Volume 2 , Issue 10

66th Freedom Rodeo

Old Cowhand 2003 - Arlo Darr - Story as it appeared in the 2003 Freedom Rodeo program and written by Naomi Bilyeu with contributors: David Wyckoff and Brett Smith.

Arlo Darr needs no introduction to his many friends and acquaintances in the Freedom area, and throughout Woods County. Those who know him best, will speak of him as a man of honesty, integrity, kindness, and compassion. Some see him as a true cowboy, and link him to "rodeo," not only as a former participant, but also as a judge in the arena. All who know him well, believe that he has a natural talent when working with horses and cattle. The ease and dignity that one sees when he is mounted, will bear this out. There is no doubt that this "Honored Cowhand" can ride with the best of them.

Arlo was born January 23, 1930 to Otis and Retha Darr. He is the eldest of ten children, namely, brothers Neil, Bill, Lewis, Junior, and Jim, and sisters Juanita, Laveta, Coleta and Joyce.

During Arlo's "growing up" years, he attended several different schools. In the 1st grade, he attended Freedom; the 2nd grade at Selman. (His father worked for J. O. Selman). When the family moved to the Haines Ranch, southeast of Waynoka, they found that there were no buses running to the outlying area, so the children returned to Freedom and stayed with their Darr grandparents. At this time, Arlo was in the 3rd and 4th grades. He attended his 5th and 6th grade years at Red Hill School; at this time his dad had gone to work for Frank Kamas on the Gresinger Ranch. When Red Hill School closed, Arlo finished the 7th, 8th and 9th grades at Farry.

Now, that school days were over for Arlo, he began to think of work, and work it was. From the early age of 12, and throughout his teenage years, he worked. Local ranchers gave him jobs. He remembers driving an Allis Chalmers tractor, and plowed wheat ground for George Dyer; the following summer, he worked for Bird Bates. Here, he drove a team of mules to work the spring crop. He also had cows to milk morning and night. At age 14, he worked for Frank Kamas; at age 15, for Wilbur May. That same year, after the fall work was fnished, he decided to go to California with his Uncle Fred.

This idea sounded good to Arlo, since he had always heard the "money grows on trees out there." Arlo later commented, "But I found out it was mighty hard pickin' it." In California, he went to work at a dairy where there were 80 cows to milk, both morning and night, seven days a week. At this time, he stayed with his Uncle Charley and Aunt Ruby Parks. They lived 2 miles from the dairy. Since Arlo had no horse to ride, he had to learn to ride a bicycle. He believes that this task was as difficult, as the work at the dairy. About a month later, he parked the "bike" and went to live with his Uncle Bill and Aunt Midge Thomas at Buena Park.

When his Uncle Fred was ready to return to Oklahoma, Arlo decided to stay in California and join his Uncle Ed, who was foreman on a hog ranch in Saugus. They had 4,000 hogs to care for. He worked there until Aril 1946, Then went back to Buena Park and worked for a plant that made dairy feed from oranges. Arlo, at age 16, worked 12 to 15 hours a day, stacking 100 pound sacks of dried orange peels. Here, he made $90 a week. At that time, this was good pay, so 'pickin' was a little easier.

While here, he received a letter from his parents that Wilbur May wanted Arlo to go to work for him, so he boarded a train and headed for Alva. Bill Shadid and Kamas picked him up at the Alva Depot. He liked working for Wilbur because he went to rodeos almost every weekend. Wilbur would enter the calf roping, and would encourage Arlo to enter Jr. Calf roping. Many times, Arlo would win the event, and would sometimes win the Sr. Calf roping. They went to rodeos in Coldwater, Protection, Greensburg, and Ashland, Kansas; in Oklahoma, Alva, Waynoka, Dacoma, Steer Holler, and Freedom.

In 1947, Arlo now 17, went on wheat harvest to Wyoming with Slim Thornberry, and Tony and Peggy Bradt. On their return, he hauled wheat for a while at Holly, Colorado. It was a bumper crop there, but Freedom Rodeo time was nearing, so he bought a bus ticket to Buffalo, Oklahoma, "Hitched" a ride to Camp Houston with trucker Lee Benton, "footed" it to Geoffrey and Ruth Darr's Home, and made it to the rodeo just in time for Jr. Calf roping.

The following November 1947, Arlo went to work for Lewis Omey at Kalvesta, Kansas. On his way, his fan belt broke. He had only $2.00 in his pocket, and it cost $1.50 to get it fixed. He needed gas too, so that took the remaining 50 cents, and it was a full month until pay day! After leaving the Omeys, he returned to Freedom and worked for a time for the Kamas Brothers and his Uncle Hank French. In 1951 he worked for Rudy Eden. He thought Rudy to be a very generous man because he would send him to neighbors to help work calves - neighbors such as Levi London, Gene Earnest, Marty Fulton, Ed Gaskill, and Kamas Brothers.

Arlo says Rudy was good to him, and offered to keep him if he didn't find work. In July of 1952, he went to work for Simpson Walker, Sr. here, he began to feel some stability in his future, so on August 9, 1952 he married his girlfriend, Verlene Stewart. The couple spent 17 years on the Walker Ranch, where Arlo was foreman. He says, "Simpson was a very special man, and he was good to me. He made me feel like I was part of the family." In the fall of 1954, Simpson gave him a heifer calf, and one each year, while he was employed on the ranch.

In 1969, Sheriff clyde Vore went to the ranch and offered Arlo a job as Deputy Sheriff of Woods county. Arlo accepted, and the family moved to Alva. Later, when Vore retired, Arlo was elected Sheriff. Just before his term of Sheriff ended, he and police officers Bob Keltch, Mike Dooley, and Trooper John Eddings received an order to take a suspect into protective custody. During the encounter, Arlo was badly wounded, and was taken to the hospital where Dr. Hinkle and Dr. Simon performed surgery. He was later transferred to Enid. Constantly by his side, was his wife, Verlene, and his sister, Coleta, and her husband, Gene Province. During this ordeal, his main vocal concern seemed to be, "Who is feeding my bird dog?"

In 1975, Arlo was elected Marshal and Chief of Police for the City of Alva. He is still serving in this position. Arlo feels that he has been blessed by family. Verlene has been with him for 51 years. He has his daughter, Shelley, and her husband, David Wyckoff, a grandaughter, Darra, a son, Shawn, and grandsons, Steve, Chris, and Jeremy.

In 1966, Arlo was elected "Citizen of the Year," and in 1998, "Law Enforcement Officer of the year." Arlo is a member of the Town and Country Christian Church Board, and the Citizens Advisory Board of the Bill Johnson Correctional Center. Arlo is a Freedom booster, and can be seen at most community events. When there is a funeral in Freedom, Arlo faithfully drives to Camp Houston and directs traffic on highway 64, so that the procession can cross without a problem. To those in the procession, this is a heart-warming gesture, and it says much about Arlo Darr and his respect for friends and neighbors.

Rodeo in Freeom is still a big event for Arlo. For 37 years, he served as arena flagman. This year, he will just enjoy the honor of being the "Old Cowhand."

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