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1894 — Population was 2,000.
Two churches were built, the Presbyterian and the Methodist.
The first electric lights in the Cherokee Strip were turned on in Ponca
City.
By the first anniversary of the town, three schools had been built.
A steam flour mill was operating and milling 100 barrels per day.
A contract had been let for the water works.
The early citizens of Ponca City made every effort to convince Santa Fe
to build a station at Ponca City, but the railroad officials refused.
There was already a depot in Cross and that's where the train stopped.
Rivalry between Ponca City and Cross was intense and many hard feelings
developed. The citizens of Cross were rude to the people from Ponca City
when they went there to board the trains and many altercations resulted.
Every trick known was used to persuade the railroad officials to change
their minds. With the help of some men of the territorial legislature,
Santa Fe finally relented and, in September 1894, the railroad
authorized the rails to be cut, a spur put in and a boxcar depot placed
just south of the Grand Avenue railroad crossing on the east side of the
tracks.
There is a story that the first boxcar station in Ponca City was
"obtained" one dark night by some civic boosters who pulled it from
Cross with their horses, and set it next to the tracks.
Everyone in town prepared to celebrate the first day that the train
stopped in Ponca. Small cards were printed with the proud boast: "The
trains stop here just the same as at Chicago. Come and see us when you
can." As souvenirs for the men on the train, a complimentary cigar was
attached to the card, and the ladies received a bouquet of wildflowers,
with the card. Two boys and two girls met the first train and handed out
the souvenirs to the passengers. The significance of this event was so
unusual that the Associated Press published it in newspapers all over
the United States.
The closest post office was in Cross, and the citizens had to pay a
carrier to deliver the mail from Cross to Ponca City. The people of
Ponca City realized that they needed their own Post Office, not only so
they could receive their mail earlier, but also because of the economic
impact. Some citizens did travel to Cross for their mail, and would buy
their groceries and supplies while they were there.
One of the main stumbling blocks was the name ... Ponca City. The Indian
agency south of town had a post office known as Ponca Post Office. The
U.S. Government preferred the use of a prefix when any part of the name
was already an existing office. So the Ponca City Board of Trade decided
to apply for a post office to be called New Ponca Post Office. A
petition with over 500 names was carried to Washington, D.C. Citizens
learned of the approval and gathered downtown for an impromptu
celebration. The band played and "every man in town" started shooting
off his gun. Every store in town piled boxes in the middle of Grand
Avenue to create a blaze of glory.
The Ponca City Courier reported on the successful venture. "If the
friends or the enemies of Ponca City ... beg pardon, New Ponca ... think
she is sleeping, they are mistaken. She is right up and coming and will
win the balance of her fight just as certainly as she has won the
preliminary skirmish. As to the name, while the post office will be New
Ponca, the town will doubtless continue to be known as Ponca City and
mail addressed in that way will reach its destination just as well."
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing