By J. M. Hall

© Karolyn Kay Garland 1997

Page # 44

Joe Adams, the captain's son, was a mighty hunter. He knew the trails of the country well. On one of his trips, near the headwaters of Shell creek, he saw a shirt hanging on a tree. Investigating he found the body of an old German who some weeks before had left Tulsa for Pawhuska. The manner of his death was in doubt. His body was brought to Tulsa and buried.

TULSA'S FIRST FOURTH

Tulsa's first Fourth of July celebration had a strong patriotic and religious flavor, as well as mixing in liberal proportions of entertainment,

It was held in 1884 in the timber on West Second street. A large platform had been erected and there were the usual speeches and big dinner, with dancing, in the later afternoon and at night.

The next day was Saturday and the dancing continued. On Sunday morning preaching services were arranged in the grove and seats were placed on the platform. Folks had come from far and near for the celebration and many listened to that sermon who had not attended church for many years.

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS

Though numerous community affairs were held between 1884 and 1893, it was not until the latter year that the first regular fraternal organization was formed. At a meeting of the grand lodge of the Indian Territory on August 8, 1893, the most worshipful master granted a dispensation to form the lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons at Tulsa with the following charter members:

Philander Reeder, worshipful master; George Washington Cheney, senior warden; James M. Crutchfield, junior warden; James Sterling McAllister, David C. Graybill, Andrew B. Brady, Robert E. Smith, S. W. Sheddlebar, John H. Purcell, George M. Gassoway and John W. Elwick.

The lodge was known as Tulsa Lodge No. 65, A. F. & A. M. At the present time none of the organizers are members of the Tulsa lodge, No. 71. Most of them are dead.

The I.O.O.F. lodge was organized in 1896 with the following charter members: J. L. Winegar, Tom Feeley, C. A. Owens, P. L. Price, Jesse Hoffman, S. K. Edwards, Joe Price, F. M. Reynolds, J. S. Holderman and George Mowbray, Sr., noble grand warden.

After the start of the new century lodges came thick and fast.

THE FIRST NEWSPAPER

The first newspaper in Tulsa was called The Indian Chief. It was a weekly, published by J. L. Winegar, an old soldier. Later the name was changed to The Indian Republican.

This paper had many editors in its early history. Within the memory of many present day Tulsans it was taken over by George Bayne and then sold to Eugene Lorton, becoming The Tulsa World.

The paper that is now The Tulsa Tribune was born out of dissatisfaction with the manner in which Editor Winegar advertised the town. About a dozen business men, including the writer, started the paper. They pooled sufficient capital to buy a printing outfit and employed A. A. Powe as editor. The paper was called The New Era in the beginning. It was the intention to advertise Tulsa by showing the good things the town had and by saying little about the bad happenings. However the owners were not newspaper men and the investment turned out to be a losing proposition for them.

Later Mr. R. L. Lunsford founded the Democrat and published it under that name for several years. Mr. Lunsford sold his plant to Dave Jesse. Later William Stryker became the owner for some time. Then sold it to Charles Page. Richard Lloyd Jones bought the paper in 1910 and is now the owner and is publishing the paper under the name of The Tulsa Tribune.

Jim Smith is one of the other early Tulsa editors who will be remembered. He died many years ago after moving to California when his health failed here. He married a Tulsa girl, the daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Watson.

THE FIRST COMMERCIAL CLUB

The first Commercial club was organized in 1902. It was the fore-runner of the chamber of commerce of today.

There had been no reason for organizing the business men before the new century for the land had been owned by the Indians as a tribe and there was little that could be done with certainty to further Tulsa's growth. For the first 20 years of its existence, it must be remembered