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| Title: | Stillwater : A Cradle of Oklahoma History | |
| Author: | D. Earl Newsom | |
| Description: | Limited First Edition, each copy autographed and individually numbered – one of New Forums Press’ Oklahoma Centennial Collector’s Series
Although much has been written about Stillwater’s fascinating history, this volume may be of special interest because it not only records the past but it also captures the history-making events of the Centennial Year 2007 in clear aerial color photographs by Kenneth Helt. Not since the post- World War II years has the city experienced such a remarkable surge in population, business expansion and housing developments or seen the dramatic changes in its Main Street. These factors, plus pictures and text that show Stillwater’s role in early Oklahoma history, make this an important addition to each citizen’s personal library. |
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| Contents: | Foreword Chapter:
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| Reviews: | Alvena Bieri, Special to NewsPress D. Earl Newsom has revised his book, “Stillwater: One Hundred Years of Memories” in “Stillwater: A Cradle of Oklahoma History” published by Doug Dollar’s New Forums Press.Artist Jack Allred designed the cover showing the parade of Stillwater pioneers on Statehood Day in 1907, led by Herbert Ricker, owner of the first auto in town.Newsom is very good at presenting history in interesting ways. He starts with a number of pages of color photos of present-day Stillwater, including OSU. He includes a picture of the new Payne County Courthouse, or Administrative Building, and of Lawrence Gibbs, now retired, standing with Sheila Foos in front of the Stillwater Journal office.The first of photographer Ken Helt’s aerial photos is of practically the whole town. OSU is at the upper left, and the big Stillwater Milling Co. on the east side looks impressive. Lincoln School is visible at the bottom. The definite impression I got is how fast Stillwater has grown lately. On the OSU campus, the shots of the football stadium and the layout of the new athletic area take up a lot of space.Newsom has joined the ranks of other outstanding historians of Stillwater. He first tells about the travels of Washington Irving, who camped north of present-day Ripley and then wrote an account of his trip around the prairie.As that century progressed, the land became a homesteading destination for many people, especially Kansans, and an attraction for both boomers and sooners. Boomers were men like David Payne and William Couch, who did get in a little trouble for camping out in some places while working for the opening of the land. Payne didn’t live to see the land run of 1889, so Couch took over the project. Sooners slipped in beforehand and staked their claims illegally.In those early days, the center of the business district in Stillwater was Ninth and Main, the location of the first church, first bank, first public school and first city hall. Newsom includes plenty of information on the background of newspapers, the public schools, OSU, churches and many varied businesses.The pictures of old houses, some of which are still around, are fascinating too.Newsom also includes the origins of city street names like Jardot or Knoblock and even has a page on Yost Lake.I highly recommend this book and all others by Newsom. |
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| About the Author: | A graduate of Oklahoma State University and Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, D. Earl Newsom began his career as a newspaper reporter and editor and then taught journalism at Texas A&M College and the University of Maryland. He is the author of six previous books, including The Cherokee Strip: Its History and Grand Opening, Stillwater: One Hundred Years of Memories, Stillwater History: The Missing Links, Hilarious History: The Funniest True Stories and Legends of Stillwater and Payne County, and two volumes on Drumright and the great oil field. His special historical articles have appeared in the Stillwater NewsPress and The Chronicles of Oklahoma. | |
| Details: | 2007 [ISBN: 1-58107-133-7; 214 pages; 8 ½ x 10 inch; hard cover] | |
