Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-24
How tho city Got It's Euphonious
Nnme-A Beautiful site on which
to Bund-crops Near by.


okarche is neat little town in Okla.
homa TERRITORY, on the line of the Chica-
go, Rock Island and Pacific railroad,
about midway between III Reno and
kiugfsher. / is not Ia Oklahoma prop
er, but in the former Cheyenne and
Arapahoe reservation. and therefore
three years younger than the two cities
named.
When the Rock Island had advanced
as far as Kingfsher, in the early days
of Oklahoma proper, the intention was
to continue the road in n southwest di.
rection, leaving Oklahoma aud crossing
the Red river near the mouth Of Cache
creek about twenty miles little east
of north from Wichita Falls, Texas
The first station outside Of Oklahoma
was called Okarchc, from the first syl.
tables in the words Oklahoma, Arapuhoe
and Cheyenne. When the road had been
built to that point the plan was chang.
ed. and 1t was made to re-cnter Oklnho.
mn aud pass through l,l Reno.
When, on the 18th Of April, 1872. the
Cheyenne and Arapnhoe reservations
We're opened TO settlement. a town was
laid out at Okarchc. thus brought into
oklahoma. A beautiful level townsite.
win slcDo sufficient for drainage Fonr
technical eighties ON four different sec
ions where those sections corner, were
taken for TOWNSHIP. Other parties took
homcsteods, the qunrter-sectons whore
OF whose eighties formed part. OF
course a conflict arose. but, unlike al.
most everywhere else in Oklahoma COM
promise was quickly made. Each claim
ant Of quarter contcnted himself with
TO acres. aud the TOWNSHIP was reduced
ties.
A fee Of 50 10 So. paid to the local
board, ANOTHER fee Of 81 .25 to a judge
of probate. and $40 with or without
warrant OF law collected by townsitc
board appointed by the secretary Of the
Interior. made good title TO a lot. No
uncertainty. no conflict. No man owns
over twcnty-three lots. and very few in
decd more than four or FIVE. Hence no
one can make u corner In lots.
The town Is IN two different counties
Klngiishcr and Canadian. OF the 100
acres tuwnsite. forty are subject to an
easance created in behalf Of the railroad
Company f93r the purpose of right-of-way,
station building. etc.
Two streets are 100 feet wide, the
others eighty Business lots, 21Nl05 feet,
sell for $50 to 500: residence lots,
5nx1G6 feet. so TO 500 There is an ex.
eellet hotel. a twostoy brick, owned
by Mr. MottIt. brother to the we'll
known Fort Worth householder aud con-
tractor. and kept by Mr.. G IT, Watfson,
formerly a resident Of Vernon. Tex.
besides two humber hOstelries, frame
buildings,
A two-s;ory brick building 4OxGO feet,
belongs to Mcssrs. Coon * Graves, the
leading merchants. They began mer-
chandisng in a general Store on the first
day of last December. That month their
sales aggregated about $500 In Feb
rlary the sales exceeded $4,000 and from
the day Of beginning till now have 0y-
Sraged $1,000 per month. Mr., Graves
alone has built and owns elevators az
| Okarchc. Henncsser l<nglisher, lll
Reno, Chicasha and Terral, on the Rock
| Island. and ut Mulhall, ON the Atchison,
| Topeka aud Santa Fe, all only just COM
| plcted and each with capacity of 10000
| bushels
There are ten smaller stores of various
| kinds. Mostly one-story frame; a few
| two-stories.
Two lumber yard, do big business
| especially one, branch yard boloug-
ing to the great Texas firm Of VIM Cam
eron Il Co,
Steps are being taken towards the
| Good brick is made close to town
| and sells for IS per 1000. Re
markahly good building stone, red sand
stone aud white limestone, is qunr1fed
near enough, being delivered in town for
| 81 per cord Of 214NS feet Various kinds
| of sand are found within three miles and
| costs In town 81 per cubic yard. Lime,
shipped in. COSTS S1.15 per barrel.
The Methodis,s, Roman Catholics,
German Lutherans, Baptists and CongrC~
gationalsts all have neat church build
ings,
On the first day of last November the
First National bank Of Okarche was cs-
tablished. Julius Loosen president. De
pOsits sometimes amount 70 $4,000. just
now thcy amount to only S130OO and
loans are about the same. The bank
building is very prcGy.
Okarchc Is surrounded by a most fer
tile country: n soil of rich sandy lonm.
To the east. In oklahoma proper, opened
on April ~, 1889, over one-half the hand
is in cultivation; 10 the west In the for
n.cr Cheyenne md Arapahoe reservation,
opened April 10. 1892, ncnrly one ;hird.
There are farmers who have 40 acres
ont OF 100 in under the plow. Some
keep only % or 30 not plOwed for pas
ture. and for winter feed for work
storl, and nilch cows grow millrt oats
and rootcrons. or feed cornstalks and
Inv hay. usually sold for 81 10 81 Nor