Muskogee Co, OK

Turning Back The Clock

By: C. W. "Dub" West (c) 1985

Muskogee Publishing Company, Box 1331, Muskogee, OK 74402

Snippets #6

(Pg 36) [Individual photos of: Joseph, Samuel & Alexander Sondheimer]

(Pgs 36 & 37) The Sondheimers Dealt in Furs A picture taken in 1883 in front of Samuel Sondheimer's place of business displayed 10,000 deerskins awaiting shipment to Sigmund Frank in Leipzig, Germany. Sondheimer had come to Muscogee area in 1867 and was important in the business life of the struggling community.

Before the fire of 1887, the business houses were placed helter skelter without a great deal of order. It was Samuel Sondheimer who called other businessmen together, urging them to build back with some order and to build brick structures.

Besides Sondheimer and his hides, important Muscogee citizens were in the picture. A Mr. Jackson, whose son married Cherry Brewer, a sister of Judge O.H.P. Brewer, was standing beside the merchant. A.A. Engart, Muscogee's first insurance agent, was in the center of the picture, and Sam Soodheimer, a boy of 12, was glad to have his picture taken. Samuel and Alexander Sondheimer, sons of Joseph, carried on the business after their father's death until 1938. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sondheimer were killed in an automobile accident in 1938. They left the bulk of their estate to a number of Muskogee institutions. ....

(Pg 37 & 38) Wisp of Smoke Inspired Phoenix Name. The Muskogee Phoenix was born like the fabled bird of Egyptian mythology from the ashes of disaster.

The Indian Journal was destroyed by the fire of 1887, and its owners, Dr. Leo E. Bennett and Frank Hubbard, were pondering what they would call its replacement. Clarence E. Turner was across the street "in the mud and mire, looking at the ashes of his former building." When asked what the new publication should be called, according to Mrs. Turner, the following transpired:

"Mr. Hubbard called to Clarence," she recalled. "Clarence crossed the street to where they were standing. 'We want a name for our newspaper,' Hubbard said. 'We want something different. We've thought of the Muskogee "Forum", the Muskogee "Gazette" and the Muskogee "Enterprise", but none of them suit.' Clarence looked at the ashes of the plant and saw a curl of smoke rising from the ashes. 'Why not call it the "Phoenix"? He asked. "Let it rise from the ashes of the past.' And the "Phoenix it was."

When the first issue came off the press February 18, 1888, Clarence Turner received the first one, followed by copies given to Captain S.B. Severs and Samuel Sondheimer.

The of 1887, the first of several serious fires, occurred March 27, 1887. It was called The Grand Fire of Muskogee by the "Brother in Red"; however, it did not compare with the Great Fire of 1899.

The February 16, 1938 issue of the Muskogee Phoenix stated that "every business and house except a hotel from Pattersons to Captain Severs burned."

Mrs. Horace Henson recalled this fire in 1938, saying it was every bit as bad as had been mentioned and that many of the refugees stayed in the Presbyterian Church until shelter could be provided.

Samuel Sondheimer ... called other business men together, urging them to build back with some order. Up to that time the stores and residences were all constructed helter skelter without a great deal of order. The result was the platting of downtown with an orderly arrangement of streets with Main Street and Okmulgee providing the starting points. It was also decided at this meeting that business places in the future would be constructed of brick.

The Old timer stated in the June 18, 1921 issue of the Times-Democrat that "every building in town burned down," but that "it did good in that they built back better." The writer went on to say that Patterson built a two-story brick "skyscraper" at Main and Broadway (the present location of Goodyear). He continued that "Turner went one better and built better" (on the site of 'Muskogee Hotel and Weaver Office Supply).

The first issue of the Phoenix extolled the many features which should make Muskogee a great city. It was pointed out that this little village was near the geographical center of the Five Civilized Tribes. With pride the Union Agency was mentioned along with Fort Gibson.

It stated, "No greater proof of Muskogee's commercial preeminence need be produced than a reference to our advertising columns which speaks more than volumes of words for the enterprise of Muskogee merchants." ... J.E. Turner and Co. had a half page advertisement on the front page stating, "This Space belongs to J.E. Turner and Co. Whose Stock of New goods are now enroute, and a description of which will appear in this space next week." ... A.A. Englart and A.H. Petigu concerning Fire, Life, Accident, and Tornado Insurance. Most of the remaining space on the front page was devoted to extolling the advantages of Muskogee's educational institutions. Pictures ... of Harrell International Institute and Indian University's Rockefellar Hall. Henry Kendall College was pictured on page 2.

(Pg 39 & 40) Indian Schools Came First. There was little need formal school in Muscogee in the early days as the Creeks and Cherokees had various tribal schools as well as Tullahassee and Asbury Missions and the Cherokee Male and Female Seminaries. But as non-Indian children came to Muscogee, there was need to provide schools for them. The first school about which we have a record was taught by Mrs. W.P. Paxon, the former Retta Robb, a sister of Andrew Robb. One reference locates it as a "tiny box on the north side of the post office." Another reference gives it as being 'in Captain Sever's pasture" with the probable location as being near the northeast corner of Fourth and Broadway. [Drawing of a school house]

The Presbyterians started a school ... 1875. The pastor, Rev. John Elliott, was the teacher. W.L. Squier ... conducted a subscription school in the church in 1875 ... and 1877. Rev. Samuel A. Stoddard, a pastor at Fort Gibson, was also interim pastor of the First Presbyterian church, and he resumed the operation of a school. Stoddard Hall was built during this period.

In 1885 Miss Alice Robertson established Minerva Home for Girls, operating it until the school was converted to Henry Kendall College which operated until shortly before statehood, when it was moved to Tulsa to become Tulsa University.

The trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South passed a resolution in August of 1881, asking the Creek Nation to give them permission to open a college. Permission was granted and Harrell International Institute came into being. Classes were first held in the living room of the home of Mrs. Mary E Locke, followed by using the facilities of the old Rock Church at Cherokee and East Okmulgee. A building was built east of the church later. It was a girls' school, but Will Rogers, and the son of the president of the school were also pupils. It operated until late in 1899 when the building was destroyed by fire. A new school was rebuilt south of Spaulding Park, and since RB. Spaulding and his wife gave the land and most of the money to rebuild, it was renamed Spaulding Institute. It operated until 1908 when t was closed because the need was not as acute after the public schools came into existence in 1898.

Indian University, with Almon C. Bacone as president, moved to Muscogee from Tahlequah in 1885. It is the oldest college in Oklahoma. The name of the school was later changed to Bacone College, honoring its founder.

Nazareth Institute was established in 1891 by William Henry Ketcham soon after the organization of Catholic work in Muscogee. It was first a girls' school, but boys were admitted later. Saint Joseph Academy was established in 1903 to meet the educational need of young men.

Evangel Mission, a school for Freedmen boys, began operation sometime in the 1880's. A.H. Mike, Muscogee's centenarian, was principal of the school for several years. It was located in the Union Agency.

The public school system of Muscogee was initiated in 1898 with F.M. Butler as superintendent The first school board consisted of W.C. Trent, Pleasant Porter, John B. Torrance, William T. Hutchings, and Oscar Beebe. The school was located on the site of the present Central Fire Station on Second Street.

(Pg 40 & 41) Federal Court Comes to Muscogee. An important event took place in the life of Muscogee in 1889, the advent of the federal court. Up to that time justice had been meted out at Fort Smith by Judge Isaac Parker, who took the bench soon after Muscogee came into existence, in 1875.

It had been the duty of the U.S. marshals to take prisoners to Fort Smith, but that was a long, tedious journey. A further complication was that the Fort Smith court did not always consider the laws and traditions of the Indian. The new court in Muscogee really was geared for the protection of the rights of the Indians. Many cases involving whites still were to be tried in Fort Smith.

When it was learned that a new federal court would be established, General Pleasant Porter made a trip to Washington to prevail on the President of the United States to establish it in Muscogee. It did not take a great deal of political pressure, since few towns wanted the honor. But General Porter felt that everyone in general and the Indians in particular would benefit from a federal court being established in Muscogee.

According to the October 14, 1921, issue of the Times-Democrat, the first federal court was held in Muscogee on April 1, 1889. The Old Timer relates that Judge J.M. Shackleford, Major William Nelson, U.S. Attorney A.Z. Waidron, Tom Needles, D Stewart Elliott, T.M. Foster, W.A. Ledbetter, J.G. Wells, Col. E.C. Boudinot, Judge W.A. Fears, Col G.W. Pease, and W.M. Harrison "alighted from the train in plug hats and frock coats the day before, with everyone present." Local citizens, including J.E. Turner, A.W. Robb, and M.B. Maxey, had a hurried conference with the dignitaries, suggesting that they remove the plug hats, fearing some cowpuncher might "take a shot at them." Indians were grinning in amusement.

Court opened with prayer, led by Rev J.Y. Bruce, Methodist minister, in the large rooms of the Knights of Pythias. According to Judge M.B. Maxey, the first case was in behalf of a man named Martin to regain a stolen horse. Col. Boudinot was the lawyer. The case drug on until Colonel Boudinot and the horse both died. The jurisdiction of the court was from Missouri to New Mexico. The first writ was issued by Marshal Needles. written on a piece of brown paper.

Picture appeared in the February 16, 1938 issue of the Times Democrat with the caption 'Where Judge Shackleford Took Oath." The location was given as 4 West Okmulgee. It was torn down in 1938.

According to Alice Robertson in her article in the End of the Century edition of the Phoenix, Pleasant Porter was the 1st juror sworn in, and Captain G.B. Hester, the father-in-law of Robert L. Owen, was the first foreman the jury. Waymon Crow Jackson was one of the first attorneys to appear before the court. He later served as U.S. Marshal, and was the first judge of Muskogee County after statehood.

[Drawing of The Knights of Phythias Hall in 1888, Phoenix special photo and A View of Muskogee in 1881]