Muskogee Co, OK

Turning Back The Clock

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

Muskogee Publishing Company, Box 1331, Muskogee, OK 74402

Snippets # 7

(Pg 42 & 43) Bacone College-Oldest in Oklahoma Indian Baptist University, later to be changed to Bacone College came to Muscogee in the summer of 1885. We quote the Founders' Day Brochure a Bacone College.

"From the start, Professor Bacone was looking for a more central location. Muscogee, with its Federal Agency for the Five Civilized Tribes, afforded a more favorable site than Tahlequah, since Muscogee was more centrally located for all the tribes.

"Professor Bacone had come to Tahlequah in 1878 to teach in the Cherokee Male Seminary. He felt there was a need for an institution of higher learning with Christian teachings an integral part of the curriculum, and began this unique institution in 1880.

"He appealed to the Creek Tribal Council for a grant of land in Muscogee for his school. The Council session was a stormy one, according to one account, and it appeared that Bacone's request would be bitterly rejected. But a Creek minister, the Rev. William McCombs, and other farsighted men of the council (including Samuel Checote) saw what a school like this could mean for the Indian Territory, and they persuaded others on the Council to change their views. As a result, a charter of land was granted for the college. The date was October 29, 1881.

"Later that same year, three men who had been most instrumental in starting he school, knelt to pray in dedication of the new land overlooking Muskogee ... Almond C. Bacone, Rev. Daniel Rodgers, and Rev. Joseph S. Murrow.

... Indian Baptist University was centered in a remarkable three story building ... completed ...spring of 1885. It was named Rockefeller Hall because the principal gift of $10,000 came from the noted philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller whose wife was a classmate in college of Professor Bacone."

"In June of 1885, the entire student body and faculty of Indian Baptist University drove in wagons from Tahlequah to the new school, a distance of 30 miles. They called it 'The Great Removal." ... Old "Rock" Hall served as classroom, dormitory, dining room, teachers' quarters, chapel, and administration building for many years. ... It stood approximately where the chapel now stands.

"The name of the school was changed from Indian Baptist University to Bacone College in 1910, honoring its founder. It has continued to bring Christian education to the youth of the nation. ...Bacone College is one of seven educational institutions that has survived in Muskogee. It is the oldest college in Oklahoma and has more tribes enrolled than my college in the United States.

[Drawings of Almon C Bacone and Rockefeller Hall]

(Pg 43-45) Muscogee's First Woman Printer. State Comby Brassler returned to Muskogee October 12, 1937 and recalled incidents experienced when she was Muskogee's first woman printer 49 years earlier.

Eighteen year-old State Comby and her mother moved to Muskogee in 1888. She gives us an account of her experiences in the October 1 7, 1937, issue of the Phoenix:

"Mother bought a house that stood on railroad land, as 'whites' were not allowed to own land. We had lived there only a few nights when we heard an unusual amount of shooting. It was the Belstead boys and their pals 'shooting up the town.' Their favorite sport was shooting out the lights in the homes as they passed.

"After getting settled in our new home, I immediately began looking for work. As I had some experience in a printing office, I went to the Phoenix office and there met Frank Hubbard, the editor. It was unheard of at that time for a girl to work in public, and it was several days before Mr. Hubbard would consent to give me a tryout. [Photo of State Comby Brassler]

"Five years after I went to work on the Phoenix, it was sold to Mr. Singlet. During those five years I had two frightening experiences.

"There were several notorious gangs at this time, one of them being Dalton gang. One day it was reported that this Dalton gang was on its way to Muskogee to hold up a bank located directly across the street from the Patterson's Store.

"Preparation for this raid was made by installing an automatic alarm, which when stepped on, could be heard at the Patterson Merchantile and the Turner Hardware.

"The owners of the stores had arranged to place guns in their second-story windows, and at the sound of the alarm, the men in the stores were to run upstairs, get a gun and be ready for action.

"A few days after these preparations were completed, at the most unexpected moment, the alarm sounded. Immediately the stores became the scene of turmoil and excitement. The boys fell up and down the stairs getting the gun. Customers knocked each other down in their haste to get out the door.

"Just as suddenly as all the noise and excitement broke forth, however, it ceased, and everyone waited breathlessly for the order to fire.

"I must have been paralyzed with fear, for I had not moved from my place behind the counter. As I looked out the open door, I saw a man from the bank coming across the street. Not until he said, "Tell the boys that was a false alarm' did my strength return.

"At another time it was reported that members of the Starr gang were seen near the old fairgrounds. This was on a Saturday night, and about 9:30 a stranger walked in through the back door of the store and up to the grocery counter. Charles Seekings went forward to wait on him. As Mr. Seekings was wrapping up his purchases, in order to make conversation, he remarked, 'We have heard the Starr gang is coming in tonight, and by George, we're ready for them.'

"Before the stranger could reply, another girl clerk, who had just come to Muskogee from Chicago, seeking adventure, rushed up to him and said, 'I'd like to see one of them.' "The stranger said, 'Girlie, you might be interested to know I'm riding one of their ponies tonight.' Needless to say, the girl never again had much to say to strangers."

"One day, while working by the window, someone called in a trembling voice 'Here comes Belle Starr.' I looked to see just outside the open window the notorious woman of all Indian Territory. She had on a divided skirt and a man's belt, and with her hand on this gun, said to me in a very gruff voice, 'Where 's Dr. Bennett?' (Dr. Leo Bennett was co-owner of the Phoenix along with Hubbard.)

I told her in a very small voice that he was out of town. As she rode off, she muttered that it was a good thing for him that he was not there. An article had appeared in the Phoenix about her, and she resented it and had come to get him

The other time we were doing some night work. Dr. Bennett came in and laid a six-shooter down on the table between us and said. 'I understand the Cook gang is coming in tonight.'

"Whether it was the size of the gun or fear of the bandits. I didn't accomplish much that night.

"When Alice Robertson heard a girl was working at the printing office, she came down to see me, and after we got better acquainted, she asked permission to bring her students down to observe my work in order that they might see for themselves that a girl could be independent.

"In 1894 I went to work at Patterson Mercantile. It was the largest store in this part of the country, and 'whites, Indians, and blacks' from a distance of 50 miles came to trade there. <complete>

(Pg 45 & 46) Katy Pond Built to Give City Water. Water constituted a problem in the early days of Muscogee, Indian Territory. The Arkansas River was nearby, but it was not palatable ...

.. large quantity of water would be needed by the Katy Railroad ... be needed to water cattle ...as they were transported from Texas to the markets in the north and east. As an inducement for the railroad to locate the terminus at what was to be Muscogee, Major James A. Foreman agreed to excavate the Katy Pond. [Drawing of a current day platt with an overlay of the location of the pond]

... Louis Duncan says that as a boy, he skated on the pond. ... used water from the pond to fight the fire of 1899 ... In an account of Through the Years by Ed Gill ... Mrs Elizabeth Kirk was baptized in the pond when she was admitted as one of the first members of the First Baptist Church in 1890. ... Katy Pond was drained in 1904 .. to open Main to the city limits. ... a [water] line had been laid from Grand River by that time. ...

(Pg 47 & 48) Early Banks Aided Business Community. An important addition to the business community came to Muscogee and Indian Territory in 1890. The First National Bank of Muscogee opened for business Aug. 22, 1890.

Up to that time a great deal of business in this area was carried through the barter system. ... Of course, there was some cash exchanged ... Most merchants had vaults or safes in which this cash was placed. They often accommodated their customers by permitting them to put their cash in the stores safes. These "safes" were not too safe when outlaws invaded the town, ordering the owners to open the safe or using dynamite on them.

... An attempt had been made a year before by Robert L. Owen and CE. Foley to charter a bank. According to the Memorial Tribute to Robert L. Owen, given at his death in 1947 and edited by Harry Gibson, their efforts "were frustrated by an opinion of the Attorney General of the United States, who held that the banking laws of the nation did not apply to the Indian Territory." Later as Senator, Owen was co-author of the Federal Reserve Act and was honored by the American Bankers Association with a memorial in Cherokee Hall of Fame at Tsa La Gi.

After some difficulties, a charter was issued with the following directors: Robert L Owen, Foley, A.W. Robb, T.B. Needles, F.B. Severs, P.J. Byrne, C.W. Turner, Leo Bennett, and W.O. Cobb. On the 50th anniversary of the bank, the following were listed as organizers in addition to the board of directors; Pleasant Porter, J.A. Patterson, J.E. Reynolds, John Adams, I.L. Stapler, A.A. Englert, and J.F Turner.

The Commercial National Bank was organized in 1897 with the following of officers: George H. Williams, president; Dr. Jesse L. Blakemore, vice-president; and Ira B. Kirkham, cashier. L.W. Ducan was associated with both of these pioneer banks, becoming employed by First National in 1904 and becoming cashier soon thereafter. ... became President of that Commercial National in 1926. ... At the time of his retirement he had been associated with Muskogee banking for 76 years ... [photo First National Bank Building]