By Louise Griffin
President T.B. Ferguson Home
It’s been slow again at the museum. I guess it’s just been too hot for anyone to get out unless they have to. I know it’s all we can do to keep the lawn watered.
A lovely lady that grew up in the Watonga area, but now lives in Oklahoma City, reads the weekly Ferguson Feature called the Ferguson Home Museum Friday and we had a nice visit. I really appreciate her taking the time to reach out to us. She told me where the Red Cross Room was back in the 1940’s. Her mother was one of the ones that rolled bandages for the Women’s Culture club I mentioned previously. It was in the large room above the old city hall office. She said her mother didn’t drive so her father would drive her mother and her siblings there on Saturday mornings then come back later to pick them up after he finished his business in town. That was when the farmers came to town on Saturday. She, her siblings, and the other children would play out in the yard while the women rolled bandages. She said she couldn’t remember what MSC that I mentioned in a recent article stood for. I looked in the scrapbook to see if I could figure it out and found it meant Mother’s Self Culture Club. They were very organized. I found a small stapled together hand printed booklet with the officer’s names and where they were to meet each month and who gave the lesson and lesson topics. It was from 1941 to 1942. There was a page stating they met the First and Third Fridays. The organizations colors were pink and blue, their flower was a pink rose, and they had a roll call pertaining to the lesson. One of the newspaper articles after the meeting said they had a guest day. There were twelve members present and twelve guests. So everyone must have brought a guest.
In the book They Carried the Torch by Mrs. Elva Ferguson she talks about the Anti-Horse Thief Association. Stealing horses was one of the most prevalent crimes committed in the Territories. I checked and it was formed July 27, 1894, and the headquarters was Arapaho. Just about every farm or rancher over the age of eighteen joined. It cost ten cents to join and you joined for four years. They not only made up possess for horse stealing but any crime. One of the biggest man hunts was for Dick Yeager and Ike Black in the summer of 1895. They would rob post offices and stores then hold up in the gyp hills north of Watonga.
We’re sorry the Tea and Music Under the Stars has been cancelled for now.
Anyone that wants to volunteer or become a member of Friends of Ferguson Home is welcome. We welcome new suggestions.
Hours of operation are Wednesday thru Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Closed city and state holidays. Give us a call at 580-623-5069 or 580-614-1018 to make arrangements for after hour tour.