We had a visitor from Salina, Kansas, this week. He was passing through Watonga on his way home and stopped for a visit. He had recently had back surgery and needed to rest his back from driving and choose the museum to visit. It was a good feeling to get to tell him about Governor Ferguson and all he did for Oklahoma Territory.
Clay and Anthony were out Friday. Clay climbed up into the attic of the new office area to see what needs to be done so it’s not so cold on the back porch addition. There is air coming in the cracks and not a drop of insulation. As far as I know there isn’t a bit of insulation anywhere in this building. That was something not thought of when it was built.
I’ve spent time this week putting museum approved wax on the furniture in the downstairs parlor, music room organ and organ in the dining room. I vacuumed the whole main floor and mopped the hardwood floors. The old home is looking so nice when you walk up the front from all the work Clay has done on the East side.
While cleaning I looked at some of the books in a book case in the music room and found some interesting books that I wish I had time to read. There were four small books 3x3 3/4 inches called Miniature Leather Library. They have leather covers and the pages are very brittle. The titles are The Tempest and Midsummer Night’s Dream both by Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle, and Speeches and Letters by George Washington. According to Kent State University they were founded around 1914 and originally sold through the Woolworth’s five and dime chain before being made available through mail order. They were inexpensive volumes sold in boxed sets of 30 for $2.98. The series continued to be sold until 1923. It’s estimated that between 35-40 million volumes were sold by mail. The founder Albert Boni went on to start the Modern Library, another series of mass marketed books showcasing contemporary European and American authors that is still in existence today.
The homesteaders were required to pay $1.50 an acre when final proof was made at the end of a five year period. It was hard to grow anything the first year they were here because of clearing the land and building a house and barns. Then droughts had come during the years of settlement. Dennis Flynn, Delegate to Congress, was the settlers friend and his name is still honored in this part of the state because of him giving the settlers an extension of time and later the Free Home Bill. The first religious service was held in an unfinished building owned by W.H. Munger. It was held by a missionary, home on vacation, from Siam (Thailand). Mrs. Ferguson said no shots were fired and no one was killed during the service. Soon a Missionary Baptist Church was erected and services were held twice a month by Job Ingram of Kingfisher. It was the only church building for several years and other denominations held their services there too. This information is from They Carried the Torch written by Elva Ferguson.