n___ buck, then you should join the socialist party—it is the only political party that has gone on record as in favor of amalgamation of the white and Negro races. It is the only political party that has ever tried to regulate the family, home, religion and prescribe the clothes that you ear and what you shall have for your daily meals. There it is, if you like, take it, it’s your privilege to go to hell if you want to.”

People have asked me numerous times if I have read accounts of all the blacks being “run out of town”. I have not. I guess the old timers here were told stories of some sort of mass exodus. If it happened, I have not found an account of it in the paper. I suspect that the black population simply dwindled over the years as the hostilities increased. There is this brief item in the paper which indicates that by 1911 there were too few negroes in the area to keep their school open.

January 28, 1916

Public Meeting

Wednesday afternoon a number of businessmen gathered in the office of John L. Boland to attend to some matters of public nature which required quick action.

W. F. Dodd was chairman and J. L. Boland secretary.

A resolution was passed requesting the school trustees to call an election of the question of whether or not they shall sell the old negro school building which has not been used for the past five years. The money will be applied toward building sidewalks to the new school building. The old building is useless because there are no negroes here to use it.

 

The Caddo Herald

August 11, 1899

Last week Judge Ralls tried a white person who is alleged to have assaulted a crippled negro man in Durant some time since. A fine of $100 was imposed and it is said that as a result the village waxed exceeding wroth and held a mass indignation meeting replete with oratory and profanity and punctuated with resolutions. It is not known whether the mass meeting removed Mr. Ralls from office, but at last account the “carpet bag bureaucratic justice shop” presided over by that gentleman was ladling out a pretty fair quality of the brand of justice the trade mark of which is a parallelogram of rag with red and white stripes horizontal and some white stars on a blue spot in the upper left hand corner. It is a rather familiar design throughout the world.

 

The Caddo Herald

June 1903

Last Saturday evening a game negro became too obstreperous and displayed a six-shooter in the presence of Marshal House, who ordered the Senegambian to consider himself under arrest. The coon did not consider the matter in that light. Instead he aimed the revolver at House and backed toward his horse which was standing near, which he mounted and escaped. The Marshal, assisted by ex-marshal J. T. Jackson, gave chase, but the negro, being mounted on a good horse, maintained his lead on the officers. Mr. House was not armed at the time the negro drew a bead on him and bluffed; had he been there would most likely have been a sort of fireworks display and a dead darkey to the credit of the new marshal.

 

 

 

Caddo High, 1947

The school news often contains little surprises such as today’s wedding announcement.

Sports were always a popular topic, as was anything the seniors were doing.

I was aware that Caddo and other schools usually let students participate in the local harvests. Even when I was a child in California the start of school was often delayed for the grape harvest. However, what I didn’t realize was the length of the “harvest recess”. Four to six weeks is a long time. I wonder why the younger children were allowed to be out for so long. It must have been difficult for teachers to get them back on track after such a long break.

Funny to read that Mr. Hutchens was one of the few able to “operate the moving picture machine”, when any eight-year-old child can now show you how to download a movie to his phone.

 

The Caddo Herald

September 12, 1947

Caddo High Times

 

Leonora Evans, Editor

Jolena Hunter, Society

Paul Cannon, Joel Clark, voc. Ag.

Minnie Lou Thompson, Library

Harold Young, Mary Choate, feature editors

Nettie Sue Anderson, associate editor

John Gecks, James Taylor, Sports

Betty Anderson, Billy Dufur, Office

Francile Lane, Voc. Economics

 

A Bully is a Person Who is Deceived by Himself, by Leonora Evans

A bully is a blustering person, more insolent than courageous, whose pleasure is derived from taking advantage of smaller persons. He is no gentleman, has a poor character, irritates his classmates, and teachers, shows poor judgment and is deceived enough to believe that he is “everything”. He is a menace to himself, to his friends, and to the school.

A person who pushes back the smaller children to get a drink, who rides smaller children’s bicycles against their will, who uses bodily force to keep them out of the gymnasium, and is responsible for such other incidents is a bully.  He will not be caught at trying the same tactics on persons of his own age and size and will reap no reward for his acts.

Today, when it is so hard to get “your money’s worth”, you will find that it is not worth half the expense to push others around, but that a kind deed doesn’t cost much and will make a big payment on a priceless friendship.

Softball Games DeLuxe

Maintaining their late winning streak Caddo Cubs defeated Matoy here Friday by a score of 5 to 4 before a crowd of 300 softball fans.

A few scattered hits kept the Cubs in the lead throughout the game tho Matoy threatened to forge ahead in the final inning. Airtight fielding cut off the threat and the game ended 5-4.

Kenefick’s ball team was there to take the winners of the first game. Caddo’s near neighbor held a two to one lead over the Cubs in games played and it appeared the home team would even the score, but the game was called midway to allow the Caddo merchants to play the high school faculty. The business men tended strictly to business and turned back the strong teacher’s team in spite of the fact that Mr. Broadhead came to bat three times. In order to not get sunstroke from the hot sun, umbrellas were used for shade in the field. Caddo cubs returned to the game Wednesday with Matoy and will journey to Cobb Friday to give Coach Frank Freeman’s boys a chance to get even.

Grounds Are Cleaned

Caddo’s softball field received a general cleanup this week. Baselines were officially measured, and bags placed in correct positions. The field was mowed and markers were placed in left and right fields to indicate fouls.

Sparkle! Sparkle!

Sparkle! Sparkle! Sparkle! The seniors’ hands are all aglow since they received their class rings Monday.

Not only do their hands sparkle; their faces are radiant too. But it wasn’t always that way.

When the rings first came the seniors were unable to get them out of the express office without paying the full amount due and that was just too much money to raise all at once. Their faces were pictures of woe, but Mr. J. N. Broadhead the genial super, came to their rescue and bailed out the rings. Now the seniors are buttonholing everyone that comes along, insisting on praise.

School to Recess

Caddo schools will recess this Friday to make students available for cotton picking and other harvest work. A definite date for resumption of school has not yet been set, according to Mr. Broadhead, superintendent, but it is believed that a recess of four to six weeks may be expected depending on the amount of time required to gather crops.

Frankie Busby to Wed

Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Busby announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Frankie, to Mr. Lindy Cates of Caddo, on Friday evening September 12^th.

Frankie is a junior in Caddo high school, and plans to continue her school work.

Their many friends wish them all the joy that life may hold.

Kiddies See Movies

Students and teachers of Manning Grammar school were given a treat to some movies last Friday by Mr. R. T. Hutchens, vocational agriculture teacher.

Mr. Hutchens, one of the few able to operate the moving picture machine, took his apparatus to the grammar school and showed two films, “The Duties of the Farmer” and “Yellowstone National Park”. The younger pupils enjoyed a helpful diversion.

 

 

Two murders and a kidnapping...

Now here is a great little mystery to solve. There are two murders and a kidnapping all in one little item. I know nothing about this and just happened to notice it when I was looking for something else. What I’m going to do now is see how much I can find out about all of the people involved and I will return with “the rest of the story” next  week.

 

The Caddo Herald

March 29, 1929

Simpson is Killed at Coalgate in Office

John T. Simpson was killed Monday afternoon at Coalgate in his office in Cochran Grocery Co. Two shots were fired; one went wild, the other through his head. No one was seen to enter or leave the office. Officers are working on the case. Three years ago Simpson figured as principal in the case where he was kidnapped by Emmet Bales, threatened with death. At night in an unguarded moment Bales was killed by a shot from outside the house. Simpson was a most excellent man, and liked by all who knew him.

The Local Grocery

When I was growing up Caddo had three grocery stores, and a variety store, a shoe store, a drug store, and a theater. There were also gas stations and a lumber yard and other stores that “didn’t concern me”, but I’m sure were here. The most important places to the community were those grocery stores. Not only could my mother get what she needed without leaving town, or even driving, but the presence of three stores meant some healthy competition and variety. One had the best produce, one had the best meat, and one had the best prices on staples.

At one time in the late twenties, according to the ads in the Herald, Caddo actually had at least six grocers: Hancock, Meadows, Droke, Bass, Barber, and Phillips. And we can’t be sure that some of the variety and drug stores weren’t also offering a few food items as well.

Grocers in the early years emphasized “fresh, clean” groceries. They also offered home delivery for convenience. Imagine calling the store with your list! "Bring me….and put it on my bill." (Groceries were usually paid out at the end of the month.)

These ads are from 1931.

 

   

Little Deaths

Obituaries are often a treasure trove of information for a genealogist. They may list key dates and relationships- names of parents, children, siblings, even former spouses. Sometimes they list cause of death and often the writer will comment about friends, hobbies, occupations, community service, church affiliations, and even education.

However, there are also little obituaries that prompt as many questions as they answer. They are often squeezed in among the “local items” or used as filler on other pages. In The Caddo Herald you might find a tiny obituary anywhere, even on the front page. Even some of the ones that provide specific information did not have a title or name above to attract attention.  There is just a tiny line or space separating them from the next bit of news. I can sometimes scan a page twice before I see an obit.

Here are just a few I’ve collected:

June 9, 1899

Rev. J. T. Lloyd of Durant was here Sunday and conducted the funeral services of little John Louis Leroy Bilbo.

 

August 11, 1899

Lizzie Austin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. L. D. Unsell died Wednesday evening of congestion. Deceased was in her 15^th year and had a host of loving friends who mourn her early demise. Funeral services were conducted at the Methodist church at five o’clock yesterday afternoon. Interment was in the Caddo cemetery.

 

August 25, 1899

James Parsons was stabbed and killed Monday near Yansby in Tishomingo County.

 

September 7, 1900

U. M. Cooper, who for a number of years resided in Caddo, died last week in his 53^rd year.

 

November 16, 1900

R. G. Dunn, of the Mercantile Agency of R. G. Dunn & Company, died last week.

 

April 3, 1903

Last Wednesday evening one of the girl twins of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Cosgroves died, being only five days old.

 

September 23, 1910

Wm. Goforth, a native and for many years a resident of Caddo, died last week in South Dakota. The remains were shipped to Caddo for interment and were laid to rest in the Caddo cemetery Wednesday afternoon with Masonic honors.

 

April 9, 1912

Mrs. Mollie Jefferson died at her home in Caddo Hills Monday of meningitis, aged 58 years.

 

April 28, 1922

In a freight train wreck near Soper, on the Frisco last Sunday, an unknown man was crushed to death. He was in a car with a load of ties when the wreck occurred and movement of the ties crushed him into an unrecognizable shape. An I. W. W. receipt was on his clothing.

Women and Money

I love the old newspaper ads, especially this series of financial ads. This one in particular offers a great perspective on the times. Remember that women were once considered one step above children and property. They had to be advised, protected, controlled, and disciplined by their wise and loving husbands.  

May 8, 1914

October 1901

These local items are my favorite source for information. When viewed separately they might seem like meaningless trivia, but when read over time and compiled into data bases they often reveal patterns of behavior and relationships between families that I can’t find elsewhere. Through the “magic” of computers I can use my search feature and do this:

March 3, 1899

Mrs. T.D. Tarpley is temporarily filling the position of Miss Shannon at Mrs. Lynch’s Millinery store. Miss Shannon is in Dallas purchasing a spring stock of millinery for the establishment. Mrs. M. Lynch, who has been ill for several weeks, is, we are glad to learn, improving and will probably soon be able to resume her regular business relations at her popular millinery store.

 

March 17, 1899

R.T. Lynch has erected a business house on Buffalo Street adjoining Smith & Swinney’s Drug store which he has partitioned into offices that will be occupied by Attorney Rappolee and Drs. Bryan and Rappolee.

 

Mrs. M. Lynch, who has been in bad health for some time, left Wednesday to visit her father who resides in Caddo Mills, Texas. She was accompanied by her attending physician Dr. T. B. Bryan.

 

April 7, 1899

R.T. Lynch has a good gasoline stove for sale.

 

April 14, 1899

R.T. Lynch was in Denison Monday on business.

The health of Mrs. R. T. Lynch is improving rapidly and she will return form her Texas sojourn soon.

 

April 28, 1899

Chick Lynch, from Derr, North Carolina, is visiting his brother, R. T. Lynch.

 

August 11, 1899

R. T. Lynch has fixed up his barbershop with new paper and carpet until it looks like a parlor.

 

August 25, 1899

Miss Maggie Cooper, of Greenville, is in the city, the guest of her relative, Mrs. R. T. Lynch.

 

September 1, 1899

R.T. Lynch has established in his barber shop a set of gasoline gas lights which are a vast improvement over the oil lamps formerly in use, as well as much cheaper.

 

October 13, 1899

John M. Sherrill, of Caddo Mills, Texas, who has been visiting relatives, Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Lynch, returned home Monday.

 

January 5, 1900

Joseph Heydler, the popular baker, has moved into the wooden building on Buffalo street formerly occupied by R. T. Lynch and the Courier. The location is a good one and the stock and service is nice and complete.

 

April 13, 1900

Miss Elinora Cooper, from Caddo Mills, Texas, has accepted a position with Mrs. Lynch in the millinery department of Ben Siegel.

 

April 27, 1900

Mayhew news: Bill Jack, Dr. Lynch, and Sam Heath, of Caddo, were in town last week. Dr. Lynch is going to locate here.

 

May 11, 1900

Mayhew news: Mr. Tucker and Mr. John Carter have had two very sick children this week. They have been under the care of Dr. Lynch who succeeded in bringing them around all right.

 

May 18, 1900

Fire damage list: R. T. Lynch, damage to furniture in moving, loss $75, fully covered

 

June 8, 1900

W. H. Masterson, W. J. Moon, Jim Savage, R. T. Lynch, and several others were in Durant Sunday.

 

June 22, 1900

Bennington news: Dr. Charles Lynch, of Mayhew, was in our town a few days ago.

 

July 6, 1900

Mrs. R. T. Lynch left Tuesday for Caddo Mills, Texas, where she will visit relatives and friends.

 

Our hearty barber, R. T. Lynch, last week thought he lost his fine cow. He hunted all over the neighborhood several days for her, but no trace could he find. Saturday he had occasion to go to his barn and there he found the cow, she having gone there and was locked in.

 

July 27, 1900

Miss Modine De La Bullion, of St. Louis, arrived in the city this week and has accepted a position in the dressmaking parlors of Mrs. Lynch.

 

A.C. Joyce has completed a sidewalk around two sides of his residence lot. It is six feet wide and 300 feet long- the longest belonging to any lot in town- is made of brick and sand. Mr. Joyce will fence the walk to protect it. The town should make two street crossings in that neighborhood; one from Capt. Lyle’s to Joyce’s and one from Joyce’s to Lynch’s. Barring the mud at these corners the walks on this hill good. Other walks and crossings are needed.

 

September 7, 1900

Mrs. R.T. Lynch, who has been in St. Louis purchasing millinery goods, returned on the Katy Flyer Thursday.

 

September 14, 1900

Miss Gracie Cooper, of Caddo Mills, Texas, came in on the #2 Tuesday to visit her sister, Mrs. R. T. Lynch.

 

October 19, 1900

Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Burch, visited the Dallas fair Sunday.

 

December 7, 1900

Miss Gracie Cooper, of Caddo Mills, Texas, who has been visiting her sister, Mrs. R. T. Lynch, for several months, returned home Saturday.

 

The Caddo Herald

June 5, 1903

The public are hereby warned not to buy any of Mrs. Mattie Lynch’s property from R.T. Lynch, or pay to him any amount you may owe her. I am the only one that has authority to sell or collect for Mrs. Lynch. C.L. Cooper

 

The Wapanucka Press, August 27, 1903

Caddo: While sitting in his shop playing with a big dog, R. T. Lynch, a barber well known in Texas and here, was shot from behind with a shotgun, eight shot taking effect in his head, killing him instantly. No one was in the shop at the time, but a number of people were in front, and barely escaped part of the lead. The person approached from the alley and coming to the rear of the shop, fired through the screen door with two loads of buckshot. Seven took effect in a store directly across the street. No clue can be obtained as to who committed the deed. Lynch was about 30 years of age and married. He has lived in Caddo Mills, Texas, but originally came from Chronicle, North Carolina.

 

The Caddo Herald

Friday, October 18, 1901

Local Items

Thedin’s for fruits.

Thedin’s for candies.

Dr. N. Miller, Dentist.

Corn for sale at Bass’.

Call No. 45 for printing.

It pays to buy at Levine’s.

Oak Rockers, $1.50 at Lamb’s.

Ira Smith went to Dallas last Friday.

Chattel Mortgages at The Herald office.

Amos K. Bass was a Dallas visitor Sunday.

Ed Hamer went down to the fair Sunday.

Fresh fruits and candies at the tent confectionery.

Mrs. Ed Hamer is visiting for a month In Lone Oak, Tex.

L. C. LeFlore and Dr. Green went to Durant Wednesday.

Miss Minta Lanius is the guest of Miss Myrtle Farrington.

John Allen visited homefolks at Leonard, Texas, Saturday.

J. F. Lamb has the finest line of guns and ammunition in town.

Hats and dress trimmings of all descriptions at Mrs. Lynch’s.

VICTOR- The best patent flour made, at Droke’s.

A.P. Johnson sold nineteen bales of lint cotton in Caddo Monday and got $7,87, 1-2 per hundred for it.

Mrs. Dr. R. L. Bradley from Roswell, N. M. is visiting her aunt, Mrs. C. E. McPherren this week.

See Mrs. Lynch and have your dress made to order. Tailor made suits a specialty. Work guaranteed.

C. A. Hancock has the largest stock of shoes ever brought to the city. He keeps the celebrated Clover brand.

Miss Santa Wright of Seymour, Tex. has organized a class in elocution in Caddo. She is a very fine teacher.

E. W. Corley has returned from St. Louis where he bought an elegant fall stock for his firm Monroe & Corley.

High patent flour guaranteed at $1.85 at Bass’.

See Mrs. Jamison for fine work. A trial is all we ask. She is well posted on the latest city styles. Mrs. Lynch.

For the best, freshest and cheapest groceries go to Bass, the grocer.

Best roof paint, Red or Black, 65c. Boiled linseed oil 75c. Best white lead 7c. Pure mixed paints $1.35 at Lamb’s.

Twelve pounds green coffee for a dollar. Bass the grocer.

Mrs. Jasper Freeney, who has been visiting her parents at Caddo Mills, Texas, has returned home.

Buy your bran in 1000 pound lots and save 10 per cent. Bass, the grocer.

Allison W. Cooper, a prominent stock man of Clifton, Texas, is spending some time with his cousin, Amos K. Bass.

Genuine Rogers silverware given with cash purchases at Droke’s.

The editor attended the Dallas Fair last Friday. It was about the same as the last two years, but Dallas is worth a visit any time.

Thedin’s confectionery is the place to get fresh fruits, candies and confectioneries. You will find him at the tent confectionery.

Mrs. Jamison, the dressmaker from Dallas, is doing fine work at Mrs. Lynch’s. Call and have your fall work done to order.

J. L. Branch paid his subscription two years ahead this week. He’s the kind of subscriber to have. May his kind increase in numbers.

Rev. Forrest Maddox closed his meeting at Caney last Monday night. He reports some eight or ten conversions. The people there like him very much.

Parties who require the services of an oculist should not forget the date of Dr. Street’s visit. He will be in Caddo and may be consulted at Wood’s Drug store Thursday and Friday, the 24^th and 25^th.

Mesdames A. C. Joyce, and C. A. Bilbo attended the Dallas Fair last Friday and Saturday. Mrs. Bilbo visited relatives in Sherman Saturday eve and Sunday.

What is the use in employing someone to do your dyeing for you? If you used Putnam Fadeless Dyes you can do it just as well as a professional. Sold by W. P. Wood.

T. E. Mathis was here from Caney Saturday. He is in the hotel business there and has an adv. in this issue. People wising to board there get the best at least prices.

 R. T. Lynch is making a 20 foot addition to the dress making parlors of Mrs. Lynch on Buffalo street. This will give the establishment more commodious quarters.

 

 

 

The Virtues of Caddo

The early years of the twentieth century were years of tremendous growth for Caddo. Much of that was due to promotion pieces such as this one. There was also a booklet printed by the Commercial Club that praised Caddo’s assets and displayed photos of homes, businesses, and abundant crops. The title page says, “Caddo, Oklahoma- A Prosperous Town Located in the Center of the Richest Agricultural Section of the Great New State.”  Groups traveled by train and wagon to other towns to promote the Corn Carnival. Caddo was the location for major meetings, speeches, and entertainment. For a few years it was truly a city worthy of promotion.  

 

The Caddo Herald

August 11, 1911

Caddo

It is needless for The Herald to extol the virtues of Caddo. They are self evident.

Its location is ideal from many standpoints; healthful, slightly, prosperous and growing. It is surrounded by a body of the richest land in Oklahoma. This land embraces almost every soil known to man; from the black waxy upland to sand and loam bottom land, all the very best of the kind.

Caddo is one of the oldest towns in Oklahoma, having been established at the coming of the Katy railroad in 1872. For many years this was the main trading point of the old Indian Territory. Freight shipments were made here and transferred by wagons to Bonham, Paris and all eastern points, and to Fort Sill, Gainesville, and all western points, it being a rendezvous of all freighters in the early days.

With the passage of the Curtis bill in 1898, Caddo began, like other Indian Territory towns, to make permanent improvements. Previous to that time the tenure of a town lot was only during the lifetime or will of the citizen claimant. The Curtis bill provided that improved lots might be bought at half the appraised price, by the owner of the improvements. With this also came the allotment of the Indian lands which previously had been held in common, though many individuals had large bodies of land under fence, which they were compelled to release under allotment, not being entitled to hold it all.

With the advent of this improvement Caddo began to grow. It was then a village of some three hundred people; it was incorporated, new business houses and dwellings went up, and in 1900 it possessed among its inhabitants some fifteen hundred people. The wet season three years ago caused many of her inhabitants to go to Mexico, the droughts following caused them to “come back” hence, now every house in town is occupied and every farm that has a house on it has a tenant. Many of the farms have been sold to home builders who now are flourishing. Of course the large numbers of farmers in this county are renters, but they are prosperous as a rule, and contented. Many in a few years make enough to buy the farm they are working.

Caddo being located on a blackland prairie naturally has suffered in time from an excess of mud, but this condition is largely alleviated because the streets are well graded, and more than six miles of cement sidewalks have been laid in Caddo this year.

Caddo has four church organizations and three houses of worship: the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist each have handsome buildings, while the Christian denomination at present is using the opera house for their services. Each maintains a flourishing Sunday school besides the Ladies auxiliaries. The membership is composed of good citizens.

Caddo has one handsome brick school building with eight large class rooms, auditorium and offices, which was built eight years ago. The need for more room became so great that recently the district voted $25,000 bonds with which to build and equip another structure, on which work will start in a few weeks. This will make our school facilities equal to those of any town in the state.  

All lines of business and professions are represented in Caddo. The merchants carry as good goods and have as attractive prices as any in the state. The professional men are gentlemen worthy of their callings: layers, doctors, dentists, engineers and contractors compose them.

Caddo’s one newspaper covers the field completely. The Caddo Herald was established nineteen years ago, and has kept pace with the growth of the town.  It is newsy, containing those items that are of particular interest to local citizens and persons interested in this locality. It does not aspire to metropolitan honors, but it desires to cover the Caddo field completely. That this is done by the Herald is evidenced by reading its columns. Mr. Carraway has been with the Herald five years, and Mr. Crossett numbers his term an even dozen years, with two out on vacation.

In banks Caddo is well represented, having three. The Caddo National with a capital and surplus of $75,000; the Security National with a capital of $25,000; the Oklahoma State with a capital of $15,000; making a total banking capital of $115,000. All are housed in up-to-date and modern buildings.

Caddo has three large cotton gins with a total of sixteen stands, all in readiness to take care of this year’s crop.

Three excellent blacksmith shops take care of that kind of trade.

The Katy Mill & Elevator Co. with an enormous capacity takes care of the grain and feed business by the wholesale. They have an excellent plant, and have been successful for the start.

The lumber yards supply the building material for the town, and their sales the past year are much greater than similar periods.

Caddo and Crops

The words are alliterative and the meanings in the sense are synonymous. A crop failure is never known around Caddo. Of course all crops are not successes every year, but no year sees a complete failure of all the crops. Our interests are so evenly divided between the three principal crops that one or two of the three- Oats, Cotton, and Corn- are sure to be hit. 

This year of lack of moisture, while it did not aid the corn in its growth, we made an excellent oat crop, and prospects were never better for a large yield of cotton.  In prior years corn has been excellent while cotton short, sometime it happens that both cotton and corn are short, then Mr. Oats comes to the rescue.

This feature of not being a one-crop country is our most valuable asset, since by the diversification of crops the farmer is saved that loss of complete failure in his crop.

Come to Caddo if you want to be assured a certain living.  

 

 

Good Roads, 1902

Good roads have always been the foundation of good trade. Since Caddo’s first store opened there have been men involved in improving the roads in and out of the “city”. They have met, planned, worked, raised money, made proposals to the government, and rallied the local residents.

You will recognize many of the names on this meeting list. Most owned prominent businesses. Mr. McPherren was Caddo’s first mayor. Mr. Alexander was my great-great grandfather and later one of Caddo’s constables. Mr. Crossett was the newspaper editor. It’s not like these men had nothing else to do. They were already busy on other committees and other tasks. They were already donating their money to worthy causes. But they recognized the need for expansion and improvement in Caddo and knew that the way to do that was by improving the roads.

The Caddo Herald

June 13, 1902

Good Roads Meeting

Last Friday evening a meeting of business men was held at the offices of the Choctaw National Bank for the purpose of making some disposition of the matter of fixing up the roads leading to Caddo. The meeting was called to order by President Dunlap for the Board of Trade. The object of the meeting was stated and everyone present was convinced of the necessity of fixing up the roads and a committee consisting of A. C. Pace, T. A. Alexander, G. W. Phillips, and Clem E. Bates was appointed to further solicit funds to be used in bridging, filling, and working the roads leading to Caddo. It was the opinion of the meeting that a large amount of work was needed and a majority agreed to pay three month’s assessment at one time in order that the fund would be large enough to at once begin on the work. Amounts already subscribed equaled about $40 per month; this sum trebled would make something over a hundred dollars to begin on. The committee will begin work at once, and we know ere long a vast improvement will be made in these at present bad roads.

Those present at the meeting were: A. C. Pace, P. W. Arnold, Barlow Roberts, H. M. Dunlap, H. T. Chiles, C. E. McPherren, W. P. Wood, G. W. Phillips, Sam’l Walker, T. A. Alexander, W. J. Moon, W. T. Smith, J. F. Lamb, I. G. Abney, Ben Siegel, Clem E. Bates, J. L. Rappolee, and G. A. Crossett.

This is a good move, and much good will result. If we are to hold the trade we have we’ll have to offer inducements and make traveling easy.