The War Between the States was over. Ulysses S. Grant was the president of the United States. Alaska had recently been sold to the U.S. by Russia, and the transcontinetal railroad had just been completed. The move West was in full swing. Post war United States was on the rebound.

During the late 1870's, John Myers and his wife, Mary Jane, son Charles, and dauther Minnie, packed up and moved to Oklahoma Territory to start a new life in the wild frontier. They brought with them three hundred head of branded cattle from their farm in Bollinger county, Missouri.

They settled about five miles east and a quarter mile south of Wann, Oklahoma, and leased 160 acres of Indian land in both John's and Charles's names. They relocated to a farm one-half mile south of the old Antioch school house, and farmed there for five years. Another move took them three miles north, where they lived for six years.

In 1903, John (in partnership with Charles) opened a butcher shop in Wann. After two years, this shop was discontinued and a furniture store was opened in its place.

John was locally known as a carpenter, butcher, horse doctor, meat cutter, farmer and cattleman.

In January of 1908, the year after Oklahoma became a state, John Myers died. His estate was equally divided between Mary Jane, Charles, and Minnie.

Charles bought the furniture store. At first, it was open mostly on Saturdays, so he could devote more time to the sale of horses, mules and cattle. Eventually, though, he expanded into a larger building, needing the additional space for caskets shipped from Kansas City and Atchinson. The store began operating six days a week.

Early in 1910, Harley Myers sold 80 acres of land and bought a third of the store. Marion Warner became the third partner, also buying a third.

In 1915, Harley sold his interest in the store to Charles, and in 1920 Marion Warner did the same. Charles continued to operate it until his death on January 10, 1934.

Ed Myers was named administrator of his estate and kept the store open evenings to sell its contents. This arrangement was continued until February, 1935, when an auction was held to dispose of the remainder of the estate.

NOTE: The sales ledger for this business (initially named the Wann Hardware and later the Warner-Myers Hardware) with entries from 1919 through 1933, was found in an old trunk belonging to the Ed Myers estate.

Contributed by: Emmett Myers  

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