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These clippings were taken from an old scrapbook of NWOGS Editors. The year 1944 is hand written on all of them. Some have Enid or OK written on the also. This would indicate that the articles were taken from Enid and Oklahoma City newspapers.
WOODWARD, April 21— (Special) —It was a photo finish when five men rode tired horses into the Moscow Flats country, east of Woodward, but Eli Cox was the first to dismount and drive a stake, designating that quarter section of land as his homestead entry on September 16, 1893, the date of the opening of the Cherokee Strip to settlement. Thus he became the first homesteader in this county as it exists today.
Eli Cox also was the last of the quintet to be called by death, coming yesterday on the claim where he drove that first stake. The quartet that rode with him on that memorable day, all neighbors up in Kansas—John Rhynard, Robert Norvel, James H. and Joseph H. Cox died during the past few years, as had also Eli Cox’s wife in 1940. Eli Cox was 73 years old.
The ground was so hard when Cox attempted to drive his homestead stake, that in despair he stuck it down a prairie dog hole and drove It deeper. There had been a prolonged drouth prior to the opening of the Strip. Recently, to commerorate the driving of this first stake, a monument has been erected on the Cox homestead by Wayne Cox, son of the pioneer.
On an appropriate slab of granite are engraved two figures together with the Strip opening date. One figure shows the start of the run with Eli Cox on horseback; the second Cox driving the stake. The monument commemorates also the fiftieth anniversary of the opening on September 16 last.
Eli Cox stated it required an hour and twelve minutes to ride horseback from the southern border of the Strip to the Moscow Flats, which he and companions had selected in advance while on a hunting trip in this area. The pony, which Cox had intended riding, disappeared (during the night preceding the run and he was forced to ride instead a rather clumsy animal that fell twice with him.
WOODWARD, March 30 - (Special.)---Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jahay of Fargo have received a note from their son, Pvt. Sidney A. Jahay, 24, that he is a prisoner of war in a German camp. He had been reported missing in action since July 10, 1943.
The letter was written in German on October 3 last but Pvt. Jahay’s signature was verification sufficient for his parents. It bore also the U. S. censorship stamp. Jahay was a paratrooper with the army at the time of his capture.
WOODWARD - Jan. 13. - (Special) Rites were held in the Ames high school for Pvt. Cornelius Gene Ballard, 18. son of Mrs. Anna M. Ballard of Ringwood, who was killed accidentally by the explosion of a shell at McClelland field. Alabama. Chaplain Petit of the Enid air base was in charge of the service. In addition to his mother he is survived by a sister, Mrs. G. W. Sprecker of near Ringwood, and four brothers, J. C. Ballard of Oklahoma City, Dennis of Green Forest, Ark., Scott of the U. S. army, and Howard of Ringwood.
WOODWARD, Jan. 12.—(SpeciaL) —Pfc. C. J. Hanson Jr. of the Ross ton community, is a prisoner of the Japs in a camp near Tokyo, according to information reaching Rosston. He was serving with the marines on a Pacific island which was taken by the Japs early in the war. Hanson wrote that the American Red Cross has been very efficient in attending the prisoners and has served his camp three times.
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