The photographer from Oklahoma Today Magazine was out Saturday to take more pictures of the home and was there about an hour. The Ferguson Home will be in the July/August issue. We are so excited to be chosen for this.
No visitors this week except for the photographer. It’s the first time in a while we’ve not had any.
There’s a picture with the newspaper article I discussed the last two weeks that says it was taken at the old Watonga way station. It identifies one man as the Anderson Chamberlain Agent at the station. One man as Chief Left Hand and another as Ed Guerrier. Ed Guerrier is the man Geary, Oklahoma, is named after. His father was French-Canadian and his mother was a Native American. Guerrier was a scout for Custer at Washita and Sand Creek. There are multiple women and children in the picture. They seem to be standing in front of a teepee. From the article, “There were two other log cabins, one used a blacksmith and carpenter shop and one housed the mules. The station is west of Watonga operator Anderson Chamberlain. These buildings were on an allotment belonging to his wife, Julie, a daughter of George Bent. George Bent, also named Ho-my-ike in Cheyenne, was a Cheyenne-Anglo who became a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War and waged war against Americans as a Cheyenne warrior afterward. He was the mixed-race son of Owl Woman, daughter of a Cheyenne chief, and the American William Bent. Julie was the granddaughter of Owl Woman. Her mother was Magpie. The stages operated over unimproved but well-marked trails day and night. Routes wound through terrain of least resistance, often moving a few feet to the right or left as ruts deepened. Here and there along the trails an extra stage coach was stored for emergencies. An effort was always made to keep on the strict schedule. The coaches that traveled the east-west route were nine passenger coaches pulled by six mules, rather than the six or seven passengers. Four mule coaches were used on the fast routes. The company had an inventory of from 400 to 600 mules and 20 to 30 stage coaches.”
We welcome anyone that wants to volunteer or become a member of Friends of Ferguson Home. You don’t have to be a member to volunteer. If you can only help with one program or project we welcome you.
Hours of operation are Wednesday thru Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Closed state holidays. Just give us a call at 580-623- 5069 or 580-614-1018 to make arrangements for an after hours tour.