Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-04
THE YOUNGEST TOWN
Thomas, Oklahoma, Enjoys That
Distinction at Present.
ITS EXISTENCE BEGAN YESTERDAY
Has About 1000 Inhabitants and a
Promising Future-Located in the
Most Fertile Part of Fertile State
Daily Newspaper Already Started.

Thomas, Oklahoma, is the youngest
town in the United States though it is
by no means the smallest. 1t
is just a few days old
and is inhabited by two thousand
sturdy and energetic men and women
from Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, peo-
pie who have the blood of the pioneers
of the country flowing in their veins,
lawyers, doctors, business men, clerks,
people who follow almost every voca-
ton in the list of occupations pursued
throughout the United States, have
cast their fortunes with those of this
mushroom town and are determined to
make it success or know a substan-
tial reason for their failure.
Thomas is built on a good substan-
ual basis, although it sprang UP in
night. On Tuesday evening big special
trains left Kansas City for Oklahoma,
and yesterday morning saw nearly
1000 people on the ground. Already
buildings had been moved to the town
site by "sooners," some of them having
been rolled, pushed and pulled for a
score of miles.
Accompanying the crowd was a
brass band of twenty pieces, led by
Prof. George Dull, of Trenton, Mo. The
musicians are the pick from a dozen
towns in Missouri, and Iowa, and sere-
nades and speeches were given en-
route. The townmakers stopped few
hours at Oklahoma City on Wednesday
morning and they were shown the
pride of the southwest by the 800 mem
bers of the commercial club of that
flourishing city. There were meals
and beds in tents and all who went got
accommodations. Steel and wooden
dwellings and business houses were
shipped in advance, and the putting
together required but few hours.
The Promoters.
The town owes its birth to the fer
tile minds of Henry Wettstein, presi.
dent; H. w. Rob, vice president and
business manager; R. M. Cook, treas
urer; George H. Rice, secretary, of the
Oklahoma railway townsite company
of Trenton, Mo- Mr.. Wettstein is a
capitalist and at present is mayor OF
Trenton. R. NJ Cook is cashier of the
Trenton national bank Mr.. Rob has
abundant means. He is breeder Of
high-class live stock and owns drug
store in that city Mr. Rice made his
money in the Klondike regions. Wher
the town was first made it was laiC
out on blue paper, with 1000 lots
parks, avenues and streets. Just 1900
lots at $40 each were sold and 1900
We're reserved for sale when the tow
was opened. It has already been in
corporated and three banks have beer
chartered to begin business at once
Alternate lots have been sold TO
$1,000. but the excitement bega1
August 81, when the drawing for lot
occurred. Every lot-holder trusted
to luck and the big lottery wheel tt
place him uptown" 1t was blu,
sky scheme from the start with bril-
liant finish. 1t was cooperative
scheme. so to speak, and was boun,
to be success. Only matter o
faith in the promoters and hearty &C
operation among the members of tn
colony sold the 1000 lots. 1t wa
agreed that the lot-holders should az
point locating committee to visit Ok
lahoma and select the townsite.
Abba Man on Committee.
The committee was: L. L. Oreal
Milan, Mo; Ed M. Noble, Abba, Ia
John W. Proctor, H. w. Rob and r. N
Cook, Trenton, Mo- After spendin
some weeks on the extension of diffel
ent railroads in Oklahoma, the gel
tlemen selected Custer county and
point far enough from Blackwell o
the Frisco for division, naming tn
place Thomas
A Daily Paper.
A live town could not be withou
a newspaper, in fact, the latter is tn
factor that builds the former. With
few hours after the excursionist
landed on the prairie by the classi
Canadian river, the first number {
the Thomas Tribune was issued frol
tent. The paper will be printed da
lly. The editors will be Edgar S. Brol
son and Norris A. Nichols, both we
tSnown to the Missouri press associ
tion. They are considered hustler
and excellent writers. Consi,
cradle advertising space has q
ready been engaged in the new pape
The printing plant is just from til
foundry and is quite an expensive on
Origin of Idea.
In May, 1901, four Trenton capita