Spring has come to the Ferguson. The iris that Esther Arnold planted are gorgeous. She also put out some annuals for color. The new tree is growing. Work on painting the house and refurbishing the fence has proceeded. The two docents, Rick Larson (Thursday and Friday) and Hunter Martinez (Saturday all day and Sunday afternoon) show the home, the 1893 jail and the cavalry facility. Visitors are coming from out of town and investing in the area.
May is National Preservation Month. We are inviting a speaker from the faculty of Northwest Oklahoma State University in Alva to speak on that subject. Dr. Kay Decker has experience in major preservation activities in Woods County (Alva and Freedom) and will speak on preservation as an important aspect of a community’s authentic identity, value to tourism and education, and increased sales tax revenues to cities and
towns.
Watonga has six sites on the National Registry of Historic Places, and Blaine County has 17 sites. We plan to invite city leaders and interested citizens from around Blaine County on May 22.
What I hope to write soon is a report similar to what Ellen Shaw wrote in 1987 in the 15th year of the museum. “The total visitors for May to Nov. 15, 1986 was 3,210. We are proud of this attendance. The total since 1972 is 49,109. Can you imagine almost 50,000 people have visited Watonga?
This is really amazing! Of the groups who came during the two-day Cheese Festival were ones from different areas of the state: First National Bank of Hobart (44); Okeene SDA School (19); ORCDTC, OKC (45); Riverside School, Anadarko (19); AARP, Clinton (18); Portland Ave. Baptist Church, OKC (60); Epworth Methodist Church, Chickasha (29); Crown Heights Baptist Church, OKC (9); Waynoka 4-H Club (18); etc.”
We look forward to groups like these in 2025.
Ellen Shaw continues “On Nov. 14, the fourthgrade class under the direction of Trinna Caldwell brought 58 pupils and 10 adults. The class came all decked out in pioneer clothing to celebrate Nov. 16 as Statehood Day.” (This Old House…In Watonga). Since 2023, we celebrate Statehood Day with a Ferguson Good Government Symposium for seniors in high school.
We have invited the ninth-grade history and government classes and the third graders to visit the museum in May. Our aim is to educate and to instill cultural identity and civic pride in these students.