Volume 11 , Issue 21

Pringey, OK

New Pringey, WW Co., OK -- Have you ever heard of the town of Pringey, in northwest Oklahoma? It is located on Section 9-T25-R18WIM, in Woodward County, about 14 miles northwest of Quinlan. A post office was extablished in Pringey from May 18, 1901 to May 31, 1914.

To get to NEW Pringey today you would travel South of Freedom, Oklahoma on Highway 50 -- across the Cimarron River -- pass the Albaster Caverns a few miles -- turn East onto a dirt/gravel road (E0200N) that takes you through some gorgeous, hilly ranch country in northwest corner of Woodward county, Oklahoma.

The Burkhart's still maintain a home at what they call "NEW Pringey, Oklahoma," which is about 3/4 miles West of where OLD Pringey, Oklahoma once stood.

Why is this NW Okie interested in Pringey, Oklahoma?

The reason I am looking for information about Pringey, Oklahoma is because around 1905 and 1906 my grandmother, Constance Estella Warwick, was receiving her mail through the post office at Pringey, in Oklahoma Territory (O.T.).

I wrote to some friends that have a home located at "New Pringey" in Woodward county to find out information about the original Pringey, Oklahoma. This is what they shared with me:

Alan & Lana Burkhart says, "Pringey was a little town that was 3-quarter of a mile West of where we live. It had a general store and a post office. There were a few houses. All homes and buildings were dug-outs, but the roofs had shingles on them.

"Wes Nixon's dad delivered the mail from Selman, Oklahoma to Pringey. When Alan's dad was a boy and lived where we do, he would walk to Pringey and get the mail. Alan knows that the Pringey store evidently had liquor because Alan's grandad went into the store to get a drink and the mule team ran off with grandma in the wagon!

"Alan thinks that Baker Babcock's grandad ran the general store. The Babcocks come every year during their reunion and make a trip to Pringey. Pringey was located on what is now Section 9-25-18. That land is owned by Boyd Hughes.

"In the old days when they had rural schools all over the place, there was a school 1/8 mile East of where we live -- on the first corner East of our house. It was called Golden Belt. The teachers would board with the families.

"There was also a school South of here, about 7 miles, that was called West Union. Alan's brother Merle and his sister, Lavonne, went to school there. His dad had a quarter of ground south of here. Then, he bought this place from his dad, and Merle and Lavonne went to Golden Belt.
"Constance (Warwick) could have taught at West Union. Either way, she would have gotten her mail from the Pringey Post Office.

"Hope this helps! Oh, you might check with the Freedom Museum to see if they have any records of the area rural schools and/or pictures of the students and teachers."
  |  View or Add Comments (1 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---