Beckham County Oklahoma History

Beckham County, Oklahoma History

Carter is located at the intersection of State Highways 34 and 55 in southeastern Beckham County. In 1906 Pentecostals founded the town, which was initially named Beulah. Later the community became known as Carter, honoring William G. Carter, a prominent early-day resident. The town was originally located in southern Roger Mills County before Beckham County was created at 1907 statehood. In 1909 two cotton gins, a blacksmith shop, and a general store served the surrounding agricultural area. The community continued to develop after the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway (later the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway) built its line through Carter, connecting it with Elk City and Frederick in 1910. Outbound shipments soon included grains and cotton. Nine years later Carter also had a grain elevator, a flour mill, and a bank. By 1919 the Baptist, Methodist, and Christian churches had been organized. That year George W. Cain was publishing the weekly newspaper, the Carter Express, which was printed between 1910 and 1935. By the 1930s the town supported four gins and two automobile garages. Residents attended six Protestant churches, two of which were Pentecostal Holiness. Fourteen teachers taught the children in a brick school building. In 1910, three years after statehood, Carter had a population of 265. It climbed to 389 in 1920 and peaked at 642 in 1930. For the next four decades it gradually declined from 535 in 1940 to 311 in 1970. The population rose slightly to 367 in 1980, only to decline to 254 in 2000. At the turn of the twenty-first century Carter served as a "bedroom" community for 96.2 percent of its workers who commuted to Sayre and Elk City for employment. The Edwards Archaeological Site (NR 73001554), located near Carter, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In January 1977 Carter received widespread acclaim by stamp and souvenir collectors who wanted the town's post office cancellation on their memorabilia commemorating Pres. Jimmy Carter's inauguration. In September 2002 Carter public schools closed due to a reassignment of school district boundaries. Students transferred to schools in Sayre, Elk City, Merritt, Sentinel, and Lone Wolf. A gas station built of cobblestones in the early 1920s continued as a local point of interest.

Elk City lies along Elk Creek in the northeastern corner of Beckham County, eighteen miles northeast of Sayre, the county seat. Before the town's founding in 1901, cattle drives from Texas to Kansas followed the Western Trail through the area. The town was surveyed and platted on March 18, 1901. Two days later the Choctaw Townsite and Improvement Company sold town lots. A post office known as Busch was established on March 18, 1901. Because Busch was similar to another post office name, it was renamed Elk City on July 20, 1907. Originally, Elk City was located in southern Roger Mills County before Beckham County was created at 1907 statehood. Developing as an agricultural trade center, Elk City had four banks, four cotton gins, and a cotton oil mill by 1909. The construction of the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad line (after 1902 the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) and the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway (later the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad) lines in 1901 and 1910, respectively, connected Elk City with outside markets for its broomcorn, cotton, corn, and livestock. Early on residents organized Adventist, Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, and United Brethren churches. On October 11, 1915, Elk City's Carnegie Library opened with Elizabeth Keen serving as the first librarian. By 1918 Elk City also had a cotton compress, an ice plant, two broom factories, and two flour mills. The short-lived Elk City Junior College was open from 1924 to 1925. In the 1930s nine cotton gins were operating. Residents found employment at six machine shops, a creamery, two ice plants, a meat packing plant, and a mattress factory. In August 1931 the Community Hospital opened as one of the first cooperative hospitals in Oklahoma. Before the advent of health insurance, Dr. Michael A. Shadid originated the idea of a cooperative hospital to help local farmers afford medical care. After paying fifty dollars for one share of stock in the hospital, each stockholder paid twenty-five dollars a year for free medical treatment for their immediate family. During the 1930s two Oklahoma-based retail outlets, an Anthony store and a T.G.&Y. store, opened in Elk City. By the mid-1940s the town had two parks, two golf courses, and a swimming pool. On November 24, 1947, Shell Oil Company brought in a producing oil well that furthered Elk City's economic development. Elk City's first official census indicated 2,195 citizens in 1907. Three years later the population increased to 3,165, but it declined to 2,814 in 1920. A dramatic jump to 5,666 occurred by 1930, followed by a slight downturn in 1940 to 5,021. Discovery of oil in the mid-1940s caused the population to increase to 7,962 in 1950. During the latter part of the twentieth century the population fluctuated between a low of 7,323 in 1970 and a high of 10,510 in 2000. At the turn of the twenty-first century Elk City had a council-manager form of government. Residents supported two school systems that included grades prekindergarten through high school. An eighty-four-bed Great Plains Regional Medical Center, a municipal airport, and the Elk City Daily News served the community. The town hosted the annual Rodeo of Champions in September. Other local attractions included the Anadarko Basin Museum of Natural History and the Old Town Museum Complex, which included the National Route 66 Museum. The Casa Grande Hotel (NR 95000043), the Hedlund Motor Company building (NR 83002072), the Storm House (NR 83004162), and the Whited Grist Mill (NR 76001554) were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Miss America 1981 Susan Powell and songwriter James "Jimmy" Webb hail from Elk City.

Six miles from the Oklahoma-Texas border, Erick was named in honor of Beeks Erick, the townsite developer and president of the Choctaw Townsite and Improvement Company. A post office established at this place on February 8, 1900, was originally known as Dennis. However, the post office name was changed to Erick on November 16, 1901, and the town incorporated that year. The community developed along the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad line (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) built in 1902. Until Beckham County was created at 1907 statehood, Erick was located in northern Greer County. By 1909 travelers who stayed at the Hotel Crescent found a bustling community with thirteen general stores, two hardware stores, several cotton gins, blacksmith shops, a livery, a harness shop, and a lumber store. Food commodities could be purchased at five meat markets, several grocery stores, a bakery, and a confectionary. The town supported two banks and two weekly newspapers, the Beckham County Democrat and the Erick Altruist. Residents had organized Baptist, Christian, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. In the 1930s local farmers supported Erick's six cotton gins and a high-density cotton compress. Six residents worked at the ice factory, and twenty-two teachers taught 956 students. In the first half of the twentieth century several entrepreneurs were manufacturing salt from the nearby salt springs. In the mid-1940s the town continued as an agricultural support center with the addition of a mattress factory. Town amenities included a city park, a swimming pool, and a library. At 1907 statehood Erick had a population of 686. It continued to climb to 915 in 1910 and 971 in 1920. The oil boom during the 1920s caused the population to peak at 2,231 in 1930. From 1940 to 1970 it declined from 1,591 to 1,285. Population rebounded to 1,375 in 1980 due to renewed oil and gas drilling. At the turn of the twenty-first century Erick had 1,023 residents and an aldermanic form of government. Song writers Roger Miller and Sheb (Shelby) Wooley, who hailed from Erick, had streets named in their honor.

The small, incorporated community of Texola is situated on Interstate Highway 40, one mile east of the Oklahoma-Texas border. Located in western Beckham County, it is twenty-one miles south and west of Sayre, the county seat. Before being named Texola, the townsite had been called Texokla and Texoma. Reuben H. Grimes served as the first postmaster when a post office was established on December 12, 1901. Originally, Texola was located in northern Greer County before Beckham County was created at 1907 statehood. Texola developed along the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad line (later owned by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) built through the town in 1902. By 1909 the local agricultural area supported Texola's two cotton gins and its corn and grist mill. The economy sustained a bank, several general stores, a hardware store, a meat market, a blacksmith shop, and a livery. The weekly Texola Herald was established in 1902 and continued to be published circa 1921. Residents had organized Baptist, Christian, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. Travelers received accommodations at three hotels and two restaurants. By the 1930s cotton production had increased, necessitating two additional cotton gins. Town amenities included a ten-acre park and an auditorium seating three hundred. Texola's population peaked at 581 in 1930. In 1910 and 1920 the census reported 361 and 298 citizens, respectively. After 1930 the population declined every decade from 337 in 1940 to 45 in 1990. At the turn of the twenty-first century Texola had 47 residents and served as a "bedroom" community.