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1893 — Many people who made the famous land run became famous in their
own right as they helped build Ponca City.
J.W. Lynch staked his land claim on the southwest quarter of what would
become Ponca City.
Afterwards, he went back to his native Texas to settle some business
affairs. When he returned to Ponca a few weeks later, Lynch discovered
his claim had been laid off into town lots that were dotted with tents,
houses, and even some business buildings. Instead of opposing those who
had settled on his claim, Lynch set about to complete his title to the
land and then transferred the whole quarter section of the claim to the
Ponca City Land and Development Company to be deeded to the settlers at
the bare costs of securing titles to their lots. Jim Lynch named his
section of deeded land "Lynchville."
William H. Vanselous came from Kansas, and originally staked a claim
near Enid, but sold it to his brother Tom for a horse. On his way back
to Kansas, he found a claim south of Blackwell, liked it and bought it.
His first year, he planted thirty acres of onions while others were
mostly planting corn. He made very good profits, selling his onions all
over the area. Bill and his wife, Viola, had four children: Beulah,
Grace, Kay (named after Kay County), and Okla., born in 1907, the year
Oklahoma became a state.
Robert Maxwell and Lee McCord started a small flourmill in 1893. This
mill was one of the main anchors of early-day Ponca City. The original
facility consisted of a small wooden shanty with minimum equipment and
only five employees. Upon its completion, a celebration was held for the
townspeople. A long rope was tied to the whistle atop the mill, and the
citizens lined up to take turns blowing the whistle. The first sack of
flour was ground on April 4, 1894, and that night, the merchants of
Ponca City held a banquet in honor of the mill owners. The first sack of
flour was put up for auction and was purchased by Mayor B.S. Barnes for
$150.
Oscar F. Keck left his wife in Colorado and came to Arkansas City for
the land run. He boarded a train in Arkansas City, and jumped off at the
present site of Ponca City while the train was traveling 25 miles per
hour. He soon staked his claim and, since there was no one else around,
Keck held the title of "Ponca City's first citizen." When the Ponca
Townsite Company held the drawing for city lots, Oscar Keck drew the lot
now known as 210 North Sixth Street. He built a small two-room
structure, the first house built in town.
Keck opened a carpenter shop in a tent and was soon hired by the
Townsite Company to build a school building. The early days in Ponca
City were very wild and dangerous. Cowboys would get drunk and start
shooting up the town. When they rode past Keck's "tent shop," the
workmen had to hide under their work tables to protect themselves from
the flying bullets.
Richard Hudson came to the opening of the Cherokee Outlet with a group
of citizens from Michigan.
After the run, he received a business lot and
two town lots. He opened the Midway Saloon, which apparently did a
thriving business. Located on the corner of Third Street and Grand
Avenue, it was referred to as a "Lallapoloosa" style of architecture.
Hudson built it himself out of tropical plants and pitch pine.
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing