We had visitors from Illinois this week. I don’t know what they were doing in Watonga but they seemed to enjoy touring the museum and hearing the history.
Clay hasn’t been available to do any work this week. He’s basically finished the East side of the museum and plans on working on things inside this winter. Right now plans are to start on the north side next spring.
The Oklahoma Historical Society was incorporated in January 1896. W.P. Campbell was made custodian and one of the directors was T.B. Ferguson. The society was organized and sponsored by the Press Association. Some of the directors passed away and some went different directions. A lot of the success was due to J.B. Thoburn of Oklahoma Historical Research.
The only legal hanging in the county was in 1896. A man accused of killing Oklahoma County Sherriff Garrison in Blaine County. He was tried and hung in Watonga.
One of the Dunn brothers, outlaws that had been terrorizing people living in Indian Territory for months was killed by Deputy Frank Canton. Brothers, Bee, Calvin, Dal, and George ran a road ranch near Ingals, Oklahoma, for travelers needing a place to rest and eat. Some of these travelers were robbed and never seen again. The Dunn brothers acted as bounty hunters and helped track down outlaws. They also had a meat market in Pawnee, Oklahoma, so they could dispose of cattle the brothers stole. George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb and Charley Pierce, members of the Doolin Gang, stopped at the Dunn Ranch to see Rose Dunn aka “the Rose of Cimarron” Newcomb’s girlfriend, her brothers turned them in for a reward and both were killed by the lawmen. Heck Thomas and his posse were led to the hiding place of Bill Doolin by the Dunns on August 25, 1896. Dunn’s shotgun cut Thomas to pieces. Canton soon confronted Dunn and when Bill pulled his revolver, Canton put a slug in his forehead, killing him instantly.
The information about the Oklahoma Historical Society, legal hanging, and the Dunn Brothers gang was found in Elva Ferguson’s book, “They Carried the Torch,” Burton Publishing Company, 1937.
We have a doll with a China head, a cloth body, wearing a brown dress that looks like it is suede with ink designs stamped on it, and a black hat that is 141 years old. It looks like it’s dressed for church or someplace fancy. It was given to Erma Mae Wazer Noel for Christmas when she was 4 years old. It was donated to the museum in 1981 by Erma Mae and was 81 years old at that time. There are two baby hats and a couple of pairs of baby socks that we don’t know the age of but it’s easy to see they are very old by how they are made.
The Breakfast with Santa will be held at the Christian Church, 400 N. Noble, December 11, 2021, 9:00 to 11:00 am. It will be dine in or carry out. Santa will be there for pictures. You can also vote on the Christmas trees that are decorating the museum this year. We will also have a booth at the Christmas Bazar and you can vote there too. It’s $1.00 per vote and you can vote as many times as you want.