Volume 8 , Issue 18

Duchess Corner

We have heard from a few Oakes descendants this week. We may be receiving a photo of Mabel Oakes one of these days.

This is for those Oakes & Miller descendants out there who have asked who we are and how we came about the Old Opera House Mystery of 1910. We got curious in this 1910 murder at the "Old Opera House" in Alva, Oklahoma when we were investigating the northwest Oklahoma court archives.

We understand that back in 1910 things of this sort were discouraged of being talked about amongst families. Perhaps less said back then of the sins of the family, would soon be forgotten so they could get on with the rest of their lives.

9 November 1910 turned out to be a very dark day in history for this northwest part of the newly formed state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma & Indian Territory had only merged into the State of Oklahoma three years early, September 16, 1907.

Maybe remembering and reviewing the past is not such a bad thing, though. Have you ever heard the saying that goes something like this, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

In other words, is it necessary to remember the past in order to avoid repeating it? BUT... that does not seem sufficient, does it? One can remember the past and still repeat it if one is unable to apply its message to the present. Don't you think?

What Santayana should have said was, "Those who cannot remember the past, decipher its message, and apply it to the present, are condemned to repeat the past."

BUT... This seems rather less appealing from a literary point of view, doesn't it? We know that a good aphorism must be brief, but the truth is rarely brief. Knowledge of history won't save us. What we need to know is the "meaning of history." Are historians capable of delivering the meaning of history?

Our intent in publishing these 1910 and 1911 transcripts of the famous "Old Opera House Murder" is NOT to drudge up old, unpleasant memories for the descendants families involved, but maybe give those an avenue to finding the "meaning" -- understanding "Why" & "What" happened way back "When."
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