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The Anadarko Daily News 
Saturday, August 5, 1933 

REPORTER FINDS MANY PIONEERS OF OTHER DAYS ON ORIGINAL SITES 

Pfaff Hardware Is Still Operated On Original Location 

by Mayme Gilmore 

Anadarko, celebrating her thirty-second birthday tomorrow, August 
6, yet has with her many citizens who were on hand when the town 
came into being in 1901. These men and women have helped build a 
thriving city where there was nothing to begin with except a corn 
field, a depot and a section house, owned by the Rock Island 
railway. 

Lieut. Col. James F. Randlett was asked to choose the town site 
when the Kiowa - Comanche lands were opened to settlement, 
divided and made into counties. This place was designated as the 
county seat of Caddo, before Col. Randlett even selected it. 

Named Nah-dar-ko for a band of Caddoan Indians who once had a 
village about five miles up the river from this place, the name 
happened to be misspelled in a record which was sent into the 
government office, and it was officially listed as Anadarko. 

Lots were auctioned off at the court house site, then a corn 
field like the rest of the town site. An estimated 5,000 people 
flocked in to make open bids on the lots or to ply their various 
trades among prospective buyers. A city of tents, dubbed rag 
town" had grown up on the edge of the townsite. Each buyer was 
only allowed one lot. Wooden shacks were put up for homes. later 
being replaced by sturdier frame buildings, and Anadarko, O.T., 
was one of the west's towns. 

Rev. J.J. Methvin is one of the best known of the pioneers. On 
opening day he had already been in this country doing missionary 
work among the Indians for fourteen years, coming from Georgia. 

Dr. Charles R. Hume, now retired, with Mrs. Hume came out from 
Michigan as agency doctor of the tribes in 1890. He was the first 
medical society. He is the oldest president of the county medical 
society. He is the oldest surgeon in the Rock Island system. 

A.E. Baldwin was here two years before the opening. He was agent 
for the Rock Island, the lne from Chickasha to Mangum being built 
two years before. that from here to Watonga, built the year he 
came. Mr. Baldwin recalls that he and his family, consisting of 
Mrs. Baldwin and three children, lived in the depot for lack of 
any other house. And that before the opening the office used only 
one helper here, adding 60 in a week after because of the immense 
amount of freight shipments made necessary. 

Karl Douglass, druggest, now spending most of his time in 
Colorado, set up business as soon as he could get a house built 
after the opening. He has changed the location of his business 
only once since that time, still being on Main street. 

B.H. Hammert came to the new country from Eudora, Kansas for the 
opening of Anadarko to settlement, buying a lot on West Main and 
setting up his grocery store and meat market. He has moved his 
shop only once, one block east of his first stand. In 30 days he 
had his home built on what is now 403 West Washington, sent for 
his wife and six children and has lived there ever since. 

Out of the 20-odd hardware stores opened within a month after the 
town began, the firm, originally Pfaff and Sons, is the only one 
still in business. The Pfaff family came here on opening day from 
Edmond, built a frame building and set up business where the 
Rexall drug store now stands. John Pfaff was recently deceased, 
Fred Pfaff of Dallas and John Pfaff jr., now carrying on the 
business, were members. 

A. Youngheim, clothing store owner, lived in Kansas before coming 
to Anadarko opening day. The Youngheim store was opened for 
business August 28 in a building opposite the present court house 
square on the north side. He has moved to three other buildings, 
all on Broadway, during this time. 

Mrs. Ough Graham grew impatient for the town lots to be sold. 
Waiting three months in Chickasha before the opening day. Mr. 
Graham bought one of the first lots sold, where the First State 
Bank now stands. Selling it soon after, he bought another on Main 
Street where he is still in business. Mr. Graham helped build the 
first brick building in the town on Broadway. 

Robert L. Boake, owner of the A.B.C. grocery store, came here in 
1893, as an Indian Trader and has been continuously in business 
since, until his retirement from active management some time ago. 

W.A. Butterfield came up from Texas to work in the store of Mr. 
Boake, his uncle, in 1900, one year before opening. 

Levi Ogle, retired merchant, was present in what is now Anadarko, 
Kiowa, Comanche and Wichita health officer in Caddo county and on 
the opening date. 

Mrs. Millia Kemp packed her household goods and grocery store 
stock in Junction City, Kansas and with her husband, now 
deceased, was here two days before August 6. The Kemps bought a 
lot and built a house in which Mrs. Kemp still lives on West 
Main. Their grocery store was in the front of the house, stock 
being moved from room to room as the carpenters finished up. 

Frank G. Ward set up his first Anadarko jewelry store in a tent 
immediately after the townsite was opened. 

And the story of the progress of the city and country has made is 
known to most of us. There are others no doubt, here and still 
living, who had a part in the early day history of Anadarko and 
Caddo county. If you are a pioneer jot down some of your early 
day experiences. The other old-timers will be delighted to read 
of them and the younger generation and later inhabitants will 
find them interesting also. 

AUGUST 6, is ANNIVERSARY of ANADARKO OPENING 

Brief History Given Here of Removal of Indian Tribes to This 
Section and Settlement of Lands 

by Judge C. Ross Hume 

August 6th, 1965, is a long time to look forward to, yet when we 
look back thirty-two years to August 6th, 1901, when the Kiowa-
Comanche and Wichita Reservation was thrown open to settlement, 
it is or at least seems, a short while ago. 

In 1855 the Leased District was leased from the Choctaws and 
Chickasaws for the purpose of settling the Wichitas and other 
friendly Indians between the Red River and the Canadian and 
between the 98th and 100th Meridians. 

In 1859 the Caddos, Tonkawas, Tawaconies, Keechis, and others who 
were known as Texas Reserve Indians were brought to this 
immediate vicinity and affiiated with them. An Agency was 
established north and east of Washita and troops settled at Ft. 
Cobb protect them. 

When the Civil War began the Indians went north or east and did 
not return until about 1868 or 69. After their return an Agency 
for the Wichitas was established north of the river, and for the 
Kiowas and Comanches at Ft. Sill. The two reservations were 
established and later combined in 1878. 

When Oklahoma was opened to settlement in 1889, these lands were 
seen across the Canadian, and from Greer county on the west. 
Later in 1891 the Cheyenne Reservation was opened, and then 
settlers were along the entire northern and western border. 
Across the Red River the Texans could see their lands, and 
agitation continued until the Government sent a Commission to 
enter into treaty for the surplus lands. 

On June 6th, 1900, the Congress ratified the treaties and 
directed that the allotment be completed within six months. The 
work was slow, and the funds were exhausted before the time 
expired. At the opening of Congress in December, 1900, another 
appropriation was made to complete the allotment and to open the 
lands in eight months which expired Aug. 6th, 1901. 

Later the lottery plan was adopted to select claims instead of 
the races that had featured each prior opening. 

On August 6th also the sale of town lots in Anadarko began. The 
law provided that from the proceeds of that sale, a court house 
and jail should be built, school houses for the city, certain 
municipal improvements and the expense of the county government 
for 12 months until tax machinery would pay this expense, should 
be paid. 

Most of those who came were in their prime, but 32 years added 
have brought them into old age, and another generation has 
arisen, born and reared here to whom those events are only 
history. 

We have progressed rapidly and accomplished in 32 years what 
older states have taken a century to do. 
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The Anadarko Daily News Monday, August 7, 1933 

OLD TIMER IS LOOKING BACK ON OLD DAYS 

W.D. Hargraves, writing a column in the El Reno Tribune, signed 
the Tramp, was here Saturday and wrote the following story on his 
impressions of Anadarko at the opening. 
-------------- 
It seems like a dream to recall 30 years ago, when we first saw 
Anadarko. It was partially a tent town, with a new people-
citizenship that had come west from the hopes of either finding a 
home, or making a fortune, and to our way of thinking at the 
time, most of the people were in the latter class. Of course 
there were no paved streets at that time, and it persisted in 
raining rather often, and perhaps you will not believe me, but I 
happened to have seen teams mire up along Main Street. 

It was a real western boom town, and all the habits and customs 
of that day crowded themselves into its daily program. 

One of the attractions of that time to the writer was the 
Indians, and we spent lots of time watching their habits. There 
were at that time some pretty good church organizations here; but 
the houses were crude. 

Only time has done for this feature of any city, what had to come 
and we note today, August 5, 1933, that you have some splendid 
church buildings, and a real school. Your city of the great state 
population, homes are equal to those of any. The old dirt streets 
have given way to modern paved streets, and these are bordered 
with beautiful trees, shrubery and other things that would 
indicate a modern civilization. 

We remember when the citizens of your city conceived the idea of 
a dam across the Washita, and really saw some of the first work 
of their effort in that line. Last evening we had the pleasure of 
seeing that immense plant at work furnishing lights and power for 
many of the homes and industries of the city. We saw the park 
when it was a wild thicket with no touch of art added to it, and 
never even dreamed that it could be converted into one of the 
beauty spots of the state. Its modern, clean and attractive, and 
a thing that we are sure that you are proud of. 

Some Memories: One night when we had taken rooms at the best 
hotel in the city, and had a very peaceable nights rest, we were 
awakened early in the morning with a drunken, shooting fight in 
the saloon connected with the hotel, and of course we arose and 
went down to see what had happened. This was a common occurance 
in most parts of the state at that early date. This August the 
fifth, we were awakened about same hour, but how different. It 
was the prayers and shouts of a sturdy devoted congregation of 
Christians. Can you imagine the effect of thirty years of 
civilization on any community? Can you imagine the difference of 
thirty years citizenship? Can you imagine the effect of your 
churches and schools on the condition of society? Well its here 
and the hopes and ambitions of the early settlers who came here 
to build a new country, new homes and to raise a family have been 
realized. Instead of wildwest days we have the very best that 
modern society requires. You have a good town and a good 
citizenship, and its interesting to note the evolution that time 
as wrought. 

THE TRAMP