Volume 7 , Issue 1

Strickland Airport & Flying School East of Alva...

"I ran across an article about Leo and Roscoe Horner's airport (on the Strickland homestead) which celebrated the airports 3rd. birthday.

It was started January 2, 1938 by Leo (Strickland) and Roscoe (Horner) with 2 brand new 40 Horsepower Piper Cubs. I'm sure that your dad could relate to that information. I remember it well, they went back to Lock Haven Pennsylvania and purchased the two airplanes, flying them to Oklahoma. By buying two, they became Piper Cub dealers. I've forgotten the price, but believe it to have been somewhere around Six to Eight hundred dollars each.

For a number of years the large hanger there had a big picture of a Piper Cub on the side facing Hwy. 64. I had my first airplane ride about this time there. I spent much of my summer's at the airport and had many rides with both Leo and Rex Strickland and Roscoe as well as other instructors employed there. However I didn't really take up flying until some thirteen years later. At that time I concentrated on it and had enough time and ratings to be hired by an Airline three years later.

My grandmother lived at 714 4th. St. in Alva for many years, until her death at near the age of 97. Her name was 'Ottie.' My Grandfather died at that address at the age of 76 from Cancer. He had farmed 7-miles East of Alva on the family homestead until he retired and turned the farm over to his son, Leo Strickland. My grandfathers name was: I. T. (Isaac Thomas) Strickland. He ran in the Cherokee Strip Race -- homesteaded 7-miles East of town on the south side of the road (later Highway 64). Isaac Thomas Strickland's funeral was held in the Ashley United Brethren Church. He passed away just a few weeks short of his 76th. birthday. He was a Missouri native and at one time started an organization of Missouri native residents of Alva and surrounding area. He was very active in the Church there as well.

Later just prior and during the War (WW II) my Uncle Leo ran an airport and flying school on the homestead property for some years. After the War ended moving the operation to the Alva Municipal Airport, which was built on the old prisoner of war camp. I spent much of my time as a kid at the airport, running errands and getting in the way.

My mother, her sister and two brothers (Leo, Rex, Flossie and Girty) all graduated from the college there. I believe in those day's it was a two year course for acquiring a teaching certificate and was called a [Northwestern State] Normal School. This was prior to the big fire. I remember my Uncles coming home after helping fight the fire and telling us about it.

Grandmother Strickland returned to school in her 60's and achieved a higher degree, later working at the College in the Library for some time. This would have been around the 1940's or so. My grandmother's maiden name was ARNDT and her family ranches to this day at the family homestead near Freedom, OK. My mother married (Clifford M. VICKERS) a Navy man, in 1925, who was based at the Navy base in New York and I was born in New York City. After my dad was discharged he worked in the City for a short time and then they moved back to Alva. His family farmed near Jet at the time. A couple of my brothers were born in Alva, the other two in Wichita Kansas.Total of 5 boys in the family. Four still alive at this writing.

Times were tough in the depression and we moved often. Dad always looking for another job. I attended school in Alva and also in Medford, OK as well as Wichita, KS, where I graduated. Attending college there for some time. My dad had a brother who lived in Alva around the 1930's. Ben was married and later divorced from a lady named, Ruth. They had 2 children, Beverly Ann and Eugene. Eugene is living in the Washington, DC area and we correspond via email often. Beverly passed away in 1975 and is buried in the Alva Cemetery along with her mother. I believe that Uncle Ben is buried with other members of the VICKERS family at a cemetery near Jet, Oklahoma.

Most of the STRICKLAND's are buried at a small Cemetery about 8-miles East of Alva, just East of the Horner farm, I believe. Uncle Leo married a HORNER daughter. I had an Aunt on the VICKERS side who married an ARGANBRIGHT, her name was Silvia and she married H. ARGANBRIGHT. He was a cattle buyer and trader in the Alva area for many years. They had a son and a daughter, "Billy' lived in Alva until his death. I always remember Billy A. with a big cigar -- a big car -- a big laugh when he heard something funny. Their daughter (Noradean) now lives in El Reno, Oklahoma. Noradean was/is a beautiful lady

Papa, (I.T. Strickland) wrote often for the Alva Record, later I find that he was writing for the Alva Review Courier, as of Feb. 4, 1931. His by-line seems to be mostly Over Woods County by I. T. Strickland and he wrote of his and others early days in the Strip and Oklahoma. Mother wrote under a pen name of Journal by a Mother in the Record Newspaper. I was able to find one column dated November 19, 1938 by her. She also wrote a number of times under her own name and was published by the papers in Alva. Papa travel around the country with Grandmother Ottie in his car talking to old timers in the area. Then he would write about their stories. He also wrote about his auto trips to Colorado and Death Valley among others. Many of his published stories had to do with him and his brothers entering and hunting in what later became Oklahoma. I believe at the time he lived in Medicine Lodge. He also wrote about a trip with his second wife, (my grandmother Ottie) to visit relatives down around the Texas border and their encounters with Indians on the trip. Horse drawn, wagon type of trips.

I had friends in High School there, one was killed in the Battle of the Bulge, Jimmy Appleman. I think that his father ran the pharmacy in the Hotel Bell for some years. Max McAlester (sic), Jimmy and I were the 3 musketeers for some time back in the early '40's. Max's father worked for the Post Office there in Alva for many years.

I have in my possession many of these writing's and will pass them down to my daughter and her children. It's nice to read the items about Alva and it's history. I still think about the town often. Best regards." -- Max Vickers - Email: mvickers7@cox.net   |  View or Add Comments (3 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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