History of Rogers Mills County Oklahoma

Roger Mills County, Oklahoma History

Angora - Located six miles west of Leedey, a post office from February 10, 1902 to April 30, 1914. No longer in existence. The Brethren in Christ Church and Cemetery are located at this site.

Brantly - Located ten miles southwest of Leedey. A post office from May 25, 1901 to April 30, 1914. No longer in existence.

Carpenter -Located eight miles north of Elk City. A post office from March 19, 1901 to February 29, 1942. Named for local rancher, Benjamin Carpenter. No longer in existence.

Cheyenne, the county seat of Roger Mills County, is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 283 and State Highway 47. Situated in the former Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation, the area was opened to non-Indian settlers with the land opening on April 19, 1892. Named for the Cheyenne tribe, the townsite was surveyed and designated by a federal judge as the county seat of F County (became Roger Mills County in 1907). The town sprang up overnight with three city blocks of businesses housed in tents, shacks, and dugouts. Within the first year, Cheyenne took on the appearance of a permanent town, with a school, a bank, newspaper, saloon, hotel, courthouse, post office, and various stores. Located on the south side of the Washita River the community is approximately one mile east of the location where Lt. Col. George Custer's Seventh Cavalry attacked the camp of Peace Chief Black Kettle at dawn on November 27, 1868. At 1907 statehood Cheyenne's population stood at 288 and rose to 468 in 1910. The town incorporated on January 4, 1909. Circa 1912 the townspeople raised the money and provided the labor to build a short line between Cheyenne and Strong City, the terminus of the Clinton and Oklahoma Western Railway. On February 14, 1914, the first train left Cheyenne. Principal outbound shipments were livestock, cotton, broomcorn, grain, and hay. The community grew and population numbers climbed to 826 in 1930, 1,070 in 1940, and 1,133 in 1950. Cheyenne became a trade center for most of Roger Mills County and the Texas counties bordering on the west. The population briefly surged to 1,207 in 1980 but dwindled to 948 in 1990 and to 778 at the turn of the twenty-first century. Nevertheless, Cheyenne's economy and the surrounding area have remained strong due to the vigorous ranching and farming industries, to tourism, and to the production of fossil fuels. During the 1970s Cheyenne and the surrounding area began to reap the benefits of natural gas production in one of the nation's largest-volume gas fields. The mid-1980s saw a temporary decline in production, but resurgence began at the turn of the twenty-first century and continued to boost western Oklahoma's economy. Tourism has become a significant part of the economy due in part to the Washita Battlefield historic site, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR 66000633) in 1966, and to the beauty of the natural environment in the more than thirty thousand acres of public lands comprising the Black Kettle National Grassland. That area is open to hiking, wildlife viewing, hunting, and fishing. Local land owners supplement their incomes by providing lodging at hunting camps, guiding hunting parties, and offering other services to sports enthusiasts who visit the area seasonally to avail themselves of the extensive Rio Grande turkey, bobwhite quail, dove, and deer populations. Recognizing this source of economic benefit, Cheyenne, in cooperation with the county commissioners, encourages and assists the development of amenities that supplement tourism and capitalize on local cultural heritage events and attractions. Cheyenne's arts community is represented by several galleries in town and the surrounding area. Pioneer history is displayed in a collection of small museums in the City Park, including a one-room school house, a small chapel, a military veterans memorial exhibit, a wax figure exhibit, and a variety of historical exhibits showcasing colorful and historic local personalities and locally produced arts and crafts. Cheyenne is also renowned for its Old Settlers Reunion held every five years to celebrate the 1892 land opening. The Black Kettle Museum in Cheyenne is dedicated to depicting the story of the Battle of the Washita and to honoring the area's American Indian heritage. At the turn of the twenty-first century the public school system, the Minnie R. Slief Memorial Library, the Cheyenne Star newspaper, and the Mignon Laird Municipal Airport continued to serve the community.

THE TOWN OF GRAND WAS FORMED SHORTLY AFTER THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO RESERVATION AREA WAS OPENED FOR SETTLEMENT IN 1892. FROM 1896 TO 1906, GRAND WAS THE COUNTY SEAT OF DAY COUNTY. AFTER STATEHOOD IN 1907, DAY COUNTY WAS SPLIT INTO ELLIS COUNTY AND ROGER MILLS COUNTY. GRAND BECAME PART OF ELLIS COUNTY. AN ELECTION TO MOVE THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT TO NEARBY ARNETT RESULTED IN THE RAPID DECLINE OF THE TOWN OF GRAND. WITH NO RAIL SERVICE AND NO LONGER THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, GRAND FADED INTO A GHOST TOWN. ONLY THE REMAINS OF A FEW BUILDINGS CAN BE SEEN TODAY. AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS A COURTHOUSE, A JAIL, TWO SALOONS, SEVERAL STORES AND OTHER BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS HOMES FOR THE TOWNS APPROXIMATELY 200 RESIDENTS. LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER 6/5/72.

Hammon lies on State Highway 33 and sixteen miles east of the county seat of Cheyenne. Named for Indian Agent James H. Hammon, the community is a melding of two cultures. After the passage of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 the Cheyenne and Arapaho received 160-acre allotments. The most notable allotment, located adjacent to the north side of town, belonged to Chief White Shield. Until the 1960s many Cheyenne lived there communally in what was known as "White Shield Camp" or "Old Camp." Non-Indian settlers came to the area to establish homes and businesses during the Cheyenne-Arapaho land opening on April 19, 1892. After the land opening, James Hammon was sent to the Red Moon Agency, near the future site of Hammon, to build a reservation school and to teach the Cheyenne and Arapaho to farm. The Red Moon Agency was a subagency of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Agency at Darlington, north of Fort Reno. Hammon's wife, Ida M. Hammon, was postmaster when a post office was established in their home on June 30, 1894. The town originally lay within Custer County. However, when the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railroad (later the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway) laid their track in 1910, the community moved west into Roger Mills County to be near the railroad. On May 22, 1911, the board of county commissioners met and accepted the report of the Hammon election board requesting incorporation of the town. Hammon prospered for the next twenty-five to thirty years as a trade center for the surrounding ranching and farming communities. However, like many western towns, the droughts of the 1930s and the Great Depression took their toll on the local economy. The town also experienced a tragedy in spring 1934, when fourteen inches of rain fell within five hours, resulting in a flood that caused the death of seventeen townspeople. The first federal census for Hammon reported 440 residents in 1920. Numbers rose to 736 and 705 in 1930 and 1940, respectively. The population declined to 621 in 1950 and 677 in 1970. Although the thriving Main Street businesses have dwindled, the economy supported a population of 469 in 2000 through its farming and ranching industries and the production of oil and gas. The 2000 population of Hammon was almost 40 percent American Indian, most of whom were descendants of Peace Chief Black Kettle's band who were attacked by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer on November 27, 1868, near present day Cheyenne on the Washita River. At the turn of the twenty-first century Hammon citizens maintained an independent kindergarten-through-grade-twelve public school system, an emergency medical team and ambulance service, a volunteer fire department, a senior citizen center, and an active city government, including its own municipal court and police department.

Reydon is surrounded by thousands of acres of Black Kettle National Grassland and tall drilling rigs in the gas-rich Anadarko Basin. The town was established in 1928 after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built its line along Rush Creek two miles north of the town of Rankin. When the railroad purchased land from local farmers and laid out a townsite, Rankin merchants moved to the new town. Because the railroad already had a town named Rankin on its line in Texas, the new community was called Reydon for one of the Chicago railroad executives. However, historian George Shirk asserts that the town's name came from Reydon, Suffolk County, England. When the Reydon post office was established on October 1, 1929, James L. Hines served as the first postmaster. Soon Reydon had four lumber companies, a Chevrolet dealership, and a hospital. Other town amenities included a variety store, a millinery shop, a bakery, a butcher shop, and two hotels. Two cotton gins, a hammer mill that ground wheat and corn, and produce buyers served the farmers. Residents organized five churches and benefited from a weekly newspaper, a telephone system, and a school built by the Works Progress Administration, one of the New Deal programs in the 1930s. In 1930 the population stood at 216. It rose to 311 in 1940 and peaked at 331 in 1950. At the turn of the twenty-first century Reydon had 177 inhabitants. Townspeople maintained a kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade school system, a post office, a city hall and fire station, an emergency medical and ambulance service, a senior citizen facility, and an American Legion hall. A cafe and a convenience store at the edge of town served tourists, hunters, and oil-field service workers who traversed State Highway 30. However, because very few businesses existed in Reydon, most trade was conducted in Cheyenne, the county seat, and other larger towns. In December 2002 Reydon was featured on the front page of the New York Times in an article illustrating the plight of dwindling small towns of the Great Plains.

ROLL had a post office from December 9, 1903 to August 31, 1920, so it was an official “town” for 17 years. Although buildings and residences still exist, the town of ROLL is now found on Oklahoma’s list of “ghost towns”. The 1905 census shows 15 people in ROLL. The town was in Day County, and at statehood in 1907, it was in Roger Mills County. Located in the Black Kettle National Grassland area, ROGER MILLS County was created from Cheyenne-Arapaho Lands. Named by vote of the people of the county, most of whom were recent emigrants from Texas, of which state Roger Q. Mills was then United States Senator. No ROLLs were found in the Day County 1900 census records, nor were there any ROLL wills or probates. The County Clerk's office did not list any ROLLs owning land

Strong City is located on State Highway 33 approximately five miles northeast of the county seat of Cheyenne. The town was established near the Washita River in 1912, twenty years after the area was opened to non-Indian settlement during the Cheyenne-Arapaho Opening. Formal town opening ceremonies were held on June 25, 1912. Named for Clint Strong, a railroad official and entrepreneur instrumental in the town's organization, Strong City became the terminus of a rail line built by the Clinton and Oklahoma Western Railway (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway). The rail reached the community in early August 1912. James P. Johnson served as the first postmaster when a post office was established on September 26, 1912. Within a year it had a population of approximately 600, making it the largest town in the county. Strong City prospered as a trade center. Principle outbound shipments included broomcorn and hogs. By mid-1913 it boasted a bank organized by townspeople, two grocery stores, two drugstores, two restaurants, two dry goods stores, three lumberyards, and two grain elevators. It also had a movie theater, a Ford garage, a hotel, and several churches. The Strong City Herald, a weekly newspaper, first appeared on August 1, 1912. During its history it was known throughout the state, because its editor supported the Socialist Party in Oklahoma. S. W. Hill, one of the few Socialist Party members ever elected to the Oklahoma legislature, hailed from the Strong City area. However, growth and prosperity were short-lived. Extension of the rail line to Cheyenne and eventually into the Texas Panhandle caused the trade to shift to the west. By 1915 the glory days had almost passed. In the 1930s the Great Depression as well as natural disasters caused an exodus of inhabitants. Between 1920 and 1950 the population dwindled from 350 to 107, respectively. In 1956 the last school in Strong City closed, and on April 3, 1981, the post office ceased operation. Although John W. Morris lists Strong City in his book, Ghost Towns of Oklahoma, it continues as an incorporated community. .

Sweetwater was established on September 27, 1894 and was named after the Sweetwater Creek which was nearby. This town is one of the smaller towns and has the smallest school system of the state.