SULPHUR SPRINGS RESERVATION OPENS

The reservation was officially opened to the public on April 29, 1904. Two years later on June 29, 1906, the reservation had its name changed to Platt National Park in honor of Senator Orville Hitchcock Platt (1827-1905) from Connecticut who served on the Committee on Territories and was responsible for the introduction of the necessary legislation for the reserves organization.

Now that the citizens of Sulphur, the Chickasaw and United States Governments had successfully secured the land surrounding the springs, streams and creeks and provided that they should be protected in perpetuity, what to do with them? The agreement was; "that the United States improve and beautify the Park and maintain the healing waters through all time for the free use of all people."

The Arbuckle Mountains were older than the Rockies and they had a very unique geological and hydrological status. Although now measuring little more than two thousand feet above sea level, they once stretched more than two miles into the sky. Eons of erosion have reduced them into low hills that cover an area of about 1,000 square miles.

The gently rolling area of the Park offers a pleasing relief from the comparatively level surrounding savannah. Most of the reserve area was heavily forested with a thick under story and numerous picturesque streams along with a number of springs, small waterfalls, and cascades graced the peaceful surroundings. Travertine Creek, which flows from the eastern portion of the Park, fed by Buffalo and Antelope Springs, is a beautiful stream of clear, sparkling water, fed by numerous smaller springs.

Within the Park, there were 32 springs of major importance and a myriad of smaller springs. Some claimed that there were actually 42 springs in the Park. We can only guess that one man's spring is another man's 'seepy spot'. Wilson Springs, which was added in the 1904 subsequent acreage purchase, can be found on the old maps referred to as the Sulphur-Asphalt Springs.  Eighteen of these springs were classed as sulphur, 6 as fresh water, 4 as iron, and 3 as bromide. While the waters were free to all, they were advised that they should be used extensively only upon the advice of a physician.

There was little change immediately in the Park. There was the normal maintenance of mowing lawns and planting of trees and grasses. Most of the improvements were centered on the high use areas ofr the Bromide and Pavilion Springs. However earlier land uses of the area still continued.
In May of 1905 another sale is made of excess property but now it is by public auction. This time the process was a little less painful for the community and netted a pretty penny for the government, $10,010.50 to be exact.

The fencing was removed and stored. Many of the houses around the Pavilion were moved or at least sold. There was a flurry of labor as the houses were being moved to the new town or new houses were being built there.

This left large vacant lots where weeds began to grow in abundance with the unusually heavy summer rains. The problem was that hidden in the mass of tangled vegetation was over 200 abandoned wells and pits for outdoor toilets. This posed a serious problem for the unwary visitor.
The Sulphur Health Board wrote a letter to Supt. Swords about the weed problem in the reservation claiming that it created a "malarial condition".

Supt. Swords had written letters, threatened house movers and homebuyers to take their stone foundations off the reservation. All refused to clean up their mess. Swords then orders a work crew assembled to cut the weeds around the Pavilion, take up the stone foundations and throw the refuse into the wells and pits before somebody got killed.

The footbridge near present day Lincoln Bridge was by now badly deteriorated and in need of repairs so access from Central Park (Flower Park) to the Pavilion Springs could be had. The bridge was repaired and painted. Fencing the Park was begun as well as installing and repairing the drains and culverts around the Pavilion Springs.

In 1909 the Interior department directed the growing of alfalfa and oat hay. The forage crops were used for the feeding of the Park's horses used for patrol, the Park work mules and in the 1920's & 1930's to feed the elk and buffalo.

Early work was done to locate and identify the mineral types of springs and their waters.
These springs were classified and located by Taff and Gould in 1902 and Professor Gould returned in 1906 to do further study. Professor Gould had a huge impact on the early days of the development of the springs. Let's take this opportunity to meet the man.  Charles Gould was born in Ohio in 1868 and moved with his family to Kansas in 1887. Gould attended college and received his bachelor's degree in 1899 from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. During this time, he became interested in Geology and enrolled at the University of Nebraska where he received his master's degree in 1900.

Immediately upon graduating, he was hired by the University of Oklahoma where he organized the collage's geology department. He taught classes and began an aggressive series of field programs.
In 1903, the Hydrographic Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey awarded him the project of surveying the underground water resources of the southern plains east of the Rocky Mountains.
He performed this duty during his free time from his university duties. He completed this monumental task between 1903 and 1907. Gould would later receive his doctorate from the University of Nebraska in 1906.

In 1908, Gould organized the Oklahoma Geological Survey and served as its first director until 1911. For the next thirteen years he worked primarily for the oil industry as a consulting geologist. His most famous discovery was the Panhandle oil field in west Texas.  In 1924, he returned to the position of director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey and held that post until 1931 when he retired. In 1935, at the age of sixty-six, the National Park Service hired him as regional geologist over an eight state region of the west and southwest.

Gould served for five years where he advised the park service on water resources, road construction and future expansion. He died in Norman, OK on August 13, 1949.

© Contributed by Dennis Muncrief, October 2006.