Volume 8 , Issue 10

The Prairies' Castle On the Hill...

The first committee selected to start the work of trying to get the Normal located at Alva, was chosen at a little meeting of citizens in Mead's Hall (lot 4, block 38, over the post office then; and over Greenlee's drug store). Following are the names: S. L. Johnson, chairman; H. L. Ross, secretary; W. F. Hatfield, editor Alva Pioneer; James Kelley, editor Alva Republican; C. C. Hudson, editor Alva Review; A. H. Andrews, then city attorney, and Jesse J. Todd, a photographer.

This committee forthwith advertised for offers of land near town for a college site. Several places were offered, but the most desirable was the due south on the hill half a mile from the center of the public square on H. C. McGrath's farm, (about two blocks east of where the Normal building stood.) The next move was a standing "PUSH" committee to go to Guthrie and assist Councilman J. P. Gandy, and Representative G. W. Vickers, S. L. Johnson, James Kelley and C. C. Hudson were the first; others went occasionally, to relieve the three first named a day or two at a time.

The old files say, "The Alva Normal bill carried by four majority in the council (Senate) and was hurried to house, but being the last day of the session required a two-thirds vote to take it up out of its regular order to reach it before the close of the session. BUT, not having a two-thirds vote the measure died under the rule."

"Johnson, Kelley and Hudson did valliant service in helping Messrs. Gandy and Vickers to carry it through."

Thus ended the 1895 fight for the college; they were licked, but not conquered.

The attention of Alva people was given to other matters until April 1, 1896, when, S. L. Johnson, J. D. Share, W. F. Hatfield, G. W. Snyder, Geo. W. Crowell, E. Rall, C. W. Hobbie, H. S. Emmerson and J. W. Maxey, had a little meeting in Mead's Hall, and talked over the matter of forming a "Commercial Club." It was agreed that everyone present solicit the attendance of the business men at a meeting to be held in Mead's Hall on the evening of April 2, to perfect the organization.

There was a good turnout April 2, and they named it the Alva Commercial Club, and decided to elect 11 directors, -- the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer to be four of the number; then the following were chosen: J. A. Stine, president; J. D. Share, vice-president; W. F. Hatfield, secretary; Geo. W. Crowell, treasurer; C. W. Bickel, H. E. Noble, Joseph Miller, C. W. Hobbie, J. G. Bittner, E. Rall, and F. E. Hatch. S. L. Johnson, on account of being postmaster, refused to accept any office in the club. The club gave its attention to general affairs until after the election in November, then plans were started for the legislature to convene in January, 1897. Geo. W. Vickers was re-elected representative of this district, and D. S. Randolph of Blaine county (then attached to this council district) was elected councilman. (Senator in the states.) It was necessary to confer with all the members-elect in the Strip and south counties.

It had been demonstrated that Old Oklahoma, because of having three years the advantage in organization, would attempt to rule everything; but only three Republicans were elected, and that somewhat demoralized the old time combine.

After January 1, 1897, the Commercial Club met nearly every night; the legislature was to meet on the 12th. The "stavers" were soon selected on account of their prompt attendance every meeting. Another "push" committee was to be sent to Guthrie to assist out members. The club chose S. L. Johnson as leader, with power to choose his own assistants, and then he selected W. F. Hatfield as his "right-hand bower."

A finance committee was put to work to secure funds to pay the expenses of the committee at Guthrie, and it was very "slim picking" those days. But enough was secured to start with in proper order and the committee went to Guthrie with our legislators.

The first thing was to get a majority (right for us) on the educational committee of both branches of the legislature, and that was done mighty quietly, for we soon discovered that the president of each body was against us. Capt. Stine, J. D. Share, G. W. Crowell, H. E. Noble, H. A. Noah, J. W. Monfort, Dr. J. D. Karr, C. W. Hobbie, E. Rall, S. B. Share, Jos Miller, Jesse J. Dunn, H. C. McGrath, F. M. Cowgill, W. C. Douglas, and a few others, were the home-guard and nearly everyone spent more or less time at Guthrie.

Johnson and Hatfield stayed there seven weeks; the legislature was composed of populists and a few democrats, and the populists were elected on a radical reform platform; their campaign cry had been "equal rights to all, and special privileges to none," and our main task was to make the " special privileges" that the east side of the territory enjoyed, with their colleges at Norman, Edmond and Stillwater, supported with our money, over-balance the great desire of the populist members for economy. Well, we managed also to have our republican friends to speak loud at the proper time and in the proper place and assert that the populists and democrats were against education, progress, etc.

A record of all the manuvers, the fight against us by Edmond, Norman, and Stillwater, etc., would make a big book; but our bill passed the council on Feb 26th, by a vote of eight to five. Senators D. P. Marum of Woodward and Wm. Garrison of Grant County being the leaders in carrying it through. Then the Edmond fellows re-doubled their efforts to prevent the bill passing the house, introducing the bill for the Negro Normal at Langston, saying that would be enough schools in Oklahoma. Our boys lined up for it and then lambasted them for being against a school for white children 200 miles from Edmond and where it would not interfere with their school. Persistent and careful work, with unanswerable argument, won out and at 8 o'clock on the evening of March 10, 1897, the bill passed the house. Then our enemies tried to get Gov. W. C. Renfrow to not sign the bill, but our friends stood "pat" and refused to pass an appropriation bill until he did sign it, and it was signed about midnight, close of the session, March 12.

Then came the election to vote $5000 bonds of Alva Township in aid of the college, as the bill provided for. It was held on May 18, 1897, and there were 251 votes for and 20 against it. There were then as now a few old soreheads and kickers against every progressive move of the "pushers."

The matter of letting the contract for the construction of the building was the next thing. Gov. Cassius M. Barnes had by this time succeeded Gov. Renfrow, and the governor and board of education for Normal schools were to let the contract, and the date set was July 22, but they postponed the matter for the reason that they could not determine how large a building was needed, and our Commercial Club was contending that our large school population demanded a large building, while Edmond and her cohorts were threatening an injunction against the erection of any building. However, our commercial club offered to furnish a building, free of rent, in which to start the school, and the board accepted the propostiton, and at a meeting held on August 28th, elected Prof. James E. Ament, of Rock Island, Illinois, as president; Miss Sarah Bosworth, formerly superintendent of Logan county schools, and Mrs. Mary DeLisle, formerly principal of the Alva public schools, as instructors. And the board promised more teachers if the attendance demanded it. The Congregational church was rented to $150.00 for the school year, and the board furnished desks.

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