The Community Coffee was well attended. Thanks to everyone that let me give them a tour and tell them the history. It’s an honor to get to give tours and tell people how important Governor Ferguson was to our state and to Watonga. It’s especially nice when the 20 to 35 year old age group shows interest in history.
We had two couples come Saturday for tours. One couple came from Kansas, said they decided to take a trip and chose to come see our Museum. The other couple were from Oklahoma City and drove out to Watonga to see it. This was our new Site Director Barbara’s first day to give a tour.
Barbara and I cleaned Mrs. Ferguson’s bedroom and found boxes under the bed. Can’t wait to see what is hiding in them. We did peek in one and it has old issues of the Watonga Republican in it. We were afraid to touch too much for fear the paper would be brittle. While cleaning we looked inside the Domestic Sewing machine cover and there was a card saying the machine belonged to Mrs. Peleg Ferguson. I’ll try to find out how she is related when I get a chance.
Clay was out Monday and Tuesday working on the home. He and Andrew began putting primer on the east side second story on Saturday. They both have worked hard getting it ready for this step. It’s a good feeling to run into town folk and they thank me because we are getting the restoration done. We can’t thank Clay enough for doing this. We will be glad for any volunteers to help Clay and Andrew.
Thompson Benton Ferguson, the sixth governor of Oklahoma Territory, was born March 17, 1857, near Des Moines, Iowa. When he was only one year old, his parents moved to Emporia, Kansas. There his mother died in 1860, when Thompson was three. His widowed father enlisted in the Union Army. T. B. was reared by his father’s sister. The public schools were his source of education. He financed courses and attended Kansas State Normal School at Emporia, Kansas by teaching. Ferguson taught school in Chautaugua County, Kansas for nine years. He became an earnest Bible student and studied for the ministry then becoming a Methodist Minister. On June 9, 1885 he married Elva Shartel at Sedan, Kansas. Her brother is the Shartel that is important in Oklahoma City. More to follow.
The next Ferguson Market will be July 10, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you have garden produce or canned vegetables, jellies and such, you bake or cook, do crafts, have older yard tools, puppies, kittens, bunnies, chickens, or eggs, bring them to the market. Call 580 623 5069 for more information or to reserve a spot. Be sure and leave name and call back number if you get the answering machine because we don’t have caller ID.
We welcome volunteers in any capacity and anyone wanting to become a member of the Friends of the Ferguson Home Museum. Our hours open are Wednesday thru Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.