Volume 12 , Issue 21

A History of the Run by Mrs. Fred King

This article was written by Clara Louise Renfrew King for the 50th Anniversary Edition, Alva Review-Courier, September 12, 1943, (Mrs. Fred King, former Clara Louise Renfrew).

"Pioneers Came in With A Wagon, A Stake and A Prayer." -- Mrs. Fred King (Clara Louise Renfrew), the writer, prepairing a history of the run into the Cherokee Strip was comparatively easy for Mrs. Fred King, author of the story which appears on this page.

Mrs. King, the former Clara Louise Renfrew, is the granddaughter of the late J. P. Renfrew of Renfrew's Record in 1900, and publisher of the Alva Review for several years previous to that date, and the daughter of Mayor John Renfrew, himself a longtime resident.

Mrs. King, who with her husband, County Judge Fred King, lived in Guymon when she wrote her history as a term theme for an Oklahoma history class taught by Prof. D. W. Pierce at the college.

The History of the Run -- "The time was the week before September 16, 1893. The occasion was the excitement of preparing for the run into the Cherokee Strip. The place was any place along a line 186 miles long on the north line of the Cherokee Strip (south line of Kansas) extending from the Arkansas river near Arkansas City, Kans., west to the line of what is now Woodward county, Okla., and 159 miles along the south line of the strip from the east line of Logan county, Okla., west to the Texas line. It was 58 miles wide and contained nearly 7,000,000 acres.

"The town of Kowa, Kans., was flooded with thousands of people who came to be on hand for the run. Kiowa again felt the thrill it had experienced in 1883 when it had been the greatest cattle shipping point in the world. The government had established offices in tents just across the line in Oklahoma territory, where all who were interested in making the run for new homes could register.

"Every one was talking claim and the cowboys were asked by the homesteaders on every side to tell what they knew about the country. Where was the best land for this and where was the best land for that. Fortunately the cowboys were friendly and willing to talk.

"People would stand in line for hours waiting to get to the tent window to register and get the receipt. There were loafers who would work up to the front, then sell their places to some anxious aspirant for one dollar or whatever he could get.

"After registering the homesteaders went to Hardtner, Kans., to camp for the night or several nights as the case might be, in preparation for the run. There were between 300 and 400 people there, all excitement and full of plans as to their future. Squads of Captain's odd'sh troop of the 3rd U. S. Cavalry rode slowly along the line to impress those who were getting too anxious, of the danger there would be of getting into trouble with the U. S. government.

"Beautiful Driftwood valley stretched in front of the waiting crowd, far off to the southeast, far as the eye could reach. Ten miles to the south, the hills north of the Salt Fork cut off the view, but all knew that beyond the hills lay the townsite of Alva, and beyond that day the smiling valley of the Eagle Chief. All were certain that it was rich soil just over the line, because didn't the large ricks filled with, wheat on the north side of the line prove that?

"West of Hardtner, Kans. was a smaller group of people waiting for the same moment. There was no troops here as the group was so small. All were friendly, all were sure that beyond was what they had dreamed about. The night was warm and the excitement of the coming day made sleep almost impossible. Everyone was astir bright and early. The aroma of coffee intermingled with the fresh morning odors, smell of the campfires mixed with the beckoning odors of breakfast cooking, was something to remember, as the hundreds of people eagerly prepared for the exciting day.

"After breakfast was over those who were in wagons started packing their bedding, cooking and eating supplies. Every one of the family was told to look about camp to see that nothing of value was left behind.

"The morning was bright and clear with a stiff breeze from the southwest. a morning that would be symbolic of a bright future for the homesteaders.

"As the hours went by the feelings of the campers on the line became more tense. The horsemen tightened their saddle girths once more and saw that their lariats and slickers were a little more secure. The men with road carts added another false spoke or two to their cart wheels, and those with two horse wagons twisted a little more barbed wire on the wheels to keep the wagon tires from circling off into space when the psychological moment came.

"Some of the horses were so fractious that their riders could not manage them. Some of the horses broke their legs and had to be abandoned. One man was exercising his horse when the horse fell and broke its leg. The man put the horse on a sled, hitched another horse to the sled and took it with him. There were people on foot as well as horseback and in wagons and other conveyances.

"Of course the ones who were in wagons or the like were more fortunate than those on horseback or on foot, because they could take their supplies with them. Those who did not have wagons would have to do without food and water when they staked their claim, until some one could bring them supplies.

"Within a quarter of twelve o'clock noon, the horsemen were in their saddles, and the teams were hitched up. All were in the line headed south, the troopers were scattered singly along the state line a few paces in front of the eager throng. The man with the horse on the sled was permitted to stake a claim just over the line. A woman who was on foot and had a spade walked over the line and was permitted to stake her claim. Some who had neither horse nor wagon rode on the Santa Fe into Alva, filed on some quarter, then walked out to it hoping that no one had got there before. The train started at the same time as the people riding horses and crept along a a very slow pace so as to give every one a chance. At different places along the track people would jump off and run in every direction to locate a quarter that no one else was on. Those who did not want farm land came on to Alva to get town lots for homes and business places.

"Anxious to get homes built, they set about as quickly as possible to dig dugouts, or make adobe houses, or houses of logs. As soon as this was accomplished they built shelters for their livestock. Almost everyone hurriedly put out gardens, as they would have to depend on their gardens for the vegetables. No one had had potatoes that winter as they did not have time to raise them after moving to their claims.

"The only fruits they had were dried fruits which they bought in large sacks. Eggs sold for three and five cents a dozen. Pumpkins were raised and eaten baked, fried, and in every conceivable way they could be fixed. Light bread was baked some, and biscuits very often, with cornbread baked occasionally. Breakfast food and mush was made by cleaning kaffir corn or rice corn and grinding it up fine, then cooking it to a mush-like consistency.

"As soon as people had homes to live in, and places for their cattle and horses, they began to make plans for churches and schools. Sometimes schools were subscription schools, and only those whose children whose parents could pay the subscriptions were allowed to attend.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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