Clay and Anthony have the columns put up except for the ones next to the house. His wife and Sandra have the flower bed in front of the house and the south side by the front fence cleaned out. It really looks so much better. Thank you ladies. Clay is hoping to have the front looking presentable for the Cheese Festival.
We have a display cabinet with articles that belonged to Governor Ferguson. The book he wrote while in Kansas called the Jayhawkers, the hat and cane used at his inaugural ball, and some glass items made for when he went to the St. Louis World Fair to promote Oklahoma Territory. Railroad tickets, I would like to think that one could have been the one he used when he went to talk to President Roosevelt about becoming territorial governor but they probably aren’t. There are copies of two Military Exceptive Orders he made while governor in 1903. There is also a western hat with a rope wrapped around it that to my knowledge a grandson mailed to us a few years back. There’s the Chronicle of Oklahoma, Spring of 1958 edition with an article about T. B. Ferguson. If you haven’t been to the home in years or lived here and have never been please come see the items we have. It’s really beautiful inside and will be again on the outside.
We had a visitor from Arkansas. Don’t know why he came to Watonga but we are glad he chose to visit the museum.
Barbara found information that the museum was opened October 1972 so it will have been open 50 years next year. One of the earlier long-time site directors, Mildred Sanders, passed away last week.
Tim and Judy Curtin donated an article printed in the Tulsa World newspaper concerning Edna Ferber. The article tells about her talking to Mr. & Mrs. Walter Ferguson and Mrs. Ferguson to get information while writing the book, Cimarron. She wrote the book after only 10 days of researching Oklahoma Territory.
Plans are being made for the Cheese Festival, the Halloween Bash, and a modified Breakfast with Santa.