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Rose Hill Schoolhouse - Perry, OK

Vol 12, Iss 35 Perry, Oklahoma - The Rose Hill schoolhouse was constructed in 1895 in Black Bear Township, District 32. It was located five miles north of Perry and one mile east.

Like many other country schoolhouses, it served both as a place of learning and as a community center. Spelling bees, plays, pie suppers, cakewalks, and other educational and civic activities were held in this building.

Rose Hill school changed little over the years. A cloakroom was added, as were a bell tower, a back door, and electric lights. Classes consisting of eight grades were held in the structure until the late 1940s.

Afterward, the building continued to be used as a social center for the community. In 1970 the schoolhouse was over to the grounds of the Cherokee STrip Museum. In 2008 railings and a platform were added to the front porch for accessibility. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Gas Prices Going Down In Oklahoma

Vol 12, Iss 33 Perry, Oklahoma - Roy says, "Here in Perry, Oklahoma the prices of gasoline have dropped three times in the past week! From Conoco's price of $2.72 earlier in the week, there has been a drop every other day and the last time I checked, the sign said $2.62.9 for regular unleaded.

"Not only that we finally got some summertime heat (up to 104 degrees), but still it was considerably cooler than those 110 degrees and up just a few years ago.

"And then early Sunday morning (August 15th) we had a short summertime storm that put 4/10th of an inch of moisture in my rain gauge here at home. It's considerably cooler since then but I don't know the present temp.

August 16th -- Now the Conoco price is at $2.53.9 and an independent has posted $2.47.9 for regular. I hope this is a trend and that prices will continue downward a bit, but doubt that we can be so lucky." View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Old Iron Toy Repros

Vol 12, Iss 19 Perry, Oklahoma - Roy says, "Many years ago (when I was a teenager) I bought some cast iron molds for toy soldiers at a rummage sale and was excited about making some lead toys to play with so I went to a local plumbing shop and bought a couple of lead bars and an iron ladle. When my dad saw what I was doing, he suggested making several extra to sell in the grocery store as Christmas presents, so I did that but wasn't as concerned about profits and priced them just above the cost of the lead involved. That got tiresome rapidly and I quit the business."
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Cherokee Strip Antique Mall - Perry OK

Vol 12, Iss 27 Perry, Oklahoma - Roy of Perry says, "My main business is called the Cherokee Strip Antique Mall and was started (as a mall) in 1993 which was the 100th anniversary of the Cherokee Strip Land Run (September 16th, 1893).

"I have other small businesses within it and my son has recently joined me in their operation. My Stereo Center was begun in 1972 when I bought out one of the founders of Communications Equipment Sales and Stereo Center. It had begun in another location (here in Perry, Oklahoma) the previous year, 1971.

"Eventually (after about 10 years) I acquired the rest of the business, having purchased it from the other two partners, and in the meantime I had added the T-Shirt Connection as a sideline for my (then) wife.

"After moving into a larger building and creating the antique mall (with a business partner who owned the building), I added Picture This to print computerized digital photos on the T-Shirts and onto coffee cups and mugs (and just about anything else you could think of).

"I still have all of the equipment and have added some more but have not used it in more than 5 years. My son is planning on helping to resurrect that portion of the business in addition to working with me in the Stereo Center. I still repair some electronic components and still have ALL these businesses listed in the Perry phone directory and in the mall.

"We have 5 buildings that are located on 10 city lots (in what was formerly a lumber yard) across from the local Chevrolet, Buick. Pontiac, GMC dealer which sits on the property that was the original "Hell's Half Acre". It was called that in 1893.

"One week after the land run, there were located (on that property) 110 saloons plus numerous tent hotels, bawdy houses, gambling establishments, etc. Anything to grab a dollar or two from the folks waiting in line to register their claims, and the land office was in a corner of that same property (until they moved it to the government acre just south of the post office on the courthouse square, about a year later).

"Our business is also located next door, east of the Exchange Bank of Perry, which is just a block east of the courthouse square. We are a block west of the BNSF (formerly Santa Fe Railroad) depot where over 110 trains per day travel through town on the 5 tracks there (3 were for the Santa Fe and 2 were for the Frisco line).

"The Frisco tracks come in from the east (Pawnee towards Springfield and St. Louis) and goes west through Enid towards New Mexico. The Santa Fe tracks are between the crossroads at Newton, Kansas and the cross-roads at Ft. Worth, Texas and the dispatchers at Ft. Worth control our trains (through radio repeaters) from there." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Fascinating Memories of Trains & Yesteryear

Vol 12, Iss 19 Perry, Oklahoma - Roy of Perry, Oklahoma shares fascinating memories of his yesteryears from Missouri to Oklahoma, "I only lived in Newburg, Missouri for a couple of years in the 1950's (after I was discharged from the Airforce) because the town was too small and poor to support a full-time movie theatre plus the fact that the railroad had just recently closed-and-removed the 'roundhouse' which had been there for generations. It had been used to turn the steam engines around for return trips to St. Louis or to Springfield, Missouri as Newburg was the midpoint on the Frisco line between those two cities, and in the early 1950's the trains had all been converted to diesel because the more powerful engines could pull longer trains, faster and with less effort, thus make more money for the companies.

Roy mentions, "Small towns were actually only about 7 miles apart in many instances because that is how far a steam engine could safely travel without taking on more water and wood or coal for fuel. And frequently there would be a gin or feed mill plus a small general store to serve as a local post-office and meeting place for the local folks.

"If there was depot, there would also be a ticket office so folks could board a passenger train to travel a 100-miles or so to the big city for shopping and entertainment. There might also had been a local tavern and/or red-light district to entertain the railroad crews.

"Small hotels were frequently built in the larger communities so that folks could spend a night or two to rest from a long train ride. There were two hotels and a drug store adjacent to my theatre which was located on Front Street, across from the Frisco depot.

"My theatre was a converted vaudeville house and the 2 projectors had been there since the 1920's. Sound heads had been added in the 1930's and the older carbon-arc lamp houses were still the low-intensity type. That theatre is still in existence and has been converted back to a community playhouse that brings in small bands (mostly country) and traveling shows. One of the (sometimes) entertainers there is Pake McIntire (Reba's brother) with his country band.

"I returned to Oklahoma when I decided to get a college education at the same time as my youngest brother who was just graduated from high school. I majored in electronics engineering while he was a business major. We took some basic classes together (math, college English, history, business law, etc.) but then split for classes in our respective fields. We both worked as projectionists at a local theatre and did most of our college homework in the projection booth between projector changeovers. That way we could party after hours and still get enough rest for the next days classes."

Roy of Perry sent us this update of Oklahoma's weather, "So far Perry has been spared again but the storms have been striking all over and haven't finished yet. The casino east of Red Rock was hit but no injuries known yet. One vehicle in the parking lot was overturned and there's been some power line damage. Southern Oklahoma has also been hit, but haven't heard anything yet."
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