Caddo- My Home Town

Aunt Lucindy

Caddo Herald

September 19, 1902

Mrs. Mary Winn Smoots, of Sherman, Texas, was here last Friday and Saturday, the guest of friends, and Saturday night she gave her entertainment at the Presbyterian Church under the auspices of the M. L. & A. Club. Not a very large audience was had, but those who attended were well pleased. She gave readings from her famous articles, “Aunt Lucindy”.

Mrs. Mary Winn Smoots was known to audiences in Oklahoma and Texas as the author of a “humorous, semipolitical feature” published in The Dallas News and other newspapers. In 1907 she established the first woman’s paper in Texas- The Texas Woman- and for ten years she was associate editor of the Free Lance. She organized writers’ clubs, and was a member of several groups including the Kidd-Key Club of Dallas, the Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Texas Press Association. She died of a heart attack in Dallas in 1946.

Storm Season

Caddo Herald, June 8, 1917

Violent Wind & Hail Storm

            Last Thursday night about ten o’clock Caddo and vicinity was visited by a terrific wind and hail storm, in which was done much damage to property, but no lives were lost, and little personal injury.

            The main storm continued its fury about an hour; after which desolation stalked throughout the country. It came from the west and continued due east, covering a strip about four miles wide.

            Every west window glass in town was broken out, the wire screens offering little protection; some north lights were broken; the roof of the McCoy building was taken off, as were several others in town, though damage from this was not heavy. Gardens were ruined, oats in many places were blown down and the stems badly broken by the hail, making this crop where struck almost a total loss.

            In the crop damages the communities known as the Pate, Gravitt, Barney, Wood, Freeny, and Turnbull were the worst sufferers. All the cotton in these will have to be planted over and oats are almost a total loss, while most of the corn will recover. South of town to the fish hatchery was not damaged so badly; the Charley Jones place north of town was touched lightly; while the Baxter and Caddo Hill communities were not touched at all. As nearly as can be figured out it is estimated that the damage to crops in the Caddo community will amount to one third. At first it was thought to be greater, but a few days of sunshine have brought out the crops wonderfully. The losses to cotton are the greatest, for wherever the hail struck it is believed all the cotton will have to be planted over.

            There are some wonderful tales told of narrow escapes, of heroic action and of damage done.

            Friday morning about 7 o’clock a small cyclone struck the earth near the home of Charles Semple, which took the roof off his house and barn and off another house near by, wrenched three telegraph poles out of the ground, and scattered pieces of wreckage for many hundred yards. Yet no one was hurt.

            Thursday night the little five year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Johnson was struck by lightning and for a while it was thought she was dead, but she is recovering nicely. The bolt drove a hole thought the pillow on which the child was lying.

            The home of J. M. Hogue three miles east of town was demolished, but the family was saved in a cellar; the barn, also, was demolished. Many houses east of town are thrown from their blocks; the Corinth schoolhouse is almost a total wreck.

            Sam Beard barely had time to get his wife and child out of the  house with one quilt, when the wind took the house away. He protected them with his body lying over them. His body was severely bruised, but the family was unhurt.

            A family in town found a new storm cellar. Hardy Rudsill happened to remember that at the man holes in the sewer is a large cavity to be used whenever the sewer needs repairs so he took his family into it and they went uninjured.

            There was quite a rush on the window glass dealers to replenish the broken glass in town. W. F. Dodd alone had to order some $500 worth of glass. Carpenters were busy making repairs.

            A large number of those injured carried storm and hail insurance which will probably lessen the losses to a great extent.

A Bad Predicament

The Knights of Ezelah, under the leadership of Mr. A. B. McCoy and Rev. C. A. Clark, got into a pretty bad predicament last Thursday night.

The party consisting of seventeen boys and the two men left here Thursday at noon, going to Blue river on a fishing trip. After making camp and doing a little fishing they tried to go to bed, but about this time that terrible hail and wind storm was brewing in the south and west, and there was not much chance for little fellows to sleep with such surroundings. The storm struck them and save being blanched with hail and rain, they went unharmed. Just after the storm they waded through water to their necks to the home of George Simmons, a near by farmer who helped to care for them. It is hard to tell who was the most frightened, the boys, or their mothers in town, but if either was frightened more it was the latter: they had weird illusions of their sons being swept down the mad stream to destruction, and those of you who saw, or was in the storm cannot blame them either. 

Immediately after the first storm was over in Caddo, the men who had children in the party were rushed out to find their boys. They hunted all night over blue bottoms and the surrounding country, and finally came home in despair, not knowing where the party of boys could be.

Upon reaching home, however, they found the boys to be safe and sound, having preceded them by about two hours. They promised themselves never to let another such thing happen in May.

Arkansas Street

Caddo Herald

December 8, 1899

Resolution No. 11

            Whereas it is deemed and considered to the best interests and convenience of the people of the incorporated town of Caddo and the general public, that Arkansas street in the incorporated town of Caddo be reopened to the use of the public as a thoroughfare from the place of its conjunction with West Buffalo Street in a northerly direction to the northern line of the incorporated town of Caddo.

            Be it resolved by the town council of the incorporated town of Caddo, in regular meeting assembled, that said Arkansas street is hereby ordered opened up for public use as a thoroughfare and the mayor of the incorporated town of Caddo is hereby authorized and instructed to take such proceedings as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution.

            Be it further resolved by the town council of the incorporated town of Caddo, that the width of said Arkansas street shall be seventy feet and that the said street shall be made to conform with the official survey, authorized by the town council of the incorporated town of Caddo by and with the consent of the townsite commission of the Choctaw Nation.

            Passed and approved by unanimous vote this the 6^th day of December, 1899. W. P. Wood, clerk

W.F. Dodd, mayor

January 12, 1900

Charles E. McPherren, as attorney for the town of Caddo, went to South McAlester yesterday to file proceedings in the action by the town to open Arkansas Avenue.

January 19, 1900

Attorneys state that the town vs. McCoy case for opening Arkansas street has been set for February 5 at Atoka.

March 15, 1901

About a year ago there was a great squabble about the opening of Arkansas street, and it was settled and the necessary ground donated for the purpose, but to date only about 200 yards have been opened to the north. Why not finish it? We hear considerable complaint.

1920

April 23, 1920

Teachers Must Have Salary Raise

“The school board has received no applications for positions from any teachers who will work for less than $100 per month.”

 

May 14, 1920

Domestic Art Exhibit

The Domestic Art and Science Exhibit of the Caddo High School was on display at Schaffer’s and Boone & Styron. This is work of the girls of the C.H.S.  The display was not only elaborate, but shows the good taste and kind of work the girls can do. Miss Sue Carter is the instructor in this department and deserves much praise for the instruction she has given the past year. The dresses were of modest taste and were by no means expensive. The Science Exhibit was also pretty and showed each dish they had made or took notes on during the year.

 

September 17, 1920

Land for Sale

154 acres of good black land, 120 in cultivation, two sets of improvements, two wells and two barns, can put in 15 acres more; 3 ½ miles from Caddo; one mile from school. Fine prospect of oil. See B. F. Maddox

Piano Studio at Mrs. A. E. Richey’s

Waylon B. Moore will give Piano Lessons on Wednesdays and Saturdays of each week. Students will be allowed to come Saturdays for their lessons during the day. Tuition will be $8.00 per month. My class will be limited to ten pupils. For further information call up Phone 128.

Nazarene Revival

Revs. W. S. Shaw from Tulsa and Arthur James from Bonham are assisting the pastor, Rev. Mowery, in holding a revival meeting under a tent near the church.

These gentlemen are seeking to benefit the community by their efforts and cordially invite the public to come to the service each evening at 7:30.

At Baptist Church

Being without a pastor the only services regularly held are the Sunday School each Sunday morning and Prayer Meeting each Wednesday evening.

Next Wednesday evening Rev. Sam Crane from Boswell will preach at this church and everyone is cordially invited to hear him.

Grocery to Move

Bennett & Hauer Grocery Company have leased the west Hoffman building, recently occupied by the Alamo Bar, for their grocery business and will move to it this week. They will have new fixtures and will be well stocked to handle a great volume of grocery business. This firm caters to your grocery needs and bases their bid for patronage upon their word- service and satisfaction. They are experienced in this line of business and will appreciate your trade.

Class of 1914

Class of 1914

(married names listed at the first alumni reunion)

1. Bonnie Jeanes (Mrs. S. L. Shofner)
2. Myrtle Malone (Mrs. W. C. Jamison)
3. Eula Manning (Mrs. Ross Bonner)
4. Dudley Maytubby
5. Edith Moore
6. Kimbrough Overstreet (Mrs. W. E. McIntosh)
7. Estelle Peters (Mrs. William Easter)
8. Buenos Phillips
9. Beulah Pinson (Mrs. Lawton England)

 

The graduating class of 1914 received their diplomas at the Opera House from Superintendent Echols of Durant and Hon. Claude Smith of Caddo.

The following were awarded:

Miss Edith Moore for the highest grade in the graduating class; medal by the Caddo National Bank.

Miss Katie Glasscock and Jim Shofner, perfect attendance and best deportment in High School; medal by Civic Club. Presented by Mrs. Bilbo.

Miss Lolah Chesnut, for highest grade in High School, lavalier by Music Club. Presented by Mrs. Chiles.

Roland Wright, for boy with the highest grade in 7^th grade; watch by Prof. Frazier.

Grace Fuller, for girl with the highest grade in 7^th grade; lavalier by W. F. Dodd.

Edna Droke and Mamie Wright for girls in Grammar School tied for perfect attendance and deportment; each received medals from the Civic Club. Cortelle Hipp received the boy prize for the same effort; by the Civic Club. Presented by Mrs. Bilbo.

Hon. D. H. Linebaugh, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern district of Oklahoma, delivered the graduating oration “in his usual eloquent and earnest way”.

John Brown's Capture, 1919

The Caddo Herald

November 7, 1919

Captured Bad Man

U.S. Deputy Marshal Henry Blake, from Muskogee, and Deputy Wilson, from Sallisaw, were here Tuesday afternoon looking for one John Brown, alias Will Anderson, wanted upon Federal charges in Muskogee.

Together with Sheriff Wright and Deputy Coleman Robinson, they went about six miles north of town and captured him as he was coming from a barn on the Amos K. Bass place. The officers got the drop on him and he gave up.

The prisoner is reputed to be a bad man and hard to handle. He was taken to Muskogee the next day.

Saturday Morning Advertiser

November 8, 1919

John Brown, alias Will Anderson, aged 38, wanted on two bench warrants at Muskogee, and on a charge of assault to murder a deputy sheriff in Arkansas, was arrested by United States Deputy Marshals Harry Blake and Wilson assisted by Sheriff Wright on one of the Bass farms, seven miles northwest of Caddo last Monday night.

Deputy Marshal Blake wired Sheriff Wright Monday to meet him at Caddo that evening, which Mr. Wright did. It having previously been ascertained that the man wanted was living on the Bass farm and wishing to allay any suspicion, a neighbor was phoned, asking if Brown was at home, saying that a prospective buyer want to look at the farm. The reply was that Brown had been away for two or three months. This confirmed the officers’ opinion that the man was in hiding, for his wife, becoming afraid of him, had written Marshal Blake a short time before, saying that her husband was at home hiding in the loft and suggested that they come and get him.

The officers then made their plans and arrived at the Brown home about dark Monday evening. The house was dark, save for a dim light in the kitchen. The doors being locked, an entrance was forced at a side door, and, flashlight in hand, the officers began a systematic search of the house.

Mrs. Brown and her four children, taking fright, had run from the rear of the house and no one was found until the searchers reached the kitchen. There, against the back wall was a pile of cotton and Sheriff Wright promptly espied part of a shock of black hair nestling among the staple. All the officers drew their guns and the man in the cotton was invited to step forth, which he reluctantly did, but started to reach back into the cotton for a gun. Before he could get it, however he was knocked down by a gun in the hands of Sheriff Wright and afterward submitted to being ironed and taken to town.

Over the kitchen was a loft, reached by a narrow trap door, from which hung a stout rope, being used by Brown to go to and from his place of hiding. The loft was found to contain a bed, another six shooter and an automatic shotgun; also a half gallon of pinetop whiskey and a supply of smoking tobacco.

(Note: The following paragraph is barely readable because of the condition of the original copy.)

That Brown had for a long _____ this his hiding place ______ caused his neighbors to believe he had left, was shown by _____ appearance. Had he ____ the loft at the time and _____of the officers had poked____ above the trap door, _____doubtful ______killing.

One of the bench warrants for Brown charged him with illicit distilling and another with the shooting of officers who had attempted to arrest him near Sallisaw, his former scene of operations and from whence he came to the Caddo neighborhood.

Tattooed figures on both arms and his breast made identification certain and he is without doubt the man wanted in all these instances.

After being arraigned at Muskogee under the Federal charges, he will very likely be turned over to the Arkansas authorities to answer for his crime there, though his victim recovered.

Brown said he had been peddling whiskey made from ____ at night at Caddo and Kenefick.

It is more than probable that Sheriff Wright’s prompt action in keeping the man away from his gun prevented a more ____ ending of the affair.

Jim Foster and Coleman Robinson of Caddo also accompanied and aided the ____.

Gun Club, 1914

Board of Health 1899

In February of 1899 the town council of Caddo passed ordinance 21, creating the Board of Health of Caddo. The ordinance is quite lengthy and like most of that era, contains a lot of details and legal language. In order to improve our understanding of it, I have paraphrased each of the sections except #4, which must be read in its entirety to be believed. You may have to read it twice to fully understand the significance of it.

The Mayor in February 1899 was Charles E. McPherren. W. F. Dodd signed the ordinance as “clerk”. However, the election of new officers was in April, so the first board was actually overseen by C. A. Manning, mayor, E. G. Lloyd, recorder, and aldermen L. C. LeFlore, A. M. Russell, Wm. Richey, W. H. Markham, and Peter Bloom. The marshal was J. N. Jackson.

Dr. Leroy Long was the first president of the board and other members were F. J. Hamilton, G. B. Green, T. B. Bryan, and H. E. Rappolee.  One of the most important actions taken that year was to declare in October that there was NO smallpox in Caddo. Hundreds of notices were circulated throughout the area, but primarily in Durant, to convince people that they could safely visit and shop in Caddo. According to the paper the “malicious false reports” of the disease were started by someone in Durant.

Section 1- The board consisted of five physicians “appointed by the mayor, subject to the approval of the council”. The time of service for the board was to be until the second Monday after the election of alderman each year. The mayor was an ex-officio member of the board.

Section 2- Within a week of appointment the board was to choose a president and secretary and create their “own government in carrying out the duties imposed upon them” and from time to time add rules and regulations.

Section 3- The board’s jurisdiction was one mile beyond the corporate limits of the town. In the event of the “dangerous proximity” of an infectious disease, the jurisdiction would extend to 5 miles.

Section 4- The Board of Health shall have, and are hereby vested with the power, jurisdiction, and authority and charged with all the duties that may be necessary to secure the town and inhabitants thereof from the evils of contagious, malignant, and infestuous diseases, which it is competent for the town council to confer upon them. Said board shall have power to declare as a nuisance, and order abated, discontinued, or removed, any matter, substance, thing, act, practice, or business which in its nature, effect, tendency, or continuance may become dangerous or detrimental to the health of the town or its inhabitants; and it shall be the duty of the town marshal of the town to serve and execute such orders or notices issued from said board; and whosever shall violate, disobey, fail, or refuse to serve or execute such orders or notices shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction before the Mayor’s Court, shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars; provided that such orders and notices shall emanate from the Board of Health acting as a body and in their official capacity, and shall relate only to strictly sanitary matters.

Section 5- The board had the power to declare a quarantine or lift it as they determined it necessary.

Section 6- It was the duty of the town marshal, under the direction of the board, to remove or isolate any person with a contagious or malignant disease and place them in a hospital, home, or tent and to provide them with food, medications, and other supplies.

Section 7- The Mayor “shall see that all orders of the board are carried out”.

Section 8- The board was required to make suggestions to the town council for improving the health of the town.

Section 9- The board was required to set the time and dates for their meetings, keep careful records, turn over all paperwork to the new board each year, and report to the town council as often as requested.

Section 10- All expenses had to be approved by the president and secretary before being turned over to the town council for payment.

Section 11- The ordinance was in full force from the date of passage forward.

Grammar School, 1919

Caddo Herald

June 27, 1919

                …Everyone knows something of the crowded condition at the Grammar School, which condition we have not been able to adjust. Now that our scholastic population for this year is considerably in excess of last year, we are forced to make some arrangement to care for them. This means more desks to say the least of it. We may also say that the salaries of all teachers have been raised and even then, we are having some difficulty in securing teachers who meet the requirements of the law.

                In view of these facts, it is going to be necessary for us to have a 7-mill levy this year instead of 5 mills. The Board is informed that practically all districts are voting the constitutional limit of 10 mills. The Board will be glad to discuss these questions with any one who wishes to know more about them or any other matters pertaining to the schools.

Respectfully,

Wm. Malone, Pres. Bd.

F. Manning, Clerk

E.E. Pitchlyn

 

September 19, 1919

Grammar School Notes

                The Grammar School opened Monday, September 8^th at 1 p.m. with familiar songs by everybody and appropriate addresses by Prof. Shaw, Brother Smiser, and Judge Boland.

                There were 285 bright eyed girls and boys enrolled Monday who were ready for work Tuesday morning with new pupils entering every day since.

The Grammar School faculty for this term is:

Prof. Shearl Shofner (substituting) B 7^th, A 6^th grade

Miss Hipp, B 6^th, A 5^th

Miss Hulsey, B 5^th, A 4^th

Miss Walls, B 4^th, A 3^rd

Miss Richards, 3^rd grade

Mrs. Tatum, 2^nd grade

Mrs. Bradley, 2^nd primary

Mrs. Sanders, 1^st primary

                The teachers and pupils were greatly encouraged by the presence of so great a number of enthusiastic patrons. We most cordially invite you to visit us often. Let the teachers and parents become acquainted so we can work together for the benefit of the child.

                Miss Eastwood, the music teacher, is with us now, and will be glad to meet all parents who are interested in giving their children piano lessons. Reporter

 

Note: Mr. and Mrs. Shofner taught summer school at Carroll School. The school began in July and lasted two months. Most schools took a harvest break to allow students to pick cotton, then continued. The total months for the year were usually nine or ten.

October 10, 1919

Grammar School

                The Grammar School began the second month of work Monday morning with a strong determination for more one hundreds next examination.

                Our new principal, Oliver J. Watkins, was on the job Monday morning, and Caddo feels that she is very fortunate to have another Missouri man as principal of the Grammar School.

                Due to the fact that the School Board was able to procure another teacher, Mrs. Payne, the entire seventh grade was moved to the High School Building. This relieves the crowded condition to some extent that has so long existed at this building. This change caused each teacher to have to give up a half grade, so it really makes it nicer both for teachers and pupils, to have just one grade in each room.

                Patrons who have six-year-old to start to school, please have them started by Monday, for there can not be a new class for beginners started before November. We most cordially invite the patrons and everyone interested in the education of the men and women of tomorrow to visit at any times.         Reporter

 

From the Cat’s Paw, October 1919:

                The teachers and pupils are rejoicing greatly over the arrival of new seats which were needed very badly in all the rooms, especially where the old-fashioned double seats remain. The carpenters put them up in quick order and every one is much pleased with his individual desk.

Tornado