Another SW Oklahoma day trip, 914 style Options

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Its another relatively clear day here in SW Oklahoma, very windy and still a bit too chilly to go topless. I'm headed to Frederick, the Tillman county seat, for a work day. Its the first day of class for the Airborne Demonstration Team. We need to change the batteries in the airplane, pre-oil and test fly.

On the way, here is one way people earn a living around here - dry land wheat farming. We have had several years of drought and a poor wheat crop. Most of it has been baled and we haven't seen the combine crews thru here in 3 years. But there has been good moisture this Fall and the farmers can make a decent return by grazing the wheat fields in the Fall and Winter. If there is good moisture in the Spring, there will be a good crop. If not, it will be another year of baled wheat.

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This marker tells the story of Jack Abernathy, a US Marshall and rancher, who was known for hunting and catching wolves bare handed. President Theo. Roosevelt heard about this and couldn't let that go of course. He joined Abernathy in 1905 along with Chief Quanah Parker and area ranchers. It was a big deal for Frederick, Oklahoma to have the president arrive by train, give a speech, etc. Roosevelt and Abernathy became good friends.




But the best part of the story happens in 1910. Jack was in New York and Roosevelt was returning from the Amazon. Jack's boys, aged 6 and 10 wanted to meet Roosevelt, so they saddled their ponies and rode from Frederick, Oklahoma to New York by themselves. They were in the homecoming parade on horseback. Then they talked their dad into getting them a car - a Brush, since their dad thought it was about the size they could handle - and drove it back to Oklahoma. Look up "The Abernathy Boys"