Delaware Water Tower
Courtesy of Patricia Dill
September 20, 2007
Received this from unknown person by e-mail September 11, 2007, from Bill Manard.
This information is from the Delaware High School Newspaper (War Chief) which was published Jan. 13, 1939. The front page starts with:
HISTORY of DELAWARE Contents of the article:
In 1912 Delaware was a community in which agriculture and cattle raising were the principle industries. In the little village of Delaware the Negro population almost equaled that of the whites. In the same year racial difficulties which had existed for a long time, finally ended in a riot; as a result the Negroes were expelled from the Delaware community. The citizens then passed an ordinance which stated "that any Negro who remained in the town after sundown made himself subject to arrest,"
The following year an oil company found "black Gold," alter, in that same year, Delaware, a sleepy little farm community, became a noisy "oil-boom" town with a population of approximately 2,000. The business districts, which had formerly consisted of a small group of stores, now reached the number of about 59. These were: seven open saloons, a blacksmith shop, a city hall, depot, interurban, real estate office, bank post office, two drug stores, canning factory, two pool halls, theater, two barber shops, two filling stations, a bakery, two garages, a hardware, and farm implement store, four restaurants, and elevator, stockyard, two ice houses, two shoe shops, mill and feed store, lumber yard, three doctors' offices, telephone office, four grocery and dry goods stores and a tile plant.
The three oil companies that existed then were: Diamond, Transcontinental, and Henderson. These companies were producing oil from shallow wells and in a few years there was a noticeable decline in the out put of oil from these wells.
By 1921, Delaware had ceased to be a booming oil town. With the decrease of oil there was a decrease of population. Business firms moved their wares to other cities. Business buildings and homes were torn down, and moved to other cities and to the country. The city declined rapidly until it now consists of 24 business buildings, two grocery and dry goods stores, four filling stations, two garages, post office, depot, rooming house, grocery and meat market, restaurant, doctor's office, hardware, lumber yard, three barber shops, ice house, feed mill, pool hall, interurban, and a blacksmith shop. The total population is approximately 526.
The High School building was constructed in the year of 1922.
The school children contributed the flowers and shrubbery. The
cost of the building was approximately $360,000.00. The first
superintendent in the new building was Mr. E. R. Bell, who served
from 1922 until 1928. Mr. Joe B. House followed Mr. Bell, and
served until 1934. Our present superintendent, Mr. O. G. Shubert
has served for 4 years.
Thank you so much, Bill for your contribution....Sept. 12, 2007
Delaware City Hall
City Hall, Posted Hours: 9-12 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and
Friday
Telephone: (918) 467-3218
Here you see the town hall and fire department. There is not a sign anywhere that says City Hall. I would like to say "Thank you" to the kind lady working at Landers Grocery for helping me locate it.
