Meno Coop	This is the Eck Oil Company, Ringwood, Oklahoma. circa 1940's

Ames is situated on County Roads E0530/N2700. Originally part of the Cherokee Outlet, the area attracted settlers during the land opening of September 16, 1893. Between 1900 and 1901 the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railroad (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) constructed a line from Blackwell (Kay County) to Darrow (Blaine County) that passed through the community. Formerly named Hoyle for the nearby creek, the town was renamed Ames for railroad official Henry S. Ames on January 4, 1902. Ames expanded twice, once in 1909 with the Mayberry addition and again in 1929 with the Broomfield addition. By 1918 the town had a population of approximately three hundred. It supported two banks, two grain mills, two general stores, a weekly newspaper, a hotel, a theater, a pharmacy, and a hardware store. By the mid-1940s and 1950s Ames had a grain elevator, a machine shop, gasoline stations, and grocery/meat markets. A notable feature of Ames is the three large downtown murals painted on the sides of buildings. One mural depicts the first town meeting, and the other two offer views of Main Street. Ames is also the home of what geologists call the Ames Structure, a circular depression surrounded by a ridge and buried under three thousand meters of sediment. The feature lies approximately two miles north of town. The structure's origin is unknown, but evidence suggests it resulted from a meteorite impact, volcanic activity, and other natural geological processes. The site supports significant oil and gas production and at one time had as many as sixty-five wells in production. The first federal census for Ames reported 278 residents in 1920. Population peaked at 332 in 1940. In 2000 Ames had 199 inhabitants. The economy continued to be based on grain and livestock. Of those employed, 96.2 percent commuted to work in other communities offering employment opportunities.

Cleo Springs Cleo Springs is situated one mile north of the intersection of State Highway 8 and U.S. Highway 60. Prior to 1907 statehood Cleo Springs lay within Woods County. Originally known as Cleo, a post office was established on March 21, 1894. According to legend Cleo Springs was named for Cle-oh-i-to-mo, an American Indian maiden, who resided in the area when Coronado traversed through the region in 1541. Also, the springs supposedly had curative powers. The first issue of the Cleo Eagle-Chief newspaper appeared on March 1, 1894, approximately five months after the Cherokee Outlet land opening. On May 15, 1901, Cleo Springs residents voted to incorporate by a vote of 65 to 6. In 1902 the Choctaw Northern Railroad (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) came through Cleo Springs when a line was built from Geary (Blaine County) to the Kansas-Oklahoma border. One year later the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) constructed a line from the Kansas-Oklahoma border to Fairview, which passed through one mile west of Cleo Springs. By 1909 Cleo Springs was a thriving agricultural center with a mill and an elevator, several harness makers, and blacksmiths. Two banks (Cleo State Bank and the Farmers' State Bank), an opera house, and a weekly newspaper served the citizenry. Settlers organized four churches, the Christian, the Church of Christ, the Friends, and the Methodist. In the mid-1940s and 1950s Cleo Springs had numerous blacksmiths, grocery/meat markets, gasoline stations, and automobile repair garages. The Cleo State Bank continued to serve the community. Located approximately four miles north of Cleo Springs and just north of the Major-Alfalfa county line, the Cleo Springs Sod House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR 70000526). At 1907 statehood Cleo Springs had 405 citizens. By 1920 the population declined to 377. Numbers rose slightly to 386 in 1940 but declined to a low of 236 in 1960. Population peaked in 1980 at 514. At the turn of the twenty-first century the town had 326 residents and 95.5 percent of those employed commuted to Fairview and other job centers.

Fairview, the county seat of Major County, is located at the junction of State Highway 8 and State Highway 58/U.S. Highway 60. Fairview was settled following the Cherokee Outlet land opening on September 16, 1893. Prior to 1907 statehood and the establishment of Major County, the town was situated in Woods County. Adam J. Bower, an early settler, named the town Fairview because of its scenic location in the Cimarron River valley east of the Glass (Gloss) Mountains. Bower and his sons constructed a frame building in which a post office was established on April 18, 1894. Clifford D. Bower, a son, served as the first postmaster. In 1903 the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway (KC, M&O, later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) built a line from the Kansas-Oklahoma border to Fairview. On August 20, 1903, residents celebrated the arrival of the first train. By 1908 the KC, M&O maintained machine shops, a round house, and a division point in that community. At 1907 statehood Fairview was designated as the county seat, and it became the permanent county seat after an election held on December 22, 1908. Competing against three other communities, Fairview received 1,794 votes compared to Cleo Springs's 461 votes, Orienta's 419, and Ringwood's 287. On September 7, 1909, Fairview became a first class city by a vote of 179 for and 42 against. County commissioners rented office space until 1908-1909, when a two-story, brick courthouse was constructed. A larger, stone courthouse was erected in 1928 at a cost of $77,495. In 1984 the Major County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NR 84003153).  Fairview merchants initiated their first trade day in April 1908. In September that year the town hosted the first Major County Fair. In March 1908 the school system employed 6 teachers and enrolled 246 students. A white brick school building was situated in the center of town. In May 1908 Fairview had the only high school in Major County. Three banks, two cotton gins, a flour mill, and a grain elevator served the community in 1909. By that time settlers had organized the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal churches and a library. Early newspapers included the Fairview Leader and the Fairview Republican. Nine years later citizens supported a third newspaper, the Fairview Enterprise. Fairview had typical businesses such as general stores, hardware stores, liveries, and a blacksmith. In the early 1930s the town had a cotton gin, two creameries, two elevators, three grain companies, a flour mill, and a meat distribution plant. In the late 1930s the Champlin Refining Company and the Sinclair Refining Company as well as four petroleum companies operated in Fairview. In the mid-1940s and 1950s the Fairview State Bank and the Farmers and Merchants Bank offered financial services. Beginning in the 1972-73 school year, the Fairview campus of the Northwest Technology Center offered classes. At 1907 statehood Fairview had 887 residents. Population increased to 2,020 in 1910, but declined to 1,751 in 1920. Numbers rose to 2,411 in 1950 and 2,894 in 1970. In 1980 the population peaked at 3,370. Since 1980 the numbers have declined to 2,936 reported in 1990 and 2,733 in 2000. At the turn of the twenty-first century Fairview had a council/manager form of town government. A school system offered grades prekindergarten through twelve. The Fairview City Library, the Fairview Republican newspaper, the Northwest Technology Center, and the municipal airport continued to serve the citizenry. The Major County Historical Society Museum preserved local history.

Meno is situated fifteen miles west of Enid on U.S. Highway 412. Settled after the Cherokee Outlet Opening on September 16, 1893, Meno lay within Woods County until 1907 statehood. Mennonites came to the area and organized the New Hopedale Mennonite Church. In Oklahoma Place Names historian George Shirk asserts that the town is named for Dutch theologian Menno Simons. The second "n" was dropped inadvertently when town application papers were completed by the town's founders. A post office was established on October 19, 1899, with Jacob A. Wedel serving as the first postmaster. Between 1901 and 1902 the Enid and Anadarko Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) built a line connecting Enid (Garfield County) and Greenfield (Blaine County) that passed through Meno. The first federal census for Meno reported 69 inhabitants in 1910. By 1918 the agricultural trade center had a bank, a flour mill, two creameries, and two grain elevators. Population climbed to 180 in 1940 but fell to 76 in 1950. In the 1940s and 1950s the Meno Guaranty Bank as well as a grain elevator, gasoline stations, and grocery/meat markets served the community. At the turn of the twenty-first century Meno, with a population of 195, served as a "bedroom" community for the 98.8 percent of those employed who commuted to work to Enid and other job centers.

Ringwood is situated at the junction of U.S. Highway 412 and State Highway 58. The area around Ringwood was settled following the Cherokee Outlet Opening on September 16, 1893. Before Major County was created at 1907 statehood, Ringwood lay within Woods County. John Daniel Branham, the first postmaster, selected the name Ringwood for the town, because the townsite was ringed by woods from the northwest to the southeast. He submitted the name, and the post office opened on March 23, 1894. Although the first church building, which housed a Friends Church (Quaker), was erected in 1898, the town's first organized church, a Presbyterian church, began meeting in the home of Rev. C. B. Parkhurst in 1895. In 1959 Elder Zella Veatch accepted the Rural Church of Distinction Award from the Synod of the Sun (comprised of Presbyterians in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) on behalf of the congregation. As in other towns in Major County, transportation and communication services had an impact on economic development. In 1901 the Enid and Anadarko Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) brought rail service through Ringwood, which resulted in a surge in the population of the town and surrounding area from a few families to about three hundred individuals. In 1905 W. L. Miller established a telephone exchange over barbed wire that served four customers. By 1913 the service had grown to include thirteen lines of multiple parties. Agricultural products, cattle, and petroleum have all been important to Ringwood's development. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Vernon Black Creamery was significant to the economy as was the local grain elevator. In 1952 the Warren Petroleum Corporation opened their Ringwood plant, and by 1961 it was the largest single employer in the county outside the county seat of Fairview. Long-time residents continue to recall the "Black Sunday" dust storms of April 14, 1935. In addition to frequent spring flooding, these natural disasters shaped both the landscape and character of the settlers. Ringwood is also well known in the region as a producer of top quality watermelons. The local fair, known as the Watermelon Festival, features a Watermelon Queen and promotes other local produce. At 1907 statehood Ringwood had 225 residents. Numbers rose to 271 in 1910, but fell to 265 in 1930. After reaching 331 in 1950, the population dropped below 300 until 1980 when it reached 389. In 2000 Ringwood had 424 inhabitants and a school system offering prekindergarten through high school. Of those employed 92.9 percent commuted to work in Enid and other job centers. D. G. Harned, a Democrat from Ringwood, served at the 1906 Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.

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