Teresa Hunt Tyler was Watonga’s first dentist. She has an important connection to the Ferguson Home Museum. Having desired to be a dentist from a young age, Teresa graduated from eighth grade, taught school as was common in Missouri, saved her money for tuition, and enrolled in the Western Dental College in Kansas City. Among 60 students, three were women. Earning the respect of all students, Hunt graduated in 1901.
She worked in El Reno as a dentist, but heard Watonga needed a dentist, since it had not had one in nine years. She boarded the train to Watonga and arrived on Dec. 19, 1901. Her first impression filled her heart with despair (Petticoats, Politics, and Pirouettes by Glenda Carlisle). However, she headed for the hotel and soon was seeing appreciative patients in another hotel room and later in Hooper’s Drug store while awaiting installation of her dental chair and completion of her office in the new 1903 Rose Building.
The Hoopers were renting the new Ferguson home on North Weigle while Governor and Mrs. Ferguson served Oklahoma Territory in Guthrie. Dr. Hunt rented the third floor of the mansion. You can visit the room with its recently replaced windows for a nice view of Watonga in three directions.
In 1903, Teresa married a young businessman, Homer Tyler. After initially living in the back of a department store, they moved to a farm one-half mile south of Watonga. She set up her office in the front room and saw patients while raising three children.
Once per month, Dr. Tyler would travel to Eagle City, 17 miles by road, but potentially shorter cross country. One of her sons would saddle her horse, and one son would travel along. They stayed in the Maury Hotel in Eagle City, saw patients the next day and traveled back to Watonga on the third day. She also traveled to nearby native American villages and was called to see dying patients who the medicine men thought might have a dental related illness. She accumulated a nice collection of artifacts as gifts. By the way, the Ferguson has a nice collection of Cheyenne-Arapaho items on the third floor.
Dr. Tyler was a determined woman, even braving a severe blizzard to get to town to buy oranges and peppermints for Christmas stockings. She enjoyed hunting and fishing, social occasions, and even traveled to Hobart and Grandfield to work lottery-won properties.
As we begin this new membership year at the Ferguson Home Museum, remember your membership dollars support the restoration work on the 125-year old home and the cultural and educational programs of the Friends of the Ferguson.