bmonthly September 2022

September 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

Introducing the NEW Ignite Medical Resort Adams PARC! Northeast Oklahoma’s ONLY Medical Resort.

Get your spark back after a planned surgery or bout of illness. Ignite’s dedicated team of in-house therapists will customize a rehabilitation plan to get you back on your feet and back to the things you love.

6006 SE Adams Blvd., Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918-331-0550 SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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WHAT’S INSIDE

what’s inside...

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Now You Know: Lawton, Weldon & Copan Twin Cities in the Twin Territories

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Looking Back : Providing for Copan Schools

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From the Heart: A Few Notes for Students Be You, But Don’t Miss Seeing Those Around You

22 Feature Sponsor Story: The Lyda Christian Legacy Life-Changing Acceptance Called Mix to be a Pastor

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Funny You Should Ask: What I Did On My Summer Break

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Leadership: Chief Gary Batton Bringing Choctaw Nation Into the Future

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Out & About: Photos From Around Town

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Kids Calendar

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Local Events: Friends of NRA 30th Annual Friends of NRA Banquet Set for Oct. 1

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Chick-fil-A Events Calendar

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Arts & Entertainment: The Center: Celebrating 40 Years of Arts, Events & Community

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Let Freedom Ring: Great Galveston Hurricane Storm was One of the Worst Weather Disasters

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On the Road: Abandoned Steeples & Stone Padlocks, Pure Hearts, and the Secret Sauce

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Upfront

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Profile: Scott Ambler Local Architect, Community Leader

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Feature: The Choctaw Nation The First Tribe to Arrive on Oklahoma Soil

33 A Fresh Perspective: I Am Haunted by Waters Our Cry is All for Peace; Let it Continue 39

A Good Word: Little Warrior Mountains Moved for Little Scottie

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UPFRONT

upfront

Welcome to September friends and our annual Native American issue. For the last three years, we have dedicated our September issue to our brothers and sisters of different Native American Tribes of Oklahoma.

Our first year in 2019, we selected our neighbors just west of us — the Osage Nation. Next was the most popular issue we have printed in the last five years — the Cherokee Nation. We mailed out over 500 copies of that issue from North Carolina to Washington State. Last year’s issue was dedicated to the Delaware Nation, which is headquartered right here in Bartlesville.

This year we selected the Choctaw Nation, which is headquartered in Durant, Oklahoma. The Choctaws were the first Native Americans of the Five Civilized Tribes to come to Indian Territory before we were a state. Our Native American issue takes a lot of hard work getting the information and pictures that are accurate. I want to thank Randy Sachs, who is the Public Relations Director for the Choctaw Nation, for getting us to the right people to talk to. He also coordinated the major undertaking to find pictures for this story. Sarah Gagan writes about this incredible story of perseverance and the history that the Choctaw people have had with our state and our country. Sarah shows how the Choctaws are thriving today.

In this month’s issue, I decided to write “A Good Word” which has been heavy on my heart for the last year and especially the last two months. Our first grandbaby, Scottie, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease which has absolutely changed her life and our family’s life.

She has fought battles that most people don’t see in their whole lifetime, and she hasn’t even turned two years old yet. I called the story “Little Warrior,’’ and after you read the story, I pray that you can walk away knowing that anything is possible with Faith, Hope and the belief in the power of prayer!

I finally want to end this Upfront with some exciting news. When you read this, we will have our second grandbaby! She was born August 12th at 9:05 pm. Her name is Elle Tyler Patterson.

Our sweet daughter, Mary,

and her husband, Logan, have just put Christy and I on cloud nine! I have a ton of emotions going on right now because of the magnitude of this moment. When Christy and I started dating, Mary was six. On our first date, I remember driving up to Rogers, Arkansas to pick Christy up. I first had to read a book to Mary. She climbed up on my lap and that started the love for this little girl. I still see that little girl and love her as if she is my own.

I have written stories of being a Father of four children and a Dad for three. My favorite quote is “Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad”! So today, I find myself reading to our first granddaughter, Scottie, as she sits on my lap. I can’t wait to have Elle come up to me and hand me a book and say “Pops read me a book!“ I have three daughters. For a Dad, when your daughter has your grandbaby, it’s just so unbelievable. The emotions you have are overwhelming. Today I got to hold Elle for the first time. As the tears filled my eyes, I just praised God because there were so many moments and mountains that this family had to go through and over to get here today.

If you notice Elle’s middle name is Tyler.

For those who don’t know, Mary lost her oldest brother to an accidental shooting in 2009. Mary was 12 when this tragedy struck our family. It’s so precious that she gave her first child part of her brother’s legacy. I love that!

Christy and I cherish these moments with Elle and Scottie. We know our time on this earth is more than halfway over, but the time we have now will be invested into this family — invested into as many grandbabies that we have. Each grandchild will know how precious and how blessed they are to be in this family. I tell Christy all the time that this is the best time of my life and I have never been happier than I am today. God has blessed me with seven incredible kids and now two grandbabies!

Keith & Christy McPhail with newest grandbaby Elle.

None of us would be here today if it wasn’t for a wife who through all the darkness and Hell she had been through, she held fast and never let go. She never gave up on me because of what she knew in her heart was always there…FAMILY! God Bless, Keith

Volume XIII Issue IX

Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by

ENGEL PUBLISHING

Offices located in Downtown Bartlesville in the historic Price Tower 510 Dewey Ave, Suite 400, Bartlesville, OK 74003 P.O. Box 603, Bartlesville, OK 74005

www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly

Publisher Brian Engel brian@brokenarrowmagazine.net Graphics Copper Cup Images design@coppercupimages.com Director of Sales & Marketing Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com Community Liaison Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com Project Manager Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com Administration Shelley Greene Stewart Delivery and Distribution Julie Drake Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers

Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Bland, Lori Kroh, Jay Hastings, Sarah Leslie Gagan, Brent Taylor, Keith McPhail, Jay Webster, Abigail Singrey

Contributing Photographers

Andy Dossett, Bartlesville Area History Museum, John Hurd, Stan Peterson, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Cynthia Alba, Martha Ambler, Oklahoma Historical Society

Kids Calendar Jessica Smith

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or otherwise, without prior permission of Bartlesville Monthly, Inc. Publisher & Editor of Bartlesville Monthly Magazine reserves the right to reject any content or advertisement in this publication.

ABOUT THE COVER The Choctaw Nation was the first tribe to arrive on Oklahoma soil. Photo courtesy The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Creative concept by Keith and Christy McPhail Design by Copper Cup Images

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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We live, work, and play in Bartlesville, and we’re proud to serve our neighbors with integrity Experienced, Honest, Local

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

How to Travel to Europe for $50

Imagine cruising down the Rhine River and stopping at storybook Christmas villages in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland all for $50. Enter the chance to win the “Christmas on the Rhine” Viking Cruise Giveaway for two, valued at over $12,000. On this trip, you will browse through a city museum in Amsterdam, sip on Glühwein while exploring the Christmas markets of Cologne, visit France’s oldest Christkindelsmärik in Strasbourg and admire the scenic mountain views of Switzerland. Raffle tickets are on sale now. Only 2,000 tickets will be sold. The winner will be announced at OKM Music’s sixth annual Christkindl Market on Saturday, November 5. To learn more about this giveaway, or to buy tickets, go to https://shopokm.square.site/oktoberfest or call 918.336.9900 today.

OKM will be hosting its 10th Oktoberfest this year on Saturday, October 1, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dewey Ave. and 4th Street located in the heart of downtown Bartlesville. Festivities include traditional Bavarian games, German food, beer, wine, vendors and more! King Cabbage Brass Band, Blaskapelle, and Mach Schnell will provide live music, with traditional dances performed by the German American Society of Tulsa. As always kids enter free, which makes Oktoberfest fun for the whole family, but the fun does not stop there. Kids will enjoy jumpy houses, face painting, crafts, and putt-putt. Adults can enjoy fun games such as Hammerschlagen, Zufall, Root Beer Pong, Bucket Pong, Corn hole, Axe Throwing and so much more.

On Friday, October 28, OKM Music will be hosting a free “Spooky Strings” concert. Enjoy the string renditions of Halloween classics like Thriller, the Addams Family and Ghostbusters, while being mesmerized by stilt walkers, dancers and visual effects. All free to the public.

Please visit the OKM Music website for more information at https://okmmusic.org.

OKM Music will kick off the holiday season with its Sixth Annual Christkindl Market on Saturday, November 5, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This event will be held on Dewey Ave. and 4th. St. Enjoy the merriment of a traditional European Christmas Market right in the heart of downtown Bartlesville.

Shop for the holidays with artisan vendors while indulging your senses with live music, food, drinks, delicious treats, and more. As usual, kids enter free and will be entertained by a life size Candy Land game, Christmas tree bowling, snowball toss, face painting and more!

Continuing the holiday spirit, #GivingTuesday, will feature a special Christmas concert featuring CRUSA String Quartet. It will be held in Ambler Hall located at 4th and Dewey Ave on November 29, at 7 p.m. During this concert, attendees will enjoy holiday music, Christmas cookies and cocoa. Please visit the website at https://shopokm.square.site/special-events-and-concerts for more information. #GivingTuesday is a “movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world” on the fourth Tuesday of November each year. For this reason, 100% of every ticket bought will go toward OKM Music’s music education programming. So come to this event to find your holiday cheer, drink cocoa, enjoy Christmas cookies, and most importantly, support the arts.

To end the holiday season, OKM Music once again will present St. Nicholas Day, on December 6. During this event, children will learn about the magical story of St. Nicholas. Parents may also purchase a St. Nicholas Bag filled with special gifts. St. Nicholas bags will be available for pre-order on November 5 at the Christkindl Market as well as https://shopokm.square.site/christkindl.

OKM is proud to be collaborating with the Boy Scouts of America, Cherokee Area Council and Jane Phillip’s Elementary School for St. Nicholas Day. Each year OKM Music donates over 50 St. Nicholas bags to the fourth and fifth grade classes at Jane Phillip’s Elementary School. This gift allows OKM Music to give back to the youth of our community as well as share the special magic of music instrumentation and the St. Nicholas story of kindness and giving.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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PROFILE

Scott Ambler

Local Architect, Community Leader

by Sarah Leslie Gagan Scott Ambler was 15 and a sophomore in high school when his dafting teacher, Danny Cowart, recommended him for a job with the City of Bartlesville. That first drafting job was a great experience for Scott and helped shape the direction of his career. His very first professional paycheck came from the architecture business, and some 41 years later he’s still at it.

As a third generation Bartian, Scott has deep roots in Bartlesville. His grandparents moved to Bartlesville to work for Phillips Petroleum Company. His mother’s parents retired here, while his dad’s parents retired to the family home in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scott’s parents, Lewis and Sharon, both grew up in Bartlesville and graduated from College High School. Lewis was an attorney, serving as County Attorney and the first District Attorney in Bartlesville. Sharon made custom drapery for many, many years and consequently, Scott worked with his mom, hanging drapes for many years. He has two siblings, Julie and Wade.

Growing up in Bartlesville, Scott has many fond memories and recalls many positive influences in his life. At Will Rogers Elementary School, it was the gentle influence of art teacher Ruby Fiddler. During his years at Madison Middle School, Scott was positively influenced by history teacher Ed Savage. And at Sooner High School, band leader Mort Cuplin, had a profound impact on Scott. Mr. Cuplin taught Scott a love for making music with others, responsibility to others, and the importance of doing your part.

He also gave Scott opportunities that were not available elsewhere.

Upon graduating Sooner High School in 1975, Scott headed to Oklahoma State University’s School of Engineering, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies. Scott has another passion in addition to architecture, and that is music — specifically, playing the drums. This year marks Scott’s 50th year as a percussionist.

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Scott began playing drums professionally in 1972, performing in the area with “Ronnie and The Miracles,” a local soul group with member Lennie Baker performing throughout the four-state area. Scott also played in Jazz Band at Sooner High School.

Scott was playing in the OSU band when Professor Montemurro, Head of Instrumental Music, changed Scott’s life forever; he introduced Scott to his future wife, Martha. Scott was drum section leader, and Martha played marching xylophone. They were married in Bartlesville in 1981.

Scott graduated from OSU with 32 hours of music credits, playing in 32 different bands during his time there. Together, Scott and Martha played in OSU bands, and then with the Bartlesville Symphony for several years before their children arrived. The Ambler’s three children, Chris, Kelsey, and Cara, are married and have blessed them with four amazing grandchildren.

After graduating from OSU, Scott and Martha settled in Bartlesville, where Scott began to work for local architect Tom McCrory. Scott’s very first architecture job was working on the 10-story Patient Tower at Jane Phillips Medical Center. He has since worked on many other projects on the hospital campus.

PROFILE In 1991, after about 10 years of working for McCrory, Scott bought the firm and renamed it Ambler Architects. Joining him as his partner was Randy Weatherly, a landscape architect and registered architect with whom Ambler enjoyed working on over 1,300 architectural projects, locally and in surrounding states. The very first building that Ambler was able to put his own stamp on was the Bartlesville Public Library.

Since then, his work has included schools, churches, businesses, and city and county buildings.

Scott misses his interactions with these inspirational community leaders and recalls, “Most sought my input or opinions on various topics. I never fully understood why, but thought maybe they just wanted me to be thinking about how things affected our community.”

Scott followed in his father’s footsteps and became very active with the Bartlesville Jaycees, joining in 1982. He was Oklahoma Jaycee of the Year in 1983, and Oklahoma Outstanding Local Chapter President in 1984, an award his father had also received years earlier.

About 20 years ago, Ambler realized that his firm needed to expand its trade area in order to keep his staff of 10-12 busy and well-compensated.

“We targeted smaller communities that needed architectural services and were within a three-hour drive of Bartlesville.

We wanted to be able to have meaningful in-person meetings and still be home for dinner.” Tahlequah, Muskogee, Jay, Atoka, Holdenville, Poteau, Ponca City, and Tonkawa are just a few of the Oklahoma communities that Ambler Architects has conducted business over the years. And the last three years they’ve been busy in seven states.

While the name of the business remains the same, there have been some significant changes behind the scenes.

“Randy and I realized one day that we were the same age Tom McCrory was when he sold his firm. We thought it was time bring in someone to take over when we were done.” Enter Joey Evans, a Bartlesville native and OSU graduate whom Scott knew as a good friend of his eldest daughter during high school.

Joey began his work with Ambler in 2012 and stepped into the role of president three years ago.

On December 28, 2018, Scott suffered a professional and personal loss with the unexpected passing of Randy Weatherly at the age of 61.

Scott says his greatest accomplishment is yet to be written.

“I don’t have any plans to slow down. I’ve been super blessed to be able to work on so many projects over the last 41 years. It’s been very rewarding … and I’m still having fun. It is who I am, not what I do.”

Ambler Architects pumps over $1,000,000 per year into the Bartlesville economy. Scott continues to work on projects and volunteer in the community. Currently, he is working with Reba McEntire on her new restaurant and live music venue in Atoka, aptly named Reba’s Place. The restaurant is a partnership with the Choctaw Nation and the City of Atoka.

Scott humbly shares how honored and blessed he feels to be able to do what he does for people, and for our community. To Scott, its all about the people, not the buildings. He enjoys architecture, but his real love is working with people. He is a valuable leader in our community who continues to leave his fingerprint on not only our buildings, but also our hearts. Scott Ambler, you help make our community great. Thank you for all you do!

Photo by Martha Ambler

“We talk about him every day. In addition to our professional partnership, Randy and I would work on our classic cars together on the weekend, and we were both involved with many volunteer activities and the planning and zoning commission. We all miss him terribly.”

Through the years, Scott has had the honor to know many of Bartlesville’s most influential citizens.

People like Bill Creel, Pete Silas, Tom Sears, Ernie McAnaw, Mike May, and Glenn Cox. Each one had a profound impact on Scott, showing interest in his career and opening doors of opportunity for him.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

The Choctaw Nation The First Tribe to Arrive on Oklahoma Soil

by Sarah Leslie Gagan

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Choctaw Nation Capitol and First Headquarters SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Nanih Waiya, the Mississippi Choctaw Mound Everyday we speak the native Choctaw tongue when we utter the word “Oklahoma.” The name of our great state is Choctaw in origin, meaning “red people.” As the first tribe to arrive on Oklahoma soil, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has helped shape who we are.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma covers approximately 6,952,960 acres, or 10,864 square miles of Southeastern Oklahoma. They are the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States with more than 208,000 enrolled members, and the second largest Indian reservation. The tribal jurisdiction covers 10 and a half counties in the state, with the seat of government located in Durant.

Existing long before their Oklahoma arrival, the Choctaw people’s ancestral homeland spanned most of Central and Southern Mississippi, part of Eastern Louisiana and part of Western Alabama. The Choctaw were fierce warriors, excellent farmers, artful storytellers, and skilled traders.

Agriculture was important to the Choctaw people. They often generously grew a surplus of corn and other crops to trade with other American Indian nations, and later Europeans and Americans. The warm, moist climate with mild winters allowed the people to easily cultivate the river flood plains with maize, beans, melons, squash, sweet potatoes, and sunflowers. The tribe’s farming tools included spades and shovels made from cedarwood and hoes constructed from pieces of flint, animal bones, or bent sticks. The forests provided the Choctaw with firewood and building materials. Wild plants, game, and fish were abundant in the region, providing ample food.

One of the most distinguishing Choctaw traits was the tribe’s peaceful demeanor. They rarely initiated warfare against their Indian neighbors, although they vigorously defended themselves when necessary.

Nanih Waiya, “Leaning Hill”

Located in southern Winston County, Mississippi, stands an important piece of Choctaw history, Nanih Waiya. This large, rectangular platform mound measures 25 feet high, 218 feet long, and 140 feet wide. Nanih Waiya is a Choctaw Indian name meaning “leaning hill.” Archaeologists believe the mound was the location for political and religious meetings of the tribe until the arrival of Europeans in the early 1700s.

The age of the mound is unknown, but pottery artifacts found near the base of the mound suggest it could have existed as early as 400AD. The site is revered by the Choctaw and is central to the tribe’s origin legends. In one version, the mound gave birth to the tribe, and as the people emerged from the underworld, they rested on the mound’s slopes to dry before populating the surrounding region. The area is now a state park, but the mound is no longer open to the public.

Chief Pushmataha

Chief William Durant and Chief George Harkins 14

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The great Choctaw hero and one of the greatest of all American indigenous leaders was A Pushmatahaahubi,

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Choctaw Council House commonly known as Chief Pushmataha. His full name is said to mean, “his arm and all the weapons in his hands are fatal to his foes.”

He was born in 1764 on land that would one day become Mississippi. Both of his parents were killed by the Creek tribe, which would lead to his lifelong hatred for the Creek tribe.

When asked about his ancestry, Pushmataha replied, “I am Choctaw. Pushmataha has no ancestors. The sun was his father, the moon his mother. A mighty storm, the earth, the roar of thunder, the lightning split a mighty oak and Pushmataha stepped forth, a full-fledged warrior.”

Pushmataha was a great warrior, especially against the Osage. On more than one occasion he pursued these enemies far beyond the western banks of the great river that we call the Mississippi. Chief Pushmataha became familiar with the land of Oklahoma, where later his people would come, and knowing its value, he didn’t oppose the removal of the Choctaws from Mississippi.

Chief Pushmataha was by nature a leader among men, calm and dignified. No indigenous person of his day was so highly respected by white men as Chief Pushmataha. Some historians give Chief Pushmataha equal credit when compared to Andrew Jackson, in saving the southern states in the War of 1812.

Following the war, Chief Pushmataha spent the remainder of his life working in the interest of his people. When the Treaty of 1820 was negotiated, which provided for the sale of the Choctaw land in Mississippi and the eventual removal to Oklahoma, Chief Pushmataha insisted that a large sum of money Chief Pushmataha

be set aside as a perpetual school fund for the education of Choctaw youth.

Pushmataha’s comment on the Treaty of 1820 was prophetic, stating, “We have acquired from the United States, her best remaining territory West of the Mississippi, and this treaty provides a perfect perpetual fund for the education of our children. I predict that in a few decades its benefits will enable the Choctaws to fight in the white man’s armies and to hold office in the white man’s government.”

In 1824, Chief Pushmataha went to Washington D.C. on business for the Choctaws, which was the last service he ever rendered. In his address to the Secretary of War, he said, “I can boast and tell the truth that none of the Choctaws ever drew bow against the United States. We have held the hand of the United States so long that our nails are long like bird’s claws.”

While in Washington, Chief Pushmataha contracted pneumonia and died on December 24th, 1824. General Andrew Jackson visited him in his illness and asked what he could do for him.

Chief Pushmataha replied, “When I die, let the big gun be fired over me.” He was given the funeral of a General of the United States Army and his remains were buried in the congressional cemetery in Washington, where his modest monument may be seen today.

The Loss of the Homeland

Immediately after the American Revolution, the United States sought to gain dominance over the vast amount of land it acquired under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. To strengthen their influence with the Indians, the U.S. government entered into a series of treaties with the Choctaw tribe.

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Chief Green McCurtain and members of the Choctaw nation In 1786, the Choctaw signed what would be the first of nine agreements with the U.S. government, between 1786 and 1830.

The treaties established peace and friendship between the two parties, and established land boundaries. Gradually, the Choctaw land decreased, as larger and larger portions were bought for white settlers. Compensation was inadequate, one treaty only paying one dollar for prime hunting land in Alabama, yet the Choctaws agreed, to preserve peace with the U.S. government.

With each treaty and loss of ancestral homeland, the threat of removal loomed.

In October of 1820, the Choctaw reluctantly signed the Treaty of Doak’s Stand, giving up 5,169,788 acres of their domain in exchange for approximately 13 million acres in Pine-saw Mill the west. The U.S. government expected the Choctaw to migrate to their new land, however, when the land was properly surveyed, it was discovered that many white settlers were already living on the new land. Negotiations began to draw new land boundaries further west, into Indian Territory, and were complete with a new treaty, finalized in 1825.

By 1830, few Choctaw people had migrated on their own to the new land, and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed.

This treaty signed away the last remaining bit of Mississippi land the Choctaws held and resulted in the government-organized forced removal of the Choctaw people to the new land in Indian Territory.

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The Trail of Tears and Death

The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek represented one of the largest transfers of land that was signed between the U.S. government and Native Americans, without being instigated by warfare. The Choctaw were the first to walk the Trail of Tears.

Nearly 1,300 Choctaws chose to remain in the state of Mississippi and become US citizens. This caused a division of the tribe into two distinct groups, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The Nation retained its autonomy, while the tribe in Mississippi submitted to state and federal laws.

George Gaines was named general supervisor for the removal of the Choctaw people. Gains determined that the best method of handling the removal was to move one-third of the Choctaw people per year in 1831, 1832, and 1833. Gains set removal of the first one-third of the Choctaws to begin November 1st, 1831.

The Choctaw people were to be gathered in Memphis, Tennessee and Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Orders had been prepared to secure wagons, oxen, horses, food rations, and supplies, but the U.S. Government’s estimate of what was necessary was woefully inadequate. The Choctaw people were allowed the first two weeks of October 1831 to gather their crops, assemble their personal property, and sell their houses and

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Choctaw Courthouse McCalister chattels so that they could be at the two ferry points on November 1st. The Choctaw were ordered to leave all their livestock in Mississippi, with the promise that they would be furnished new livestock when they reached the Choctaw nation in the West.

The newly-created Bureau of Indian Affairs offered special incentives to any Choctaw person willing to walk to new land.

Each indigenous person who decided to walk would be paid $10 in gold, given a new rifle and three-month supply of powder and ammunition, be fed along the way, and be furnished with a qualified guide to lead them to the new land. Approximately 300 Choctaw people decided to take the offer.

As the Choctaw encampments grew surrounding Memphis and Vicksburg in the last week of October, the rains came. Heavy rains flooded the Mississippi, Saint Francis, White, Arkansas, and Bigfork Rivers, turning the river valleys into dangerous quagmires. The roads were impassable, and it became clear that the people could not be taken west by wagons as originally planned.

The only alternative left was to make the removal by steamboat.

While waiting for the steamboats to arrive, the rations for the trip were depleted. When the boats arrived, the 300 Choctaws, who had taken the offer to walk, were ferried across the Missis-

sippi and then turned over to the unskilled guides who would attempt to lead them to the new land. The 2000 Choctaw people at Memphis were crowded into boats and taken down the Mississippi and only 60 miles up the Red River before they were unloaded because the Army needed the steamboats for another purpose.

Most of the Choctaw people were scantily clad, with some children almost naked when the blizzard hit. All the small military post could offer were 60 small army tents to shelter the more than 2000 Choctaw people from the freezing storm. Rations were in very short supply and were depleted within days. With the rivers clogged with ice, the boats were unable to return for the Choctaw people, so 40 wagons were sent to continue the removal. Their arrival was too late for many that had already frozen to death or died of pneumonia.

The wagons could only carry the very young, elderly, and infirm people. If a person was able to stand upright and put one foot in front of the other, they were forced to walk. When the first wagons reached Little Rock, Arkansas, in an interview with an Arkansas Gazette reporter, one Choctaw chief was quoted as saying that the removal to that point had been a Trail of Tears and Death. The Trail of Tears quotation was picked up by the eastern press and widely quoted. It soon became a term analogous with the removal of any indigenous tribe.

The 3000 Choctaw traveling from Vicksburg faced many similar horrific situations. Low rations, ill-prepared guides, and unbearable weather conditions took their toll. The walking party of 300 were led off the path by their incompetent guide and caught in the blizzard while lost in the Lake Providence swamps. A rescue party was dispatched to locate the remaining survivors and join them with the other travelers.

Starving, cold, and weary, the Choctaw people dragged themselves toward the promised land. Progress was extremely slow, as stops to bury their dead or tend their illnesses came often. It took almost three months for the Choctaw people to travel the 150 miles from Camden AR to the new land. By April 1st, 1832, SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

all the Choctaw people who had remained alive through the first removal were located in their new homeland. Approximately 6000 Choctaw people had started out from Mississippi in the fall of 1831, only slightly more than 4000 remained alive. More than 2000 Choctaw people had died along the way and there were two more years of removal to go.

Again, improper planning, white man diseases such as dysentery and Cholera, and Mother Nature would turn the 1832 removal into a debacle of death and disaster. With more severe flooding, at one point the Choctaw were forced to wade through floodwaters and swamps, some as deep as three feet.

No records were kept of the Choctaw people who died along the route. Before December 30th, 1832, all of the Choctaw people still living at the end of the second removal trail had reached their new Choctaw nation in the West. The last federally-supervised removal of the Choctaw people from Mississippi came in the fall of 1833. The 1833 migration went more smoothly than the first two.

In the three years of removal, more than 7500 Choctaws survived the trip from Mississippi to the new Choctaw nation in the West. By January 1st, 1834, there were approximately 8000 Choctaw people residing in the new western land in Indian Territory. The Trail of Tears and Death had ended.

International Generosity

As the Choctaw settled into their new homeland, they built schools, homes, and businesses, and returned to agriculture.

While they would always remember what 18

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

they endured, their spirit of empathy, kindness, and generosity remained strong. Merely years after being removed from their ancestral lands over a harsh winter, and dying by the thousands, they heard a similar tale of suffering coming from across the ocean.

Ireland was experiencing the Great Potato Famine in 1847 and the Choctaw knew what starving felt like. Among themselves, they collected $170 (over $5,000 in today’s currency) to send to Ireland, providing sustenance and food to the starving.

In 2015 a statue was commissioned and built in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland, to honor the kindness of the Choctaws. The 20-foot-tall metal sculpture of nine round-tipped eagle feathers shaped into a bowl acknowledges the Choctaw kindness to the Irish people during the great famine, representing the great moment of compassion, strength and unity.

The eagle is a powerful symbol of rising above, just as the Choctaw are known for rising above all they had suffered. From the little resources they had, they assisted people half a world away without knowing very much about them other than that the people were suffering and needed help. The monument in Ireland reminds people of the greatness of spirit and the kindness and generosity of the Choctaw people and will hopefully encourage others to go out into the world an act in a similar way.

A Nation of Sports

Sports have always played an important role in Choctaw culture. “stickball” and “chunky stone” were used to imitate war, and in some instances, acted as an alternative to war. These games were of-

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

The Choctaw Code Talkers ten used to settle rivalries and disputes between different tribes and families. Stickball also created friendly competition among different clans and tribes.

Choctaw stickball, or Ishtaboli, is historically known for its aggressive play. Stickball was a competitive contest within a tribe to keep warriors in shape for warfare, sharpen the defensive skills of the tribe, and hone hand-eye coordination for successful hunting. It is an enduring part of Choctaw culture, not only as a sport but also as a way of teaching traditional social structure and family values.

The traditional game had very few rules. In the late 1800s, American anthropologist James Mooney declared, “Almost everything short of murder is allowable.” Play took place on a natural field with players wearing no padded clothing or shoes, wielding two Kapucha, or stickball sticks. The sticks were made of hickory or other hard woods cut from the trunk or made of saplings. The ends were thinned and bent into flared cups with leather lacing inside to hold the ball, or Towa, which was made of woven strips of leather. A goal post called a Fabvssa was set at each end of the field, and teams scored by hitting the post with the ball. Full-contact games with limitless players could last for days until either a certain score or time limit was reached.

Tribal social customs were an important part of the game.

Players went through rigorous mental and physical preparations, including fasting, dancing, meditating, and rubbing their bodies with traditional medicines. Drummers worked to set the pace of the game and highlight key plays.

Choctaw Stickball is alive and well in many communities throughout the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. In 2009, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma formed its first official stickball team. Teams play regularly, competing with each other and neighboring tribes, and play in exhibition games across the country to educate audiences about the history and vitality of

the game. Stickball is one of the oldest organized sports played in America. Part celebration, part ceremony, part physical test of endurance, stickball lives on as a unique and distinctive part of Southeastern Native culture.

Telephone Warriors, Choctaw Code Talkers

Among the Choctaw veterans of WWI were those who are heralded as “WWI Choctaw Code Talkers.” These WW1 soldiers were in France during autumn of 1918, fighting against the enemy.

Choctaw soldiers were recruited to transmit messages and devise a system of communications in their native tongue, to foil any wiretapping operations. Within 24 hours after these telephone warriors began their work, the tide of the battle turned, and in less than 72 hours the Germans were retreating. The achievements were sufficient to encourage a training program for future Code Talkers. The Choctaws had established the standard for all other Code Talkers to follow.

According to the late Mozelle Dawson from Coalinga, California, her father, Private First-Class Albert Billy, talked to his commanding officer about the Choctaw language being used to confuse the enemy. Billy and other Indians were used on the phone lines speaking in their native dialect, to confuse anyone tapping into the lines. The Germans were more than just a little confused, and after the Choctaw Code Talkers were put on the phones, the Germans immediately began losing. Ms. Dawson said her father told her that during the night, some Germans were captured, and a General of the German army said that he would like to ask just one question: “What nationality was on the phones that night?” The only reply this German officer received was that it was “only Americans” that had been on the phones.

Four Choctaws are documented through the Choctaw Code Talker Association as having served in the European Theater as Code Talkers in WWII. SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

One of the many Choctaw delegations sent to Washington D.C. Preserving Tradition

The Choctaw people are known for their creative, artistic talent. They created musical instruments such as cane flutes, and drums that could be heard at considerable distance during their religious ceremonies. Music continues to be an important part of their ceremonies today.

Choctaw tradition is to pass down the skill of basketweaving from one generation to another. Women were the primary weavers for generations. Grandmothers, mothers, and aunts would teach younger women of the family how to weave. Today, there are both female and male weavers. For centuries, the Choctaw people have been noted for beautiful and utilitarian river cane basketry. Early Choctaw baskets were noted as masterpieces, some woven so tightly they could hold water. Baskets were an important part of Choctaw life because they sorted and stored

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

food and goods for the community as well as transported goods to the market for trade with Europeans in the late 1600s. Once settled in Indian Territory, the Choctaw were able to continue the art of basketry using the cane available.

Crafts became a way for western Choctaws to preserve traditions that were quickly passing. Their handmade dolls display the elegance and rich variety of Choctaw dress. Today, Choctaw artisans continue to pass on the handcrafted traditions to future generations.

Thriving Today

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is thriving in their Oklahoma homeland today. In 2018, the tribe opened a new 80-acre campus in Durant, Oklahoma, to house their Tribal Headquarters. Current Chief Gary Batton is the 47th Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, sworn into office on April 28, 2014. Assistant Chief is Jack Austin, Jr. The tribe is governed by the Choctaw Nation Constitution, ratified by the people on June 9, 1984. The constitution provides for an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch of government. The legislative authority of the tribe is vested in the 12-member Tribal Council.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma was the first indigenous tribe in the United States to build its own hospital with its own funding. The Choctaw Nation Health Care Center, located in Talihina, is a 145,000-square-foot health facility with 37 hospital beds for inpatient care and 52 exam rooms.

They continue their spirit of compassion and generosity among their own people and within our state. As the original tribe to arrive in Oklahoma, they have paved the way for much of our success. We are honored to live among them and have much to learn from them about generosity and kindness.

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

‘Kindred Spirits’ Sculpture Cork, Ireland

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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FEATURE SPONSOR STORY

The Lyda Christian Legacy Life-Changing Acceptance Called Mix to be a Pastor

by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Mix Eldon Lyda was born at Caldwell, KS where his dad worked at the Caldwell Movie Theater and became enthralled with cowboy movie stars. He wanted to name his son Tom Mix but his wife was not in favor of the name Tom, so Mix it was. Mix was a little difficult to explain to taunting school peers so he went by Mickey.

From humble beginnings, Mix’s greatest childhood memories stemmed from his grandfather Wilson’s history stories and his grandmother’s prayers, mostly the sweet manner in which she said the name “Jesus,” although he shied from her mealtime “preaching.”

MIX & LUCY LYDA

Lucilee Ruth “Lucy” Lincicome’s mother died when she was just 13 and her grandparents assumed her care. During a Parent Teacher’s Association meeting, the entertainment was a musician group with a handsome and quite debonair banjo player named Mickey Lyda. Lucy was only 15 so their courtship required her aunt to chaperone. Three years later, the couple married at the Methodist parsonage in Deer Creek, OK and they made their first home together in a one-room efficiency tourist court at Wichita with a communal “necessity” building.

Making a decent living in the early 1940s was a little difficult and painting houses and barns barely paid the bills. Mix accepted a position as maintenance engineer at the Commodore Hotel in Wichita making $75 per month plus an apartment.

Two babies and WWII naval service later, the couple landed in Arkansas City, KS where Mix worked as an interior decorator.

In 1954, Mix accepted a position at the Bartlesville Furniture Company as an interior designer and the family moved to Dewey. Three years later, he established his own decorating and drapery business, Creative Interiors, in a Price Tower studio and worked with well-known architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff in decorating the Price Tower. In addition, he decorated the Phillips Petroleum offices and K.S. Adams home. Then he moved the family and business to Dewey where they 22

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

opened a furniture store and continued the decorating, drapery and upholstery business.

In 1957, a life changing acceptance found Mix answering the call to pastor the Wann Methodist Church. Five years later, he became the pastor of both the Copan and Wann churches where he served both locations for 14 years. He was drawn to serving the Lord and his church family so he closed his business, attended the St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas and graduated in 1981, at 61 years of age. His education opened pastoral doors at Talihina and Tuskahoma for five years before he returned to Dewey and served as associate pastor in semi-retirement at Copan until 1993.

In 1990, Mix and Lucy celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary by renewing their wedding vows in the witness of their children, grandchildren and Copan Church family. Their children are Karyn, Pamela, Eldonna, Valorie, Van and Mix Eldon Lyda, II…one more connection to his dad’s favorite western actor, Tom Mix. After medical needs required Mix to endure nine years of dialysis, he chose to stop, ending his legacy as a loving husband, devoted father and Christian leader. Mix Lyda died May 4, 1998. He received full military rites by the James Teel American Legion Post 105 and was laid to rest in the Dewey Cemetery.

As a child Mix fled his grandmothers ministering words, words he ministered to others in his adult life…“Jesus is as close as the air we breathe.”

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Chief Gary Batton

LEADERSHIP

Bringing the Choctaw Nation Into the Future

by Abigail Singrey

Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton found his calling at the intersection of faith, family, and culture. Now he leads a nation that is 280,000 tribal members strong and provides over 170 programs to its citizens. Batton sees his role as chief as a way that he can make a difference for others.

Batton is no stranger to hard times. He grew up on his grandmother’s original allotment in rural Oklahoma, in an isolated area 15 miles down a dirt road. He was surrounded by family — grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. “When the school bus stopped, it picked up 27 of us,” Batton said.

But his childhood was interrupted first by his parents’ divorce, then his father’s debilitating accident, and then his older brother’s suicide. But these personal tragedies have provided Batton with his life’s mission. “This gave me a burning passion to help people,” Batton said. “I didn’t want to let people go through the same social ills that we did.”

Batton met and married his wife, Angie, while attending college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Batton got a job with the Choctaw Nation to support the newlyweds, not knowing that this job would lead him down a path to his life’s purpose.

Then-Chief Gregory E. Pyle recognized Batton’s leadership abilities and appointed him assistant chief in 2007. Batton’s first initiative was to find ways to help the Choctaw Nation become more economically sustainable. He developed a plan that included a $385 million gaming facility expansion in Durant, Grant, McAlester, and Stringtown, creating 700 more jobs in the area. Under his leadership, the tribal businesses saw a 69 percent increase in profitability, which has improved the economic outlook for the tribe, its members, and the surrounding communities. Batton’s success as assistant chief ensured his place as the 47th chief of the Choctaw Nation when Chief Pyle retired.

As chief, Batton focused on healthcare, housing, and culture. He’s overseen the growth of the Choctaw Nation from 6,500 employees to 12,500 employees, with a biweekly payroll of over $60 million. Last year, they built 340 homes for tribal members, and plan to build another 340 this year.

Other programs help provide jobs for Choctaw citizens.

Through the Choctaw Nation BEYOND program, Batton is ensuring that they stay on the cutting edge of technology.

The BEYOND program, a partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, allows the Choctaw Nation to operate an unmanned aircraft research and development program.

One of Batton’s accomplishments was the opening of the Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera, near the Texas-Oklahoma border in 2021. The center features a living village with stickball and dancing exhibitions. Exhibitions share the history of the Choctaw, from their creation stories to the Trail of Tears to allotments in Oklahoma. Visitors will be immersed in Choctaw culture, preserving the history for generations to come.

Batton has received recognition beyond the Choctaw Nation. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2020 and received an honorary doctorate from Austin College in 2022.

Batton also considers his family one of his greatest accomplishments. Batton and his wife reside in Clayton, Batton’s hometown. They have two children and two grandchildren.

At 55-years-old, Batton never stops thinking about the future. That’s why he and his wife established a scholarship at Southeastern Oklahoma State University for Choctaw Nation students.

“It’s really important that we build a foundation of future leaders for the Choctaw Nation,” he said.

“We’re creating a path through economic development to make sure that we can be sustainable as a tribe,” Batton said.

“This way, we can ensure that we can sustain our services, and move our focus to our history and culture.”

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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SEPTEMBER

CALENDAR

SPONSORED BY 5 7

Labor Day, No School All Day; District-wide

Washington County Free Fair

7:30 PM; Washington County Fair Grounds The Washington County Free Fair runs through Sept. 10.

8

10 13

6 PM; Timber Oak Event Venue An annual fundraiser benefitting Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma

Kan-Okla 100+ Garage Sale & Flea Market

All Day; Various locations in NE Oklahoma & SW Kansas If you like garage sales and flea markets you will love 100 miles of them. Northeast OK & Southwest Kansas. Sale runs through September 10.

CommUNITY Fest 2022

Bruin Volleyball vs Muskogee

19

Bruin Softball vs Tulsa Memorial

Music on the Lawn

22

4:30 PM (V); Bruin Fieldhouse 5:30 PM (JV); Bruin Fieldhouse 6 PM; Frank Phillips Home Enjoy live music on the lawn of the Frank Phillips Home, presented by Truity Credit Union!

Music will be provided by Ann-Janette & the Evolution: a trio featuring Ann-Janette.

Putt Putt for Paws SPCA Fundraiser

Pearls on the Prairie

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9 AM; Downtown Dewey

6:30 PM; Sooner Jr Miniature Golf Course Bring your family and friends to a fun evening of miniature golf! All proceeds will benefit the Washington County SPCA! Cost is $6 per person per game or 2 games per person for $10 when purchased at the same time or $20 for a Family of 4 for 1 round of mini golf.

9

Lead Ain’t Dead Kustom Kar Show

Bruin Softball vs Muskogee

6:30 PM; Softball Fields

5 PM; Softball Fields

15

Bruin Volleyball vs Ponca City

4 PM (FR); Bruin Fieldhouse 6 PM (JV); Bruin Fieldhouse 7 PM (V); Bruin Fieldhouse

16

Bruin Football vs Collinsville 7 PM; Custer Stadium

17

Woolaroc Fall Trail Ride 10 AM; Woolaroc The country retreat of oilman The trail ride covers approximately 15 miles of terrain that is rarely, if ever, seen by the general public.

Bruin Softball vs Stillwater

5:30 PM; Softball Fields

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Bruin Football vs Booker T Washington 7 PM; Custer Stadium

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Bruin Softball vs Broken Arrow

5:30 PM (JV); Softball Fields 7 PM (V); Softball Fields

Bruin Volleyball vs Bixby

7 PM; Softball Fieldhouse

4 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square

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Bruin Softball vs Owasso

5:30 PM (JV); Softball Fields 7 PM (V); Softball Fields

30

BHS Virtual Leaning Day All Day; District-wide 7:00pm

Bruin Football vs US Grant 7 PM; Custer Stadium

Saturdays all Month Farmers Market

8 AM; Frank Phillips Park

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

27

602 SE Washington Blvd 918-331-9956 facebook.com/cfabartlesville @cfabartlesville

KICKIN' FOR CHICKEN Football season is starting, and that means a chance for YOU to win FREE Chick-fil-A for 6 months!

Bartlesville Varsity Home Games: September 16th, September 23rd, September 30th, October 21st, November 4th

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

SEPTEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR Know of an upcoming event you would like to see on our calendar? Visit us at bartlesvillemonthly.com for a free listing!

Thu, Sep 1

10 AM

hours.

Woolaroc Animal Barn Final Weekend

Fri, Sep 2

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. One of the most popular places at Woolaroc is our Animal Barn — originally the Dairy Barn for our founder, Frank Phillips. Over the years, the barn has been home to many different animals, including rabbits, chickens, goats, and calves. The animal farm is open through Labor Day during normal park hours.

9 AM The Center Lyon Gallery 300 SE Adams Blvd.

The Bartlesville Art Association cordially invites the community to its 70th Annual Show & Sale at The Center’s Lyon Gallery. The event runs through September 23, on weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Renowned Tulsa-based multi-disciplinary artist Kalup Linzy will have his long-awaited debut solo exhibition in Oklahoma with the opening of Not Ready to Say Goodbye (Green Country Edition), a survey of his recent collages, Polaroids, and videos at Price Tower Arts Center. This shows is on view through September 3. . Since 2019, Kalup Linzy has been a Tulsa Artist Fellow, and his exhibition at Price Tower Arts Center is made possible through their generous support. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, Oklahoma Arts Council, and Price Tower Arts Center’s generous supporters.

The classes are held every Friday outside at Unity Square.

12 PM

Bartlesville Artisan Market Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd.

7 PM

Live Music with We R Called

10 AM Price Tower Arts Center 510 S Dewey Ave.

Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

This is an indoor market with fresh baked goods, coffee, home decor, clothing, soaps, live succulents, Unique homemade products, local art, and more! It is held every Friday and Saturday, from 12-4 p.m.

BAA 70th Annual Art Show & Sale

Not Ready To Say Goodbye Exhibit

9 AM

Tai Chi with Dixie

10 AM

Woolaroc Mountain Man Camp Final Weekend

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. Authentic 1840’s trader camp set up at our Mountain Man Camp. The public is welcome to visit the Mountain Man Camp at no additional charge to view the customs and lifestyles of the early day traders. Woolaroc’s Mountain Man Camp, led by brothers Wes and Roger Butcher, is a living history event that recreates the life of a fur trader in the 1840’s. The camp started out as an unpaid test run some 25 years ago and has since evolved into one of the signature pieces of Woolaroc. The camp is open through Labor Day during normal park

Get Real Ministries 411 W 14th St.

Sat, Sep 3 8 AM

Bartlesville Farmers Market Frank Phillips Park 222 SW Frank Phillips Blvd.

Featuring fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, grass-fed beef, fresh eggs, and handmade items.

Dewey Hotel Museum 801 N Delaware St., Dewey Spend an evening with the hosts at the Dewey Hotel. They will go over some of our unique histories and take a lantern guided small group tour. You will go into some of their rooms, usually blocked off access to guests. Each journey will be unique as you can never predict what our fellow specters will do on tour or what you might hear or see. The tours are held every Saturday at 8 p.m.

Mon, Sep 5

10 AM

Scott Taylor Art Exhibit Price Tower Arts Center 510 S Dewey Ave.

The exhibit will be on display through November 6 during regular Arts Center hours.

FREE CHECKING WITH BENEFITS Minimum deposit required to open a checking account.

8 PM

History & Haunts

(918) 337-3257 arvest.com/freeblue Member FDIC SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

29

EVENTS CALENDAR 6 p.m.

Johnstone Irregulars Book Club Meeting Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

The book club meets in the Literary Services Office on the 2nd floor of the library on the first Tuesday of every month.

Wed, Sep 7 9 AM

5:30 PM

Free Spanish Classes

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Free Spanish Class every Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. in Meeting Room B on the first floor of the Bartlesville Public Library. This class is free and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918-338-4179 if you have any questions.

Washington County Free Fair Washington County Fairgrounds 1109 N Delaware St., Dewey

The free fair is also open to the public on Thursday & Friday at 9 a.m. on both days.

Tue, Sep 6 10:30 AM

Zumba w/Bee

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Zumba w/ Bee is held every Tuesday at 10:30 am in Meeting Room A at the Bartlesville Public Library. This class is free and open to the public.

5 PM

ELL Conversation Class Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

These classes are held every Tuesday at 5 p.m. and every Thursday at 10 a.m.

These classes are FREE and open to the public.

3 PM

Seniors Connect: Living a Balanced Life Elder Care 1223 Swan Dr.

Are you interested in self-care? Do you want to improve your mental outlook and enjoy your life? Marilou Bork, LCSW, shares important strategies for making the most out of every day. Ages 65+.

Thu, Sep 8

Fri, Sep 9 All Day

Kan-Oka 100+ Miles of Garage Sales Various Locations Along Hwy 75 NE Oklahoma & SW Kansas

Over 100 miles of yard sales & flea markets, with everything from antique to unique, one-of-a-kind treasures. Spend the weekend having a fun filled shopping experience. Sale resumes Saturday.

6 PM

Pearls on the Prairie

Timber Oaks EVent Venue 1639 US 60 Pearls on the Prairie is an annual fundraiser benefiting Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma in Bartlesville. Join them for a fun evening of dinner, drinks, raffle packages, and music while supporting a great cause and helping them provide truly unique opportunities for the future female leaders of Bartlesville. For individual tickets and sponsorship information please go to gseok.org/pearls or contact Fund Development at 918-7455201. You must be 21 years or older to attend.

Bartlesville Falcons Model Club W 620 Dr, Copan

The International Miniature Aerobatics Club is excited to welcome everyone back to Copan for the 3rd year in a row.

This is a great host club with hot breakfast and lunch both Saturday and Sunday. Camping on site is welcome with no hookups. All IMAC classes will be flown.

Saturday: Knowns, Freestyle (daylight pending). Sunday: Unknowns. Awards 1st-3rd in all classes.

Ochelata Town Hall 149 S Ochelata St, Ochelata

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

Citizenship classes are held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 11 a.m. on the second floor of the Bartlesville Public Library in the Literacy Services office.

These classes are FREE and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918338-4179 for additional information.

6:30 PM

Putt Putt for Paws Fundraiser Sooner Jr. Miniature Golf Course Sooner Park

Bring your family and friends to a fun evening of miniature golf! All proceeds will benefit the Washington County SPCA! Cost is $6 per person per game or 2 games per person for $10 when purchased at the same time or $20 for a Family of 4 for 1 round of mini golf.

Saturday, the main part of the show will be held in front of Stray Kat Kustoms shop & Two Tall Okies. The address is 700 N Delaware in Dewey. If we need more room we have plenty of choices to accommodate the Kustoms.

3 PM

Bartlesville Pride!

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

4 PM

Halloween Poker Run Cowboys Dancehall 1424 E Tuxedo Blvd.

Live music, free swag event in memory of Austin.

Tue, Sep 13 6 PM

7 AM

3rd Annual Bill Thomas Memorial IMAC Challenge

8 AM

Free Citizenship Class

Downtown Dewey 700 N. Delaware

Sat, Sep 10

2nd Annual Harvest & Hotrods Festival 5 PM

9 AM

Lead Ain’t Dead Car Show

The 2nd Annual Harvest and Hot Rods Festival gives all an opportunity to enjoy a car show, children’s games, and vendors with us. Their goal is the continue raising funds in an effort to renovate out city park. The city park is used throughout the year by families, multiple organizations and surrounding communities. We are excited to have you with us. Classes will be by the decade, Motorcycles, Unfinished and Best in Show.

Prize drawings throughout the event for participants.

Music on the Lawn

Frank Phillips Home 1107 SE Cherokee Ave. Enjoy live music on the lawn of the Frank Phillips Home, presented by Truity Credit Union! Music will be provided by Ann-Janette & the Evolution: a trio featuring Ann-Janette Webster (keyboard/ vocals), Donn McCallister (percussion) and Mike Hough (upright bass) that blends classic jazz standards, favorite pop tunes from different eras and their own piano-driven originals. Pack a picnic, games, and your lawn chairs for this free family event! Note: Our new parking lot is located on 11th and Osage, behind the garage. Street parking is also available but please be courteous of our neighbors!

6 PM

Knit & Crochet Night

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. The free event is held in Meeting Room C on the second Tuesday of each month.

Fri, Sep 16 9 PM

Live Music with Radio Ranch Soho Club 408 E 2nd St.

“Friendly dealers, great showroom and vehicles, very accommodating. Really appreciate being called by name.” — Matt from Wichita, KS

Hwy 75 in Bartlesville • (918)333-8010 • gopatriotauto.com

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

EVENTS CALENDAR

Sat, Sep 17

Sat, Sep 24

9:30 AM

8 AM

Fall Trail Ride

35th Annual Oldies & Goodies Car Show

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. The country retreat of oilman Frank Phillips, Woolaroc is hidden away in the beauty of the rolling Osage Hills. The trail ride covers approximately 15 miles of terrain that is rarely, if ever, seen by the general public. Nothing would have pleased Mr. Phillips more than to have known that riders were enjoying his ranch doing something he loved to do... ride. It is common to see bison, elk, deer, and longhorn cattle along the trails of Woolaroc. Registration check-in time is from 7-9 a.m., and the ride begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. Lunch and rest period is from noon-1 p.m. at the front gate.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., non-riders can enjoy the main grounds of Woolaroc.

Various Locations Downtown Dewey

6 PM

Jesus Burger

Get Real Ministries 411 W 14th St. Get Real Ministries is having Jesus Burger every 3rd Saturday of the month.

Mon, Sep 19

4 PM

Registration is $25 at the show, (No Pre Registration). Proceeds will go to several local charities. Registration desk opens at 8am and closes at 11am. Enjoy a live DJ, event tee shirts, vendors, food, 50/50 pot and a salute to Veterans at noon. This is an “Open Class”, rain or shine show judged by members of our club. From the Top 20, a HIGH FIVE will be recognized. The four runners-up will receive $50 cash and the best of the High Five will receive $100 cash. The top 20 trophies, High Five, along with Mayors Choice, Police Chief’s Choice and Ladies Choice trophies will be presented at 3 pm sharp. For more information call Ken at 918-440-2677. See you there!

CommUNITY Fest 2022

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

CommUNITY Fest will be Sept. 17 from 4 pm to 10 pm, with cultural groups on the green, food trucks in the parking lot and musical groups on Unity Stage from 6 pm to 10 pm. In Early 2022, interested organizations and individuals came together to see if they could create an event that would allow our community to come together as a whole and celebrate the cultural diversity of that can be found in Bartlesville. These organizations and individuals have collaborated to bring CommUNITY Fest to our community in hopes that it will be a day of celebrating the culture that makes Bartlesville unique.

Times Vary

OLLI Lifelong Learning Classes Various Locations Bartlesville

OLLI@OSU’s local lifelong learning classes: Sept. 19 - Nov. 11. In person and Zoom. Daytime classes — learning just for the fun of it! Course catalogs at Bartlesville Public Library and Dewey libraries, banks, cafes, etc., and online: https://education.okstate.edu/ olli. Questions? Email or phone: OLLI@ okstate.edu or 405-744-5868. Visit OLLI on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/olliosu.

10 AM

5th All-Bellanca Fly-In

Bartlesville Municipal Airport 401 Wiley Post Rd.

6 PM

Cow Thieves & Outlaws Reunion

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. Join us for Woolaroc’s annual fundraiser that has been an Oklahoma favorite since 1927! Guests will enjoy an evening of food, dancing, art, and fireworks at the historic Clyde Lake. Get those boots ready for a night you don’t want to miss!

What began as a party in 1927, when Bartlesville oilman Frank Phillips played host to cowboys, socialites, thieves, bankers, and lawmen at his country estate, is now an annual tradition that preserves the history and heritage of the American West. This is the major fundraising event benefiting the Frank Phillips Foundation, the non-profit that owns and operates the 3700-acre wildlife preserve, museum, and ranch.

Weekdays Food Truck at Tower Center at Unity Square Food trucks will be available every weekday in May, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tower Center.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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ForrestManor Nursing Center “Caring is our Tradition”

C O M E V I S I T U S

THERAPY & REHABILITATION

Forrest Manor has a long track record of providing premier, skilled care for its residents. Trusted by individuals and their families to continue recovery when leaving the hospital and to enhance residents’ lives by promoting independence and safety. Forrest Manor provides rehabilitation services by caring, licensed therapists. Forrest Manor offers: • Physical Therapy

• • • • • •

• Occupational Therapy

Personalized Care Social Services Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Planned Activities Skilled Care Respite Care

• • • • • •

• Speech Therapy

SERVICES

Short & Long Term Care Hospice Senior Fitness Center Theater Room Private Party Room Elegant Private Dining Room

• Restorative Therapy

• Meals planned by a Registered Dietician • Complimentary transportation to doctors’ appointments • And much more!

1410 North Choctaw, Dewey, Oklahoma 74029

(918) 534-3355 • ForrestManorDewey.com 32

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

I Am Haunted by Waters Our Cry is All for Peace; Let it Continue

by Brent Taylor

During four years of living and working in New Jersey, where my wife was raised, the question of my roots would invariably arise given my Okie speech inflection.

When my New Jersey friends discovered that I hailed from Oklahoma, they would curiously ask, “Are there lots of Indians in Oklahoma?”

always looked upon as nothing; but we are your mothers; you are our sons. Our cry is all for peace; let it continue. This peace must last forever. Let your women’s sons be ours; our sons be yours. Let your women hear our words.” An American observer said that her speech was very moving.

(Source: www.nancyward.org).

My daughter is Native American. She has an ear tag from birth about the size of an uncooked lentil. When she was four, we were driving down Cherokee avenue in Bartlesville and her younger brother asked, “What is a Cherokee?” “A Native American tribe,” she explained and went on to announce that her ear tag was Cherokee Indian and the rest of her was Pilgrim. While my daughter did not know it, her proportion of Cherokee Indian in her DNA probably matches the scale of her ear tag to the balance of her flesh and blood.

We think about the American Woman’s Suffrage Movement of the 20th century as the leading edge of women striving for peace and respect in a paternal culture. Nanyehi was speaking out for the well-being of women long before that.

Lauren’s 7th great-grandmother was a full blood Cherokee by the name of Nanyehi, anglicized to Nancy Ward, and her husband was Kingfisher, members of the Wolf Clan.

Nancy first became prominent in Cherokee affairs during a battle with the Muskogee (Creek) Indians in 1755. The Cherokee and the Muskogee had waged a war for possession of what is now northern Georgia. The Cherokee, at first, fell back, but rallied and drove the Muskogee from their cover. The defeat was so great that the Creeks left the upper portion of Georgia and the adjacent part of Alabama and never returned. Nancy had accompanied Kingfisher to the battle. Kingfisher was killed, and Nancy picked up his rifle and continued the fight. Sometime later, she was given a title, “Ghi-ga-u” translated as “Beloved Woman.” Holders of this title had a right to speak and vote at Cherokee Councils and had supreme pardoning power; both rights Nancy used through the remainder of her life.

Nanyehi became a de facto ambassador between the Cherokee and the whites. In 1781, when the Cherokee met with an American delegation led by John Sevier to discuss American settlements along the Little Pigeon River, Nancy expressed surprise that there were no women negotiators among the Americans.

Sevier was equally appalled that such important work should be given to a woman. Nancy told him, “You know that women are

I have always loved nature and hiking on wooded trails with my son. This affinity for nature never seemed connected to my Cherokee heritage until I read about my 6th great-grandmother.

Before this investigation into my Cherokee lineage, I sensed the Cherokee blood within me as too diluted to be significant, my skin too white to hear the words of my Cherokee ancestors.

Norman Maclean writes at the end of his novella, A River Runs Through It, “...all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”

I too am haunted by waters, haunted by the raging waters of progress and civilization that carried the Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole along a trail of tears to a destination masquerading as the promised land. I’m a card carrying Native American Cherokee. But I remain, like my daughter, mostly pilgrim, born on the edge of western prairie and eastern timber in what was once called Indian Territory.

My pilgrim blood mixes uneasily with my Cherokee blood. The churning waters of Manifest Destiny and the Indian Removal Act mingle with the resounding echo of Nanyehi’s words to John Sevier, “Our cry is all for peace; let it continue. This peace must last forever.”

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

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SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

35

JEFF HALL REAL ESTATE “My commitment to service is my commitment to you!”

36 Years of Real Estate Knowledge Jeff Hall, Broker/Associate (Licensed Broker in OK and NC)

124 SE Frank Phillips Boulevard, Bartlesville, OK 74003 918.440.9199 jhall@mcgrawrealtors.com

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

Choose the team that provides physical, emotional, and spiritual support to you and your loved ones.

Locally owned and operated.

Serving the Bartlesville area for 15 years. www.comfortinghandshospice.com 918-331-0003

Sandra Brown, Administrator

Affordable apartments where you can enjoy new friends and feel right at home!

We have independent living apartments available to rent for those ages 55 or older.

All apartments are unfurnished, 1 bedroom, $850 per month and include: • • • • • • •

All utilities paid; including basic cable 24-hour emergency response Fully equipped kitchen Patio with sliding glass door Restaurant-style dining or you can have meals delivered directly to your apartment Planned activities; to include regularly scheduled happy hour Scheduled transportation for shopping

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3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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srussell@mcgrawrealtors.com

918-213-5943

Green Country Pet Cremation Service offers private pet cremation with timely return of ashes in your choice of a decorative wooden urn with an engraved nameplate. If no return of ashes is requested, the ashes will be gently scattered on a beautiful pastoral/garden property.

We are located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and gratefully serve pet owners from a wide area surrounding Bartlesville, Dewey, and Northeast Oklahoma.

For our fee schedule, please feel free to call us at any time.

918-766-3812 GCPetCremation@aol.com 38

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

Like us on

A GOOD WORD

Little Warrior

Mountains Moved for Little Scottie

by Keith McPhail

It’s 12:15 a.m. on August 10th, and I’m writing these words that have been heavy on my heart for the last year. For Christy and I raising seven kids, we knew the odds of us having grandchildren were really good. As the years went by and one by one four of our kids got married, we just knew we would have one soon.

We waited patiently and, finally, our first grandchild, Scottie, was born on November 10th, 2020. (I always smile with joy when I just say or hear her name).

Of course, this was during COVID, so we couldn’t see her very much. When we were visiting her, we told our son, James, that she looked jaundiced. We suggested he should talk to their doctor about it, and, in fact, they had already noticed her yellowness. The next week, when visiting the doctor, he told them to quit worrying because Scottie was fine. Brittany — through mother’s intuition — started researching Scottie’s symptoms and narrowing down what she might have. A few days later, James and Brittany took her to the emergency room with a high fever. The doctor told them they needed to go to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and they needed to go now! We got the phone call that no parent or grandparent wants. They told us she had to have surgery to remove her gall bladder. Scottie was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called Biliary Atresia. This is a condition in infants where the bile ducts outside and inside the liver are scarred and blocked. Bile can’t flow into the intestine, so bile builds up in the liver and damages it. The damage leads to scarring, loss of liver tissue and function, and cirrhosis.

We left immediately for Little Rock, knowing we couldn’t see her but wanted to be there for James and Brittany. Before Scottie had her surgery, Brittany and James couldn’t both be in the hospital together because of COVID, so we just tried to be the comfort and encouragement for them. With the incredible help of Marybeth, Jame’s sister, we helped find them a place to stay and get them food and supplies. No one knew how long they would be in the hospital. After surgery, this little warrior didn’t let the ordeal keep her down. When looking at her you wouldn’t have known anything was wrong except her little belly being protruded because of her swollen spleen and liver.

The road this precious child has walked down is amazing.

Our little Scottie has been poked, pricked,and prodded. She has had two major surgeries. One of those surgeries was a

full organ transplant. She’s been held down with sandbags on her little arms. She’s been where most people will never go in their lifetime ... and she hasn’t even turned two years old. This child has scars that will be with her for the rest of her life.

These scars are a reminder of the unbelievable journey she has been on and how God has touched her with His supernatural healing. They are a reminder of how God took these mountains that were in front of her and made them sand! We can not even begin to tell you that we BELIEVE with all we have that the power of prayer from thousands of our friends and people across the country was the catalyst of HIM moving! If you follow us on our personal Facebook page, you have walked this journey with us and seen the miracles that have happened in Scottie’s life. She was put on the Liver Donor list, and in three weeks there was a match.

On June 22nd, she was flown to Houston and had a six-hour surgery where she received her new liver. (Praise God!) We started posting Scottie’s updates and status and received so much support just like this community has done before when we lost our son Tyler!

You — thousands of our Prayer Warriors — came out like I have never seen before. We had people stopping us when we were out, asking about Scottie telling us that they are praying for her. To live in a community like ours that rallies around our people is amazing, humbling, and breathtaking to see. We believed in your prayers and stood on the rock of our faith and yours that God was going to see Scottie through. We have seen Hope that never ends and miracles just happen with her journey. For Lolly and Pops, we are so grateful for each of you who just whispered Scottie’s name and asked for healing.

Finally, it just breaks our heart to know that a mom and dad out there lost their whole world, and they decided unselfishly to help another child by donating their child’s organs. We know that Scottie lives today because of their love for children and their sacrifice to help another child in need.

Thank you! There will be a day that Scottie will read this story about mountains that were moved even when the sky was falling. The word impossible was never mentioned. It was always the Hope that never ends and believing in prayer and our faith in HIM! God bless…Lolly and Pops SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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NOW YOU KNOW

Lawton, Weldon & Copan Twin Cities in the Twin Territories

by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum

Prior to the Civil War, it was easier to cross the pond to Eupurely personal economic gain as all three were all stockholders rope than it was to travel to California for the “gold rush.” This in the mining company. The trio also held controlling interest in situation presented a challenge and necessitated a plan. Enter the Kansas, Oklahoma, Central & Southwestern Railroad which the Transcontinental Railroad, which was much more than laywas sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1899 ing 1,911 miles of rail track across hills and valleys, it was blasting and the Santa Fe pushed the railroad south. through mountains Where railroads and bridging rivers.

In 1908, M.J. Courtney established the Copan Leader newspaper, although planted depots, Once the railway was only copies from 1910-1919 have been preserved. towns sprang from completed, the areas the earth and when of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas established their rail the Santa Fe placed the Copan depot in 1899 that is exactly systems bringing opportunities to explore the vastly untamed what happened. There is confusion about the naming of the Cofrontiers of Indian and Oklahoma Territory. pan Depot; some say the depot was named for an ancient city in In 1898, two gentlemen from Caney, Sam Porter and Harve Honduras, while others point the name refers to ‘Cow-Pen’ for Truskett, joined forces with Jacob Bartles of Bartlesville to sethe large cattle holding stockyard in the depot area. cure a railroad from Caney, though Bartlesville, to the Horse Pen Communication was slow to develop, creating controversy Coal Pit Mining Company in Collinsville. Their intentions were between the twin territories of Indian and Oklahoma. In early

January 1900, a post office was officially appointed to the settlement of Lawton, Indian Territory with U.S. Deputy Marshall James Gibson as postmaster. Then, August 1901, a community was named after Civil War Major General Henry Ware Lawton.

Lawton, Oklahoma Territory was founded as the county seat of Comanche County and the Rock Island and Frisco Railroads expanded into Lawton O.T. where a railroad depot was established.

Perhaps this may sound like a minor complication but trouble was brewing. The railroad played an important role in the transportation of people, mail and freight. The Rock Island announced free tender for the postal department to Lawton, O.T.

40

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

NOW YOU KNOW a block east on Main Street. Among the destroyed buildings were Curd’s Drug Store, Copan Post Office, Reidell’s Drug Store, Bowersock’s Grocery, Folk and Huffman’s Meat Market, Dr. McAdoo’s Dentistry, a storeroom full of flour owned by A.L. Munger and William Anderson’s empty storeroom. The building owners held little to no insurance to cover the estimated $4,000 in damages plus merchandise replacement. Area residents worked feverishly to save mail from the post office and groceries at Bowersock’s. It was believed the suspicious fire started in the flour storeroom, and when the smoke cleared, only two business buildings remained.

and the issue erupted. Soon the Copan Depot at Lawton, I.T. was receiving thousands of misdirected packages and pieces of mail daily which overwhelmed the small Copan Depot, requiring the overflow to be sent to the Dewey Depot for holding until arrangements could be made to forward the overtaxing items to their intended destination…Lawton, O.T. The telegraph keys were pecking and special baggage agents were hired to straighten the tangled clog.

January 8, 1912 FIRE consumed all buildings on the north side of Copan’s Main Street. Beginning about 3 a.m. in the Central Hotel, the fire spread fast and overtook several buildings before the fire alarm could be sounded. Town folk sprang from their slumber to witness the eleven buildings aglow in the frigid winter morning. The largest losses were that of the G.C. Schatz Grocery and the Central Hotel. While the other buildings sustained heavy loss, most of the contents of other buildings were emptied to safety. Jess LaPrade emptied his meat market to the skating rink and continued business as usual the following day.

In offer of solution, the post office at Lawton I.T. was renamed Weldon. However, the Santa Fe Railroad protested as this name closely resembled Welda, KS, so to prevent another destination nightmare, Weldon became Copan in 1904 to match the name of the railroad depot.

Before the turn of the century, the earliest families to settle in the area were William Metcalf and Widow Lucy Kitterman.

They were joined by other firsts: G.C. Schatz, first store building with living quarters in the back; Dr. W.E. Curd, the first physician; W.A. Montgomery, first drug store; and A.L. Munger and his wife, the first bank, Bank of Copan.

In 1903, John Churchill helped lay out the township and, for his efforts, a street was named for him and his wife, Gertrude.

With a population of 350 people, Copan encompassed 37.5 acres designated by the Cherokee Nation with an additional 35 acres of the Coombs Addition annexed into the town-site making the town 72.5 total acres. Tensions were high the 19th day of December 1905 when M.J. Courtney, A.B. Sparks and W.H. Bowersock stood before the North District of the Indian Territory court at Nowata, I.T. seeking the Incorporation of Copan, I.T. By March 1906, the mayor and town council passed the first ordinance, the appointment of John Childers as the first town marshal.

Copan was located “within the oil and gas belt of Indian Territory.” The Prairie Oil and Gas Company established a tank farm with 107 oil storage tanks near Copan which brought tax revenue to fund the Copan schools. A Tent City was established to house the oilfield workers joined by four hotels: Metcalf, Turner, Central and Indiana House.

In 1906, an arsonist plagued the community of Copan.

August 30, FIRE consumed seven wooden framed buildings from the Meeker brick building to the Steffen’s brick building,

Indiana natives Sanford and Gertrude Bugh moved to Copan in 1909 and established a boarding house about 1912-13 across from Copan’s Santa Fe Depot. Greeting weary and hungry railroad travelers, the Indiana House provided room and board for $1 per day. The abundance of oil and gas in the area brought free warmth to the Indiana House during the winter. In the 1940s, Mrs. Bugh was milking cows and feeding chickens when she turned to see the Indiana House in flames. Sanford (1868-1945) and Gertrude (1871-1949) Bugh rest in Memorial Park Cemetery. ~ Thank you Toby Moreland and Dewayne Bryan. ~

Did You Know?

Among notable Copan icons: (1) The Community Water Well, just north of Copan, was a self-serve local source of cool fresh drinking water. The well was refurbished in 1938 by the depression era Works Progress Administration (WPA) allowing area residents 24 hour access, pumping as much as 2,000 gallons per day. The well was condemned and closed in the 1960s. (2) The Copan Truck Stop and Restaurant, your one-stop convenience store, gas station and most of all, reasonably priced down-home cooking with family friendly wait-staff. (3) Gone but not forgotten, Ruth’s Country Kitchen for the best chicken fried steak and homemade rolls in the land.

Now You Know * SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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Platinum Wedding Package Thursday: The staff at The Room at The Top set up your wedding on our second floor and your reception on our third floor and give the pillows a fluff in The Bridal Suite.

Up to 300 gold Chivari Chairs are available and up to 250 in mahogany, all of your chairs, tables and basic linens, black or ivory, are included in your package.

Friday: You decorate, possibly with props from our props room, bring in your own items, rehearse, relax, and have rehearsal dinner with friends. 8:00 am to midnight.

Saturday: Your vendors arrive and further decoration takes place; flowers are put out, food beautifully laid, and you are getting makeup and hair in our Bridal Suite, then your wedding on our second floor, your guests go up to three, while your photographer takes your group and individual photos, before you proceed to your formal entrance and

announcement as a couple on the 3rd floor, greeting your waiting guests. 8:00 am to midnight under the happy gaze of friends and family.

Saturday or Friday night over night in our Bridal suite included, an extra night is $250.00.

Sunday: Pick up your own decor and minor cleaning, no big messes left, and you are leisurely out of the space, 8:00 am to noon. Some prefer to do this Saturday evening. Let us know.

Total Price: $5,000.00 Additional guest rooms available on-site through your AirBnB App destination Bartlesville, The Jewel Box Hotel Apartments 1-4. Approximately $140.00 per night. Additional party space available for showers, Bridesmaids luncheons, Anniversaries and other celebrations.

CALL OR TEXT FOR A TOUR!

Johnstone-Sare Building Events And Jewel Box Hotel 918.440.6773 • www.johnstone-sare-theroomatthetop.com 42

Located in the heart of Downtown Bartlesville 100 SW Frank Phillips 2022 Blvd | Bartlesville, OK 74003 bmonthly | SEPTEMBER

As seen on: The Knot and Wedding Wire, “The Room At The Top”

LOOKING BACK

Providing for Copan Schools

by Kay Little, Little History Adventures November 19, 1876, a very important man to Copan’s history was born in West Virginia. J.C. Sheets, better known as Joe, became involved in the oil business, eventually becoming a producer.

JOE SHEETS

ALICE SHEETS

At the age of 26, Joe moved to Copan with his brother and they organized the firm of Sheets Brothers. They were some of the prominent representatives of the oil industry in Washington County. They drilled more than three hundred wells and were also involved in the lumber and agricultural businesses.

Joe then lived in Independence, Kansas for a time before moving to Bartlesville, where he married Millicent Holdren in 1904. Later that year, their only child, Alice, was born. The family lived in Bartlesville until 1905, when they moved back to Copan for Mr. Sheets to pursue his businesses. In fact, Joe was the first oilman in Copan. During his time there, he was also a bank president and school board member. In 1905, they built a beautiful home in Copan. The home was a showplace and after the family died, the community preserved it and hosted open houses.

Alice remembered as a young girl watching her father shoot wells. She even helped one of the workers find the location of a well. Her father was not happy when he found out, thinking about how she could have placed herself in danger of the nitroglycerin.

Schools were very important to the Sheets family. In 1908, the family donated 2.56 acres to the school district to build their first brick school building, for grades 1-12. By 1919, the school had grown and needed another building, so the family donated another 5.38 acres. They also donated land so the school could build some homes for faculty.

After Joe died in 1922 at the age of 48, Alice and her mother took over the family business. In 1955, Alice and her

mother donated more land to the school for an athletic field as a memorial to Mr. Sheets. In the fall of 1967, the Copan Schools celebrated a Homecoming win and the dedication of the athletic field being named Sheets Field, in honor of this very benevolent family. After all, if it was not for the Sheets family, there would not be a school in that location.

The donation of land for the schools did not end in 1955. In 1956, mother and daughter donated more land for a vocational agriculture building. After Mrs. Sheets died, Alice donated more land for future buildings. With all these donations, the family made only one specification; that the land be used exclusively for school activities.

“Mr. Sheets recognized his duties and obligations to his fellow men and was quick to extend a helping hand where assistance was needed.” The same could be said of his wife and daughter. The city and schools of Copan are blessed to have had the Sheets family in their lives.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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EXPLORE HAN DS- ON LEARN I NG

NOW ENROLLING SHORT TERM PROGRAMS

Short Course Programs Our short course programs are designed for those interested in a new career path or earning advanced certifications. These programs range from one to five days per week with schedule options including daytime and evening courses. We offer Basic Phlebotomy, Certified Medication Aide, and Certified Nurse Aide.

Also, our short course programs don’t have an application process. Register online, and you’re enrolled! If you have any questions about our programs, the enrollment process, or financial assistance, contact Randall, our Outreach & Enrollment Specialist, at Randall.Jones@TriCountyTech.edu or 918.331.3269.

PROGRAM

DATES

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ENROLL

Basic Phlebotomy

9.13.22 - 10.5.22

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$269

9.6.22

Certified Nurse Aide

10.17.22 - 11.11.22

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10.10.22

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10.25.22 - 11.16.22

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4:00pm - 9:00pm

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10.18.22

Certified Nurse Aide

11.15.22 - 2.23.23

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$799

11.8.22

Start your healthcare career! TriCountyTech.edu/Adult 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918.331.3333 | EnrichingLives@TriCountyTech.edu

44

There will be no discrimination in the technology center because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender expression or identity, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information in its programs, services, activities and employment. The following individual is designated to handle inquiries regarding the technology center’s non-discrimination policies, including Title IX: Tara Stevens, Director of HR & Compliance Officer | 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918-331-3248 | Tara.Stevens@TriCountyTech.edu. According to the State of Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act, registered sex offenders must self-disclose their status before admissions. View our privacy policy: TriCountyTech.edu/Privacy-Policy.

View our full| non-discrimination bmonthly SEPTEMBER 2022 policy: Bit.ly/NonDiscrimination-Policy. Title IX Training provided by: OSSBA Workshop Resources: Bit.ly/TitleIX-Policy.

FROM THE HEART

A Few Notes for Students

Be You, but Don’t Miss Truly Seeing Those Around You

by Lori Kroh Fall is around the corner and the school year is back in swing. I love Bartlesville when the leaves turn, Friday nights and the stadium lights and Saturdays have garage sales to spend the mornings with coffee in hand.

ed to speak to them and have them weep at my wisdom, yet I just sat there and smiled.

I got to see a pep rally for the 9th graders during Bruin Camp and it sure did bring back memories. I looked around and wondered if they knew these years can be the most formative and that your life flows from the friends around you.

I jot out a few notes and feel compelled to share, just in case my son is at Eggbert’s and wants to learn a thing or two from his Mom.

This is their journey and it’s a rite of passage.

Those halls form you, and yet you do not have to conform.

As the drums banged in rhythm and the pom poms were in unison, it seemed like nothing had changed although it was 35 years ago for me.

I think the first thing to recognize is that you are one person among many. You can be an individual with opinions, yet no need to be a knucklehead. Use manners. Respect those above you and around you. Finding your voice does not mean stifling others. Be you, yet don’t be a you that is so self-absorbed you miss ob-

I started to laugh as I remembered what we wore and the music choices and how everything was such a big deal to us at that age.

serving others.

The biggest difference from my days at high school compared to now is that anything is magnified on social media and everything is seen by someone. I would hate to have my content then for the world to see. I spent a lot of time TP-ing houses and even more hanging out with friends. I spent every cent at Shane’s games and Godfather’s Pizza, and my weekends doing chores in order to buy the latest cassette. I loved Thomas Dolby, MTV, and anything Pretty in Pink. We ruined the atmosphere with Aussie Spray and perms from a box were on purpose. We had one movie theater and the phone cord was stretched thin to give privacy when needed.

Look around, and when you do — see if anyone needs a friend. Look at people and see their eyes. Say hi and also, smiling never hurts. Pay attention to the ones who need attention or it will cost you. If you see something, then say something. It is never wrong to ask someone how they are doing. Make sure you watch their eyes and listen to their voice and see if what you see truly matches what they say.

I looked around and saw the teens snapping moments to remember and wondered if they knew how much friends matter and if they are really content with their content?

As the band played, I watched the crowd divide into clique’s and observed the lonely become even more alone. I noticed the smiles on some faces, the fear on others, and the searching for significance on some. They are about to navigate the halls, the classes, and the cafeteria as an individual in the bigger collective.

I wanted to jump on the table, tap the microphone, and speak to them from the future. I wanted to go back and change the mistakes I made and right the wrongs of my youth. I want-

On that note of observing others, notice!

One more thing that comes to mind … don’t let what others say ruin your day. Control is all you have over yourself and you always have a choice. Many will expect more from you, so go ahead and expect more of yourself! Learn to experience fun in ways that you can look back on and not have regrets. You only have today, so don’t ever let despair rob you of another one. Always give yourself the privilege of one more day when it comes to decisions. Brave souls seek answers. Find your moral compass and stick true to North. Never shrink yourself to fit places you’ve outgrown. Most of all, learning is more than passing tests and getting the desired grade. Learning never stops in life unless you do.

Knowing yourself is a gift you give yourself for a lifetime. Being interested in others will never get boring. Be grateful for the chance to learn, the choices you have and this community that gives back more than you ever know. Learn to be content with your content and the world will know the real you.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK

by Jay Webster ​​Friends, it’s time for another installment of “What I Did on my Summer Break,” when I interview my now 10-year-old daughter, Evanjalyn. We hope your Summer was a good one.

Me: So for the at-home reading audience, can you tell everyone your name, how old you are, and how we know each other?

E: Um, my name is Evanjalyn. I’m 10 years old. And I don’t know how I’m related to this man.

Me: Right. You just recently began a new school year, what grade are you in now?

E: Umm, I’m in 5th grade.

Me: So, I think that makes you an upper-class man at your school. Have you considered making this your last year of school? I mean next year you’d be in 6th grade which would put you back at the bottom in Middle School. But right now you 48

bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

could finish on top.

E: Uhhh. Well, I think it’s kind of cool being able to be at the top and then going straight down to the bottom cause it kinda gives you a few chances to do it, I guess.

Me: OK…well…that’s one way of looking at it. So, obviously if you’ve just started a new school year, that means you’ve just completed a Summer Break. How was your break overall?

E: Ummm, it was pretty gooooood.

Me: OK, tell readers at home what you did.

E: Oh wow. That’s a lot. Okay, so first we just ended school.

Big party. Woo-Hoo. Yay! Okey, we’re done. Then I had a weekend break and then I had to go straight to rehearsals for Mary Poppins Jr. and I played Jane in that.

Me: Who is Jane?

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK E: Um, a lot of people know her as the “Little Girl”.

Me: I see. So she’s the daughter in the family that sorta gets rescued by Mary Poppins?

E: Yes. Me: And why was it called Mary Poppins Jr.?

E: Because, it’s not the full Mary Poppins show. Um, it’s about an hour. The full Mary Poppins show is about two hours. And so they shorten the storyline down some, but it’s still really good.

Me: So you had a pretty big role in that one, how long were you in that show?

E: Um, the rehearsals for Mary Poppins were three weeks and the shows were on a Friday and Saturday…so… plus two days.

Me: Nice. Then what happened?

E: Umm, then I had a one-day break and then I went to rehearsals for SpongeBob the Musical. I was rehearsing for five weeks, so a little over a month.

Me: What part did you have?

E: Umm, I was in a lot of ensembles…So I was in the tap ensemble. I think that was my favorite ensemble. Then I was in the superseastarsavior ensemble.

Me: The what is it?

E: The Super…Sea…Star…Savior ensemble.

Me: Okay. Sure. I know at some point I saw you on roller skates. What was that?

E: Oh yeah. I was “Electric Skate Number Two”. So The Electric Skates was this kind of little rock band…umm…that interfered with Squidward’s dream to perform on the Bikini Bottom Band Shell and play for the concert…Umm…Everybody loved The Electric Skates and that was fun.

Me: So it may be surprising, but I don’t know that everyone is familiar with SpongeBob the Musical. What was the overall storyline?

E: Um…Bikini Bottom will have a volcano erupt over them and…

Me: Someone’s bottom is going to have a volcano eruption?

E: Okay, no. That sounds like you when you’re sleeping.

Me: Ha…Ha. E: Bikini Bottom is their town! So Bikini Bottom, where everyone lives, is going to have a volcano erupt over them and everyone is super freaked out. And as the story goes on they get even more crazy. In the end, all of the citizens and the fish and everybody… umm come together in the hope that the volcano will erupt over them, and then it does.

Me: So, huh…

E: Wait, sorry. They hope that the volcano won’t erupt over them and so it doesn’t erupt over them.

Me: Good. That’s a very different finish.

E: Yes… Me: Is that all you did this summer?

E: Umm, no. After that we went to Western Hills…kinda by Tahlequah…and we camped there for a few days in our Shasta trailer.

Me: What’s your favorite thing about camping?

E: Umm. I liked that I caught more fish than anyone else we met on our trip, including my dad. I caught six fish and I’m excited.

Me: Okay, so then you went to California. Whose idea was that?

E: Umm, it was my idea.

Me: I see. And what did you do in California?

E: Ummm. So we went to L.A. and we went to see the giant Sequoia trees and we went to Malibu Beach.

Me: Did you see any Hollywood stuff at all?

E: Yes. We went down Hollywood Blvd. That was pretty cool.

LA is not what I thought it was. It was just sorta Hollywood Blvd and Universal and then Warner Brothers Studio and everything like that. So, it’s very touristy. I wouldn’t want to live there. You know? But it was still fun. I really liked seeing the Friends set.

Me: Your parents let you watch Friends?

E: Kind of. I might do it a little secretly sometimes. I was on the plane and I didn’t really like the movies my Dad downloaded for me. Kind of boring…no offense. But I could watch Friends on the Southwest website. And so I watched that… like… the whole way there and then I had a headache.

Me: Was there anything surprising about Warner Brother’s Studio? Did it take away any of the magic?

E: Okay, yes. That’s the point though. Because it’s like so cool but then you think - I’m sad now because all my favorite movie illusions are like revealed and it’s kinda sad. And disappointing.

They did have a lot of cool stuff. It’s kinda hard to explain. But it was kinda like Disney a little bit because you’re like - Oh, this is so cool. I enjoy this. I love it. Whaaaaat a gift shop? I didn’t know this was coming.

Me: So you came home from your amazing parent-purchased vacation. Did your summer break feel the right length this year?

E: Yes. It felt a little long. I jammed-packed it. I kinda just needed a couple of days for relaxing. It was kinda like when you pack it up so much and then you get a little free time you don’t know what to do, so it’s a little annoying.

Me: Yes. E: So you know like you could have a calm summer or a super busy summer but there’s not a lot in between.

Me: Anything else you wanna say about your summer break?

E: Umm… Me: If this is the part where you want to brag on your parents for being so cool for taking you places and doing all this stuff, that’s fine.

E: Umm… Me: Well, I guess we better leave it there. Anything else you wanna say to the at-home-reading audience?

E: Uh, thanks for reading this.

Me: See ya, friends. Thanks for reading this.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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Bartlesville Art Association’s 70th Annual

Art Show and Sale August 26 - September 23, 2022

SHOW JUDGE

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Lyon Gallery at Bartlesville Community Center

Michelle Rigdon Kathleen & Richard Rutledge Senator Julie & Charlie Daniels John & Dayna Rathman Anonymous Jarrett Cowden Joe & Jennifer Haner Mark & Debbie Haskell Amy & Jim Jenkins Jane Kirkpatrick Bruce & Debbie Krebbs Steve & Diane Leroux Marilyn Minter Bill Riley Realtor Steve & Jana Russell Dave & Mary Alice Sigmon

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bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

MEAN SCREENS.

Is screen time helping or hurting?

FAMILY WORKSHOP Cyberbullying & Generation Screen

Presented by Jonathan McKee, author of over two dozen books, including Parenting Generation Screen Jonathan will present knowledge that NO ONE else is covering. He will talk about cyberbullying and other issues as they pertain to the overall problem of screen time.

September 15, 2022 6:00pm Meal Provided 6:30pm – 8:00pm Presentation HeartMatters 3401 Price Road Bartlesville, OK 74006 $10 / person

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In this Cyberbullying presentation, you’ll learn: · The two numbers that affect the physical safety and mental health of today’s kids more than anything else: number of friends and number of followers. · The pressure that those numbers are creating, what the experts are saying about that, and how young people’s desire to boost those numbers, when combined with an increase in screen access, makes them accept ANY friends, creating vulnerabilities to cyberbullying, predators, etc. · How to recognize predatory behavior. · How to prevent cyberbullying.

Safeguarding Young Hearts & Minds

918-336-9151 • 3401 Price Rd. • Bartlesville, OK 74006 • HeartMatters-OK.org SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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Friends of NRA

LOCAL EVENTS

30th Annual Friends of NRA Banquet Set for October 1

by Jay Hastings The Northeastern Oklahoma Chapter of Friends of NRA is having its annual banquet including dinner, games, and a raffle on Saturday, October 1, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. in Dewey. Vice Chairman Chris Roberts is organizing the event and said the main goal is to have fun while also raising money for FNRA programs.

Roberts explained that while growing up, some of his fondest memories include his parents teaching him a variety of life skills — just one of which happened to be the responsible handling of firearms. Roberts says it concerns him many children today are not taught such lessons in responsibility by their parents or other involved adults.

Friends of NRA supports several organizations that teach firearm responsibility and skills to local youth. Firearm safety is of primary focus and one of the first things taught when being introduced to a firearms course. In Oklahoma, there are FFA and 4-H chapters, Boy Scout troops, secondary schools, and universities that offer related introduction and instruction through activities, including skeet rifle courses. FNRA endeavors to help support such organizations by supplying much-needed equipment.

Additionally, the FNRA is a primary funding source for the School Shield grant program, available to all accredited non-profit, public, private, and parochial K-12 programs. The program acknowledges school and student safety requires a multi-faceted approach, and affords a variety of opportunities, including the training of law enforcement agencies on conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments and the funding of school projects and activities toward the creation or enhancement of safer learning environments, all focused on best practices in school security.

Friends of NRA has been hosting banquets for over 18 years. Roberts said he has helped with the last four, locally, and has seen noteworthy growth each year.

Included in this year’s event will be a live auction with several one-of-akind items up for bid. A custom silver engraved Cimarron 1886 Yellow Boy .45 Colt rifle and a Trentman Ranch Edition .357 Magnum revolv-

er are just a couple of items to be included in the live auction.

Other available items include custom-made corn hole boards, jewelry, gun safe, custom buckle, and more.

The banquet will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds, where doors will open at 5:30pm. Advance tickets are available for $25, or can be purchased at the door for $30, and include dinner. Children’s tickets are $10. You can contact Roberts, through Facebook at NE OK-26 Friends of NRA, or visit the website friendsofnra.org events page to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome, so get your tickets to enjoy the fun and fellowship, all while helping to support a good cause.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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Broadway in

Bartlesville!

2022-2023 Season

Single & Season Tickets on Sale Now!

Sunday, S unday, unda day, November Nov ov ve ember 113 13, 3, 20 2 2022 022 22

On Your Feet!

Saturday, F Saturday, February ebruary 4 4,, 2 2023 023

Chicago

Thursday, M Thursday, March arch 116, 6, 2 2023 023

Madagascar, The Musical

STOMP

Monday, A Monday, April pril 3 3,, 2 2023 02 3

Thursday, JJune Thursday, une 115, 5, 2 2023 023

Dates ess a and d ti time times mes su subje ubj bjje ectt tto o ch change chang h ge ge. ows wss m may ayy co contain llangua g age age ge o or adult ult situa situatio situ situations. tua tuat atttio 60 Shows bmonthly | SEPTEMBER 2022

918.337.2787 www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Center: Celebrating 40 Years of Arts, Events, & Community “For 40 years, we have been honored to serve Bartlesville as “the center” for arts, events, and community,” said Val Callaghan, managing director of the The Center and Unity Square.

“Weʼve hosted weddings, productions, art exhibits, and everything in-between. On behalf of the Bartlesville Community Center staff and Trust Authority, we cannot thank our patrons enough for celebrating this RUBY anniversary year with us.

Our community has contributed by making donations; sponsoring seats; attending Forever Young last spring; and coming out to Unity Square for Sizzlin’ Summer Series events during the summer. As we approach the last quarter of this calendar year, we invite our supporters to help us continue to build up The Center by making a year-end-donation, or sponsoring a seat.”

This year also marks 20 years of The Center’s Broadway in Bartlesville! series. Thanks to the vision of past executive director, Patricia Smith, the Broadway in Bartlesville! series became a reality in 2002. Since then, it has become a beloved and longstanding tradition in Bartlesville. What better way to support arts, events, and community in our city than to purchase season or single tickets to this amazing line up:

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, Rated PG

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is the ultimate tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The elevated concert experience brings a community together with timeless music that speaks to the complicated human condition, honoring the impassioned and transcendent music of one of America’s most beloved singer-songwriters. Rejoice while you are taken on an intimate musical odyssey guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat and dancing! The production journeys through Aretha Franklin’s courageous life of love, tragedy, and triumph starring a live band, supreme vocalists, and a night full of music by one of the greatest artists of all time.

On Your Feet! – Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, Rated PG-13

On Your Feet! Is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent – and each other – to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical, winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike. This crowd-pleasing show features songs like “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Get On Your Feet,” Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3” and “Coming Out of the Dark.” Prepare to be on your feet from start to finish!

Chicago – Thursday, March 16, 2023, PG-13+

There’s never been a better time to experience Chicago, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy®, thousands of standing ovations and now the #1 longest-running American Musical in Broadway history. Chicago

has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, one show-stopping song after another, and the most astonishing dancing you have ever seen.

STOMP – Monday, April 3, 2023, Rated PG

STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and utterly unique — an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered armfuls of awards and rave reviews and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments — matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps — to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse-pounding, electrifying show. As the Boston Globe says, “If you haven’t seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!” STOMP. See what all the noise is about.

Madagascar the Musical – Thursday, June 15, 2023, Rated PG

Join Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria as they bound out of the zoo and onto the stage in this live musical spectacular.

This smash hit musical features all your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This brand-new musical from Dreamworks (Shrek The Musical) will leave audiences with no choice but to “Move It, Move It!” Single tickets go on sale this month and range from $30 $75. Season tickets range from $115 to $345. Season subscriptions include all five shows in the line-up and save subscribers between $30 and $35.

For more information or to purchase season tickets, call The Center box office at 918-337-2787. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and evenings and weekends during scheduled concerts and events. The Center is located at 300 SE Adams Blvd., in Downtown Bartlesville. You can learn more at www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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LET FREEDOM RING

Great Galveston Hurricane Storm One of the Worst Weather-Related Disasters in U.S.

by Jay Hastings

Galveston is an island consisting of a 29-mile-long strip of land off the Texas coast, approximately 50 miles southwest of Houston.

The city of Galveston was established in 1839, and was named after the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Galvez. The island was first visited byFrench and Spanish explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries, and by the late 19th century was considered a boom town. Tragically, however, the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on September 8th of that year, and is considered to be the worst weather-related natural disaster in U.S. history. At the time, Galveston was the fourth largest city in Texas by population and had weathered storms before — but not QUITE like this.

Galveston was filled with vacationers at the time of the Great Hurricane, and no real forecasting technology existed.

On September 4, 1900, the Weather Bureau—39’s Galveston office began receiving warnings from the Bureau-39’s central office in Washington, D.C., that a tropical disturbance had moved north over Cuba. The Bureau discouraged use of words like “hurricane” and “tornado” to avoid creating panic and, to be fair, forecasters at that time had no real way of predicting a storm-39’s trajectory. Moreover, due to lingering tensions following the Spanish-American War, Weather Bureau Director Willis Moore had implemented a policy to block telegraph reports from Cuban meteorologists at the Belen Observatory in Havana. Moore also changed protocol to force local Weather Bureau offices to seek authorization from the central office before issuing storm warnings.

Weather Bureau forecasters believed the storm in 1900 had begun a northward curve into Florida and would eventually turn northeastward to move over the Atlantic, resulting in the issuing of a storm warning in Florida on September 5, 1900. Additional warnings were issued the following day further north, up the eastern coast. At the time, the Belen Observatory in Havana was considered one of the most advanced meteorological institutions in the world, and Cuban forecasters adamantly disagreed with the U.S. Weather Bureau, saying the hurricane would continue west into the gulf. One Cuban forecaster even predicted the hurricane would continue into central Texas near San Antonio.

On the morning of September 8, 1900, large swells persist-

ed despite only partly cloudy skies.

Because of generally unremarkable weather, few Galveston Island residents saw cause for concern. Some evacuated across Galveston-39’s bridges to the mainland, but the majority of the population remained unconcerned by the rain clouds that rolled in mid-morning. At that time, the Weather Bureau did issue warnings for the island, directing people to move to higher ground.

The Great Galveston hurricane made landfall later that day, with estimated wind speeds of 140mph.

A storm of its strength would be considered a Category Four using today’s Saffir–Simpson scale. The highest point in the city was less than nine feet above sea level.

The hurricane brought with it a storm surge of over 15 feet that washed over the entire island, and dropped nine inches of rain in Galveston that same day, setting a record for the most rainfall in a 24-hour period.

The hurricane resulted in a death toll of between 6,000 and 12,000 people, and can be attributed at least in part to the fact officials with the Weather Bureau brushed off available reports and, therefore, did not realize the significance of the threat. Storm damage was estimated to be more than $30 million in Galveston County. Galveston Island was effectively obliterated; bridges and railroads connecting to the mainland were destroyed.

The hurricane occurred before the practice of assigning names to tropical storms was instituted, and thus has been referred to by a variety of names since its occurrence. The storm is now most generally known as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900; however, in older documents and publications is simply referred to as the Galveston Flood. Moving beyond Galveston, the storm continued to cause damage as it moved northward into Oklahoma, with winds near 30mph at Path of Hurricane Oklahoma City and additional damage across Missouri and other states.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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ON THE ROAD

Abandoned Steeples & Stone Padlocks, Pure Hearts, and the Secret Sauce

by Kelly Bland Maybe it wasn’t just the purple suit and white shoes he wore that stuck with me … Maybe it was the fact that he would show up at my parent’s home — uninvited — on a weekday every week around the noon hour and bring a few of his friends with him … to have a church service in the bedroom where my dad lay bedridden — dying of cancer.

Or maybe it was that for a good part of when I knew him, he couldn’t read and would have his wife stand up and read the Bible out loud to the congregation as he would preach through the passages. Imagine with me if you would an illiterate black man way back in the day, believing he was called by God to preach — and doing so with such passion and fervency it was a wonder that the pews didn’t catch on fire! His name was Brother Hodge and he lived in the back of his one-room church house on the “other side of the tracks” in Haskell, Texas – but impacted my life in a small town just 22 miles north.

He was black. I was white. It didn’t matter. To him, the church wasn’t just a building — it was the people. But the way Brother Hodge did church changed lives and affected communities. Why, at his funeral, there was a line wrapping around the outer walls of the church just waiting their turn to take the mic and tell how their lives had been impacted by his.

Last week a friend of mine was up along the tallgrass prairie working on the pipeline and he came across a couple of old, one-room church houses — steeples standing tall — yet with only cobweb congregations. Smiling pastors were now replaced with silver padlocks.

Remember when churches were always unlocked? When a sanctuary was actually a place of sanctuary and you could go there and pray any day, any hour? When I see abandoned, locked churches my mind goes to the people who used to sit on hard-backed pews in the days before air conditioning. You know, the ones who pulled together to get the funds to build a building where they could meet — and those weren’t just any buildings. They’ve stood the test of time — well-built, the old-fashioned way.

Can you imagine hauling in lumber by wagon and quarrying rocks to build a church?

Not to mention the windows…

And it makes me wonder — would we even think it would be worth it today? Would we

make the effort, invest the sweat, and cover the cost to build something spiritual that would stand the test of time? Would we consider building a church a worthwhile investment?

You know, I think Brother Hodge had the secret sauce to successful church building. It wasn’t about the stained glass and carpet. It was about the windows to the soul and the footprints in the sand. His church building in Haskell, Texas isn’t there anymore. Bulldozers have long since torn it down and buried its remnants — but the church he invested in is still growing and going — because while “this is the church, and this is the steeple…” Brother Hodge knew the church was really all about the people — and I bet the Oklahoma/Kansas prairie pastors of the now silent steeples and stone did too…

This is a good part of America we’re living in these days. #ThisIsMyStory #ThisIsMySong SEPTEMBER 2022 | bmonthly

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