Ferguson Features

Continuing our theme of Women’s History Month, we focus on the daughter-in-law of T.B. and Elva Ferguson, Lucia Loomis Ferguson, the wife of Walter Ferguson, Ferguson’s eldest son. Lucia was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1937.

But before writing about Lucia Ferguson, let me mention some other outstanding women of Watonga. First, the President of the Friends of the Ferguson, Connie Burcham, along with Vice President, Esther Arnold and Treasurer Mary Larson. arrie Compton baked and decorated the cake for T.B. Ferguson’s 167th birthday. Vonda Compton and Maryann Phillips collected funds at businesses, arranged a meeting with the city council, and, along with Janine Espy, reported to the city council on the importance of the mission of the Ferguson Home Museum. Sandra Hightower and Teresa Bryan baked cupcakes and Linda Barrett prepared the St. Patrick’s Day Punch (Ferguson was born on March 17). Karrie Beth Little arranged and read Mayor Seitter’s proclamation of T.B. Ferguson Day. And that is just the beginning of current outstanding Watonga women, not to mention the men.

From the Oklahoma Hall of Fame we note that Lucia Ferguson was born in Boggy Depot, Indian Territory in 1886. She studied in Denton, Texas, then attended two years of conservatory in Missouri before transferring to the University of Oklahoma in 1904. She was a founding member of a women’s sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta at OU. At OU, she met Walter.

The young couple bought the Cherokee Republican Newspaper in Alfalfa County. Lucia had a major role in the paper while her husband served in the Oklahoma Senate 1916 to 1920. Beginning in 1918, she became active in the women’s suffrage movement that culminated in the 19th Amendment. She was active in the Cherokee and Watonga Study Clubs.

They moved to OKC in 1920, then Tulsa, where Walter served important roles in business. Lucia, along with raising sons, wrote her famous Tulsa Tribune and Scripps-Howard syndicated column, “Woman’s View,” beginning in 1923.

After Walter’s death in 1936, Lucia served as president of the Y.W.C.A. and served on boards including the Urban League, Little Theater, and the Thomas Gilcrease Institute. At one time, the Fergusons boasted one of the most complete libraries in the world on the subjects of the southwest and Native Americans.

It was announced at T.B. Ferguson’s Birthday the Friends’ Renovation fund for the museum now has grown to $38,000 toward a goal of $300,000. There are still $7,500 of matching funds on the table. Your gift to this IRS qualified 501(c)(3) organization could be matched twice over.