Volume 18 , Issue 5

1894 - A Chance For Marriage In Oklahoma

Here is an interesting article for Oklahomans out there looking for some of their history, legacy. In The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana, dated 31 January 1894, Wednesday, page 8, had the following headlines: "A Chance For Marriage." It seems a hundred men in Oklahoma wanted wives right away.

Found on Newspapers.com

Topeka, Kans., January 31 (1894) -- Mr. Emmet Whitmer, of perry, Oklahoma, stopped in the city of Topeka, Kansas en route for Boston and some of the factory districts of New England. His mission was a singular one. Among the business and professional men of Perry, and of all other territorial cities and towns, were a large number of young men, who, at their former homes in different sections of the country, were accustomed to the society of young ladies. There they hardly dared think of matrimony and the heavy expenses it would add; but since they had located in these new fields they had suddenly found themselves at the head of a profitable business, enjoying unexpected success.

The life of the ordinary man in these new towns was lonely, but their prosperity had added to this lonely condition, and these young men were in search not only of the company and society of young ladies, but of those who would make good wives to cheer their homes and enjoy with them their sudden prosperity. There were no young ladies, desirable or otherwise, to speak of in these new towns, and the absolute scarcity of them had caused Mr. Whitmer to be sent East on this singular mission. He hoped to negotiate for the immigration of a colony of a bout one hundred fairly good-looking, lively girls to the Territory.

Mr. Whitmer showed the photos of over thirty fine looking young men from whom he held "special orders," while from over half a hundred others he had general instructions as to the class of girls which would be desirable. He said that many of the young men in that country would return to their old homes to secure wives, but that a large number were not disposed to follow that plan. He said that he would visit some of the New England towns where the mills were closed, and would quietly select and confer with such girls as he believed would suit the men who had sent him, but that he could assure the young ladies that there would be no risk in any fair-looking, sensible girl going to this country and personally attending to the business of the selection of her own kind of a husband, as she would have her pick from many promising young men, who would provide a comfortable, happy home. Mr. Whitmer's romantic mission would be watched with a great deal of interest by the people of that new and promising country.
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