First, thank you to all who attended the Watonga Community Coffee on July 16 held at the Ferguson Home Museum and hosted by the Plains Collective. These quarterly coffees are coordinated by a committee from City Hall. The Plains Collective is a not-forprofit organization featuring native American culture, language, and arts. A report is available at www.fergusonhomemuseum. org under past events or www.facebook.com/fergusonhomemuseum.
Second, I thank the Watonga Public Library for arranging a series on America’s 250th (semiquincentennial) anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In support of this effort, I presented “Elva Ferguson and the 1926 Sesquicentennial in Philadelphia”. Mrs. Ferguson served on the Executive Board for the Oklahoma exhibit. On July 23, Ramona Tallbear will present, and on July 30, Dr. Dwight McGee will present on African American history in Watonga, both at 12 noon. I feel immensely proud of these United States during this 250th and of the Fergusons as nation-building pioneers. Drive by or stop in at the Ferguson Home on Weigle. The home is getting new paint thanks to Tom Olsen and the fence has been repaired/painted.
Last week I wrote about Elva Ferguson and the Sesquicentennial in Philadelphia. Today I mention some inventions that were showcased at the World’s Fair in Philadelphia celebrating the 100th (Centennial) anniversary of the Declaration in 1876 Centennial Exposition. Even though T.B. Ferguson was only 18 and Elva 8 in 1876, these inventions assisted pioneers.
At the 1876 World’s Fair the Corliss steam engine powered many of the machines in the Machine building. This 40-foot tall 1400 horsepower engine powered multiple machines at once cutting manufacturing time. Alexander Graham Bell exhibited the telephone. Mrs. Ferguson was elated to be able to call from Watonga to Kansas City from her home. The Remington typewriter allowed newspaper writers/ editors to produce better newspapers and Edna Ferber to write “Cimarron”. The Fair featured Hires root beer and Heinz Ketchup, Yale locks, advanced reapers and automatic telegraphs. We appreciate the advances over the past 150 years since 1876.