There are three things that I would like to update in this issue: The Ferguson Good Government Symposium for seniors in high school; new curators at the Ferguson Home Museum; and a recent survey of early Oklahoma “Calabooses”.
Friday, Nov. 15 we will celebrate Oklahoma Statehood Day, originally Nov. 16, 1907, with our second Ferguson Good Government symposium for seniors in high school. This cohort will be voting soon, and perhaps some were old enough to vote Nov. 5. The Fergusons exemplified good government moving the Territory of Oklahoma toward statehood. Held at the Chisholm Trail Technology Center, seniors from Okeene, Watonga and Geary will hear elected officials from school boards, city councils, county officials, State Representative Mike Dobrinski and Senator Darcy Jech, and two U.S. Senators (Mullin and Lankford) and our district U.S. Representative, Frank Lucas. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions and request information on topics of interest.
Second, the Friends of the Ferguson Home have engaged two highly qualified docents for the museum. One will work primarily Thursday and Friday and the other primarily Saturday and Sunday afternoon. In that way, the museum will be regularly open for 20 hours per week. When school or other groups come through, we will make special accommodations to have adequate persons for various stations within the home, the jail and the cavalry structure. Come by, bring family and friends, and see what is new.
Speaking of the jail, I attended an informative lecture last week at the Territorial Museum in Guthrie, a wonderful facility with helpful, friendly staff. Michael Mayes, the coordinator for the National Register of Historic Places Program gave an interesting lecture on early Oklahoma Jails (Hoosegows, Calabooses). It turns out that the 1893 jails of Geary and Watonga are two of the few stacked wooden 2x4 jails remaining. These jails were built by two Pettis brothers. The one in Watonga was on the grounds of the jailor’s home, but now resides on the grounds of the Ferguson Home Museum.
We plan to have Friends of the Ferguson board elections on November 14, so if interested in serving on the five-person board, please attend and make your interest known. Plans are moving forward to get the structure painted, the fence rebuilt, and a tree planted with a presentation at the Watonga City Council on Nov. 19.