Have you given thought as to how Oklahoma and the Indian Territories became the State of Oklahoma? There’s more to this but this is a short version. A delegation went to Washington D.C. to pressure President Theodore Roosevelt to join Oklahoma and the Indian Territories into one. The delegation was given a cool reception in Washington by Eastern politicians. However, Congress passed the Oklahoma Enabling Act to allow the merger to happen after the writing and ratification of a constitution. The Sequoyah Convention took place Aug. 21, 1905, in the Hinton Theater in Muskogee, which was in the Creek Nation. This convention consisted of Native Americans from the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole. It was to create a state to retain control of their lands. W.C. Rogers, Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and Green McCurtain, Chief of the Choctaw Nation, called the convention to draft a constitution and to select a name and capital city for separate statehood for the Indian Territory. They brought their constitutional experience with them when representatives from Indian Territories joined the Oklahoma State Constitutional convention in Guthrie the following year. The Sequoyah Constitution served a large part as the basis for the constitution of the State of Oklahoma when the two territories merged in 1907. I sure don’t remember being taught any of this in Oklahoma history class in high school.
According to Mrs. Ferguson in her book, They Carried the Torch, A group of men from Gypsum, Kan. began to make plans to put in plaster mills in the hills north of Watonga as soon as a railroad could be put in. A bank would be needed too. Ed Wheelock and C.R. Williams decided to open a bank in Watonga. Mr. Wheelock came by train to Kingfisher where he cashed a draft for $12,000. A thousand of that belonged to Mr. Williams. Capital stock worth $5,000 had already been put up. Since Mr. Wheelock knew about the outlaws, he didn’t want to look like a banker during the 30 mile trip to Watonga. He rented a horse and buggy for the drive with almost no roads and through sand and over hills. He placed $5 in his pocket just in case the outlaws attacked him and he hid the rest in various places on the buggy. He arrived about sundown without being robbed. Then, as time went on, Mr. Wheelock drove his Buick no longer caring if he looked like a banker.
The museum is in need of a site director; it’s 20 hours per week. You will be giving tours as well as helping plan programs and events, and do housekeeping such as dust and run the vacuum. The director must be able to go up and down the stairs and have basic computer skills. I’ve been told they have had various applicants but I’m not sure when they will do interviews.
Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since the museum is short staffed right now, these times may vary. Closed city and state holidays. Please call before coming to make sure it is open. Call at 580-623-5069 to make arrangements for an afterhours tour.