Do You Remember When - 1969 Article   Grady County, Oklahoma

Submitted by:  Sandi Carter   SandKatC@aol.com 

====================================================================
     USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing
         free information on the Internet, data may be used by
         non-commercial entities, as long as this message 
         remains on all copied material. These electronic 
         pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit
         or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

         The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb
         Archives to store the file permanently for free access. 

         Persons or organizations desiring to use this material
         for purposes other than stated above must obtain the 
         written consent of the file contributor.
========================================================================
DO YOU REMEMBER?



The spring of 1890 the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Co. extended
their tracks across the South Canadian River from Union City, O. T. to
Minco, Indian Territory, where they stopped for two years before building
the railroad on south.  All trains being turned around on a Y to go north.

This switch track was located in the northeast corner of Minco.

Charles B. Campbell owned the occupancy rights to the land upon which the 
town was built.  Having come to this part of the country at an early date
and had established a home about two miles north of townsite.  The lumber
for his first home was freighted from Caldwell, Kansas in 1883.  His wife
was Miss Maggie (Margaret) Williams, a daughter of W. G. (Caddo Bill)
Williams, owner of the Half Moon Ranch, who started Silver City in 1872
by building a trading store for those cattlemen driving their herds of
cattle up the Chisholm Trail.  The object of the Rock Island to extend
their road to Minco, I. T. was to get shipments of cattle from the 
grazing lands of the Chickasaw Nation and it was hoped by many early day
settlers that the Caddo and Wichita Indian Reservation would be opened for
white settlement soon.  It was not until August 4, 1901 that the country
was opened.  Minco became the gateway to the best part of the lands.

October 14, 1901, a company was formed by local citizens to sell vacant
town lots and advertise its natural gateway to Wichita-Caddo Reservation
soon to be opened for settlement known as Minco Townsite and Investment
Company.  

Their letter heads showed a map of Wichita-Caddo lands adjoining west of
the 98th Meridian, which was a short distance from the Gate-way to the 
Reservation soon to be opened for settlement.  Stockholders were L. K. 
Bingham, J. A. Stewart, C. B. Campbell, James H. Bond, P. K. Connaway, Tom 
Waldon, Robert Johnson, W. C. West, Charles Morrison, A. S. Taylor, Nat L. 
Eggleston, E. B. Parrish, James H. Tuttle, J. B. Pope, W. G. Williams, 
Charles W. Stephenson and J. M. Robbins, treasurer.  Up until 1901 those
who owned property secured lots from C. B. Campbell on which to build.

Some of the business firms still operate and pioneer homes still stand.  
Minco was composed of a number of stores when started in 1890.  J. D. 
Lindsay, who owned a store in Silver City, moved to Minco, when the
residents of that community went to Minco.  His General Merchandise 
store was one of the largest in this country, which supplied buyers
for miles around as Minco is the oldest town in the western part of
Oklahoma.

The U. S. Post Office was located in his store building and Frank E.
Clayton was post master.  R. S. Hopkins owned and operated the first
hotel known as the Hopkins House. The Tuttle Brothers, James H.,
Robert S. and Will owned a Mercantile Store.  J. E. Eronbake
Hardware Co. was operated by J. E. and Son Howard who also sold
implements and spring wagons for the Indians and standard wagons
to cattlemen.

Kirk Woodworth established a Hardware Store and Tin Shop and 1891.  Stove 
pipe and well casing were articles that were used in larger quantities.
His Tin Shop was one of the oldest in Oklahoma.  W. H. Gillum operated and
owned one of the first grocery stores.  John Murphy made many boots and
saddles for the cowboys and shoes for the public, also did repairing.

In the beginning of the town the first drug store was owned by B. P. Smith 
and Dr. P. K. Connaway.

The Bank of Minco and building was moved from Union City when the Rock
Island built to Minco.

Also, the office building of the A. B. Snow & Co., which was succeeded by 
Davidson & Case Lumber Co., who sold lumber to the U. S. Government for Ft.
Sill and the Indian School.

To J. H. Seger, superintendent of the Seger Indian School at Colony.  
Supplied building supplies for Cloud Chief, Cheyenne and Arapaho.  The
Minco Minstrel was established by Lewis N. Hornbeck in 1890, who was a
former U. S. Surveyor.

The Wm. Cameron Lumber Co. was among the first merchants, also the Amsden 
Lumber Company and J. B. Yount Lumber Yard.

J. B. Pope was manager for the Wm. Cameron & Co. and later brought their
Yard which had a large office building.  Upstairs was used as an opera
house and public gathering place for the citizens.

The Crescent Hotel, a three story building located on the north side of
Main Street, was the second to be built so that the drummers and
homeseekers would have a place to stay.

Jake Horn and Bart Horn were the blacksmith and horse shoers, who moved
from Silver City when the Rock Island built to Minco, I. T.  I wish I had a 
picture of all the covered wagons containing homeseekers and those who were
on their way to a new home that I saw while at Minco when the country 
opened up.

Submitted by Sandi Carter
GG niece of W. G. (William Garrard) Williams