Oklahoma Genealogical Society
(The First)
CITY DIRECTORY OF
OKLAHOMA CITY, INDIAN TERRITORY
August 22, 1889
From Oklahoma Genealogical Society Quarterly
Vol. 16 (Year 1971)—No. 1, January 1971; No 2, June 1971; No. 3, September
1971; No. 4, December 1971; Vol. 17 (Year 1972)—No. 1. January 1972; No. 2,
June 1972; No. 3, September 1972; No. 4, December 1972
Transcribed to Electronic form by Jo White
(NOTE: Several of the names listed are NOT in exact
alphabetical order.)
THE CITY DIRECTORY
The compilers of the first city directory of Oklahoma City present
the fruit of their labor to the business men of the city, hoping that it will
be of practical use as a book of reference, as well as a faithful index of the
growth and importance of the town to the outside world. That this book is perfect, we do not
claim. Errors in the census were
unavoidable, although we believe not frequent.
Our census takers, Mr. S.C. Smith, Jr. and H.E. Foster, did their work
slowly, carefully, and in the most accurate manner possible. If the names of some bona fide residents are
omitted, we dare say it is not the fault of the census takers. When occupants of houses were not in, and
every effort to obtain their names failed, printed blanks were posted
conspicuously upon their doors to be filled in by them and collected by the
census takers after a reasonable time had elapsed. Four months from the platting of the city, the census shows 5,027
actual residents. That several hundred
people are absent from the city in the states, setting up their affairs
preparatory to moving here with their new families, everybody knows. It is safe to say that the population of
Oklahoma City is 7,000, were the families of many male residents here. The census includes Oklahoma City proper and
South Oklahoma. The names, initials,
occupation, block, lot, street and number in family were given in every case
where possible to obtain the desired information. Street numbers could not be given as a system of numbering has
not yet been completed. We can but
regret that a fair business representation is not shown on our advertising
pages. It is not because our merchants
were not thoroughly and earnestly solicited.
To those of our business men whose patronage enabled us (to) produce
this work, we extend our sincere thanks.
We believe you will consider your money well spent.
Oklahoma City, I.T., Aug. 22, 1889
R.W.
McAdam
S.E.
Levi
The Rush of April 22
The rise and progress of Oklahoma City is remarkable, although
natural. Here the enterprise and
town-building spirit of the western people shows a striking example. On the
morning of April 22nd, 1889, the town site of Oklahoma City
contained a log government store house, supply store, post-office, section
house and railway station. On the
afternoon of that historical day, thousands of excited men rushed wildly over
the site and staked it off in town lots.
Hundreds of tents quickly transformed a solitude to a vast, bustling
encampment, and that night the stars looked down upon countless flaring
camp-fires. Since then, the sights and
sounds of a rapidly building, bustling, ambitious western city have transformed
the scene “as by a stroke of the enchanter’s wand,” and made it the subject of
wide-spread comment on the part of the American press, awakening an interest in
the wonderful young city throughout the entire Union.
Location of Oklahoma City
The rapid, never-failing waters of the North Canadian River, in
their windings through the agricultural heart of Oklahoma, form a horse-shoe,
half enclosing the finest natural town site in the “Beautiful Land.” Here was platted Oklahoma City, and here is
destined to be the metropolis of the Indian Territory, if not the great
southwest. The business portion of the
city lies on the broad, high flats of the valley, and the residence portion
mainly on gently rolling uplands to the north.
Natural Advantages
No town in the new territory can show as convincing reasons for future growth and prosperity as Oklahoma City. Situated in the very heart of an extensive, rich, agricultural belt, the natural supply point of the fertile inter-Canadian country and adjacent Indian Reservations, she is bound to make an important city. The U shaped river bend around town will be utilized to great advantage by cutting a straight canal through the city, thus deflecting the channel of the river, and thereby obtaining a fall of 30 feet, insuring excellent water power. A company has already been organized for this purpose. Manufacturing industries have already begun to locate here, and it will eventually be a manufacturing center. Oklahoma City will be a railroad center. It will be a great wholesale point for the Indian Territory and the Texas Panhandle. It will be the capital of the coming State of Oklahoma, as its commercial importance and geographical convenience will outweigh the alleged advantages of ambitious capital aspirants.
Railroads
Oklahoma City is situated on the line of the great Santa Fe system,
nearly midway between Kansa City and Galveston. Here the Santa Fe has over
three miles of side tracks, which are constantly crowded with cars. Two new railroads, the Choctaw and the
Denison and Washita, are building rapidly toward Oklahoma City from the
inexhaustible coal fields to the east, and both roads will undoubtedly be in
the city by January 1st. The
A.T. & S.F., it is said, will remove its division to this point, and in
conjunction with these other roads will establish here mammoth machine
shops. The survey of the great
transcontinental Frisco route runs through Oklahoma City, and that road will be
a reality within another year. Several
more roads are surveyed to this place, but are not yet assured facts. The Rock Island will run a branch from
Kingfisher to Oklahoma City.
Business Houses and Enterprises
From an off-hand count, taken for the directory, Oklahoma City has eight churches, four public and private schools, five public halls, two theaters, a board of trade, five miles of graded streets, three miles of sidewalk, ten feet wide, a $50,000 ice factory, a planning (sic) mill, three bottling works, three daily and three weekly newspapers, four banks with $300,000 capital, twenty-seven lumber yards, four coal yards, one wholesale line, stucco and building material yard, forty-two groceries, (four wholesale) twenty-three drug stores, twenty-eight dry goods and clothing stores, twenty-four hardware stores, seventeen flour, feed and commission houses, thirteen hotels, thirty-three restaurants, twelve bakeries, sixteen barber shops, twenty-four fruit, vegetable and confectionery stores, seventeen meat markets, nine pump, hose and well-boring establishments, fifteen blacksmith shops, two stone-cutting and seven brick yards, ten paint shops, eleven tin shops, seven furniture stores, three book and news stores, two paint manufacturers’ branch houses, seventeen laundries, (one steam), four gun shops, nine billiard halls, eighteen club houses, five photograph galleries, two undertaking establishments, drays, buses and express wagons by the score, twenty-seven surveyors and engineers, forty-nine lawyers and forty-five doctors. Few towns in the United States can make a better business showing than Oklahoma City, both in the number and substantiality of her firms.
Projected Enterprises
The franchises for a fine system of water works, electric lights and a street railway have been granted a company of local capitalists by the city government. Two fine hotels, one brick, costing $50,000, and the other stone, costing $70,000, will be begun this fall. A $100,000 cotton mill is promised within the next year, and our citizens have pledged $25,000 of the stock. An elegant brick public school building is an assured fact of the near future. Several brick blocks are under construction and contracted, with dozens to follow at once. The age of brick has dawned upon the lively young metropolis of Oklahoma.
Future Prospects
Looking at the Oklahoma City of to-day, just four months after the opening of the Oklahoma country to settlement, we see a live growing town of 5,027 souls, well built and complete in its commercial branches. It has attained in four months what many towns of like population have taken a decade, a quarter or a half century to reach. None see Oklahoma City but prophesy a bright future for her. Today the little city in the broad, rich valley of the Canadian is but a hamlet compared with the Oklahoma City that is to be.
City Official
Directory
Oklahoma City
Mayor—W.L. Couch
Recorder—J.A. Blackburn
Treasurer—M.C. Quinton
Attorney—Ledru Guthrie
Engineer—C. Chamberlain
Police Judge—O.H. Violet
Marshal—J.B. Koonce
Council
Sidney Clarke; Jno. Wallace; E.C. Hudson; M.C. Wells; W.E. Scott; J.E. Jones
South Oklahoma
Mayor—T.J. Fagan
Recorder—W.T. Bodine
Treasurer—W.P. Wallace
Attorney—L.P. Ross
Engineer—C.P. Wager
Police Judge—T.J. Fagan
Marshal—Dan McKay
Council
J.P. McKinnis; S.E. Steele; S. Sweeny; E.S. Hughes; B.T. Mills
Board of Trade
President—H. Overholser
Vice-President—James Geary
Second Vice-President—J.P. McKinnis
Secretary—W.H. Ebey
Treasurer—T.M. Richardson
Committees
Executive Committee—J.A. Blackburn; W.L. Couch; O.H. Violet; C.W. Price; B.N. Woodson; M.C. Wells
On Railroads—J.B. Weaver; J.A. Blackburn; Gen. J.E. Jones; C.W. Price; W.H. Ebey; W.L. Couch; T.M. Richardson; H. Overholser; Jas. Geary
On Manufacturing—C.P. Walker; W.L. Harvey; Jno. Ward; E.W. Sweeny; W.L. Killebew; F.L. Bond
On Transportation and Freights—J.P. McKinnis; Jno. Brogan; A.T. Woodford; A.L. Frick; J.P. Darling; W.J. Pettee
On Advertising—O.H. Violet; W.H. Ebey; R.Q. Blakeney; H.R. Winn; F.W. Beard
On Legislation—Gen. J.B. Weaver; Sidney Clarke; O.H. Violet; W.L. Couch; A.B. Hammer; A.C. Scott; Ledru Guthrie; B.N. Woodson; D.A. Harvey
On Finances—Jas. Geary; Ledru Guthrie; W.C. Wells; T.M. Richardson; W.A. Monroe
On Education—A.C. Scott; C.A. Galbraith; R.R. Connella; G.A. Beidler; W.W. Witten
On Emigration—Victor Sherman; W.H. Darrough; G.W. Massey; G.W. Adams; H.W. Sawyer
Postoffice—G.A. Beidler, P.M.
A. T. & S. F. Depot—A.W. Dunham, S.A.
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