The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-22
Holdenville, Ind. T., a Good IL
lustration of How Communities
Spring Up in That Favored Sec
ton Of the Country.
GROWING LIKE A WEED
AND WILL GROW FASTER
All It Is Waiting For Is the Allot-
ment of Lands to the Creeks,
When 1t Will Enter Upon a
Wonderful Development.
BY HERBERT VANDERHoOF.
Special Corresnondence .--e

&1OLOhNflL ina. T., Oct. ia
few years ago the site OF this town was
cattle range, and this and the country
surrounding 1t for many miles was the
1aVorite grazing ground for many thou
sands OF the long horned variety Of the
Iexas steer. In herds that extended as.
1ar as the eye could see, they were driven I
UP mere from the less favored regions OF
Texas to be fattened on the succulent
grasses Of this region for the Northern
markets. The genesis of Holdenville,
threfore, may be said to date from the
time Of the cowboy, but that time has
passed away never to return. -4a
They don't use the country around here
xor a range any more. The only "herds"
or cattle that can be seen are the few
That the averagefarmer keeps, and these
are or the blooded and thoroughbred va
Tiety. The long horned Texan has also
had his day. The wondrous AGRICULTURAL
possibilities of the land in this section
were found out, and with the marvellous
railway development that has taken place
In this Southwest country, the land be-
came too valuable for use as a cattle
range. 1t paid better for the crops that
could be grown on it, and therefore the
hester" came in and has been reaping
a fortune from the fertile soil.
Whatever development has taken place
in this country had to come from the
work of the "nester," because the Indian
owners were too rich and also too lazy
ana lmprovldent to take advantage of
their magnificent heritage. Neither could
they sell any of their lands. They could
lease them, however, and the white men
came In here and have made the territory
ABOUT one of the most magnificent agri-
cultural regions in the world The In
dams were satisfied to look on and wonder
81 the industry that the white men ex-
moited, but such a thought as emulation
never entered their minds. They obtained
an easy income from their lands without
any labor, and were perfectly willing that
otners should have the exertion.
Town Bound to Grow.
Holdenville is the result of the white
mans endeavors. 1t is also the result of
the railway building of the past few
years, and IN respect to railway facilities
IS so faVorably situated that it is bound
to grow, even If it lacked the natural adj
Vantages which it possesses. 1t is the
junction point of two great railway svs-
TENS. The main line of the Rock island
system from the east to thetwest passes
through the town, while the main line of
the frisco system from the north to the
south does likewise, thus effecting a
junction that gives the town direct com
munlcat1on with all parts OF Indian ter
Titory and Oklahoma
doldenV1lle is now town Of about 8. 900
inhabitants and growing with rapidtty.
This growth is bound to be greatly stimu-
=. lated when the allotment of lands to the
Creeks~ln whose nation it is situated
mas peen accomplished. 1t will undoubt-
eoIy become great manufacturing CEN
ter. It should become a center for the
cotton industry, because of it's close prox-
unity to the cotton growing country and
the cheapness Of fuel. While not in the
Goa! belt, 1t Is SO close to the great mines
at South McAlester that the coal can he
laid down in the town at the very slight
est expense. A short distance to the
south is Ardmore, which is the greatest
cotton shipping town in the territory.
HoloenVllle therefore occupies a geo.
graphical situation in respect to these
TWO great necessities which it would be
ol1cult to equal and almost impossible
to excel.
Lands of Great Possibilities.
The lands Of the Creeks comprise 8. O72.-
S12 acres, and after these have been al
lotted there will be many hundreds Of
thousands of acres which will be open for
sale to the white man. All this lan6
possesses the highest agricultural posi-.
n bllities, to say nothing of the minera
wealth which 1t may contain and which
Us yet an unknown quantity. Wheat, cot.
ton, corn, and oats yield the. most aston
ashlng crops, while the country in the vi
cintty OF Holdenville has been found to b.
especially adapted to fruit growing, an(
thriving orchards and vineyards can b;
found scattered about the country fo1
many miles. A canning factory is one o
the imperative needs of this city, and tn,
people who establish it cannot fail t,
reap a fortune.
AS a trading point Holdenville is mos
favorably situated. 1t is quite close to tn
Oklahoma border, and the railway facili
a1es which it enjoys enable it to cater t.
p prosperous part Of that territory as wei
es Indian territory. The border line be
tween the two territories is of the mos
peculiar configuration at this particula
point, Oklahoma making a jog whic
brings portion of it south of the lati
tude of Holdenville. Going west from tn
G latter town to Chickasha, which is ais
or the Oklahoma border, one would trave
through part Of the Indian territory
then through a good section of Oklahoma
and finish up his journey in the India
territory again.
BY Way of Summary.
In summing up the opportunities at
forded by the opening of so resourceful
territory it is we'll to consider for mo
ment some of the general condition
throughout the country which go far to
ward rounding out the meaning of tn
word ''opportunity." Seemingly thi
opening does not by any means hold on
the advantages to the settler which tn
great Oklahoma opening of 1889 present
ed. The unoccupied town lot is the on]
spot in Indian territory where, by i'm
proving, it is possible to secure land in
manner similar to that by which the Ok
lahoma claim was possessed.
But many changes enter as factors int
the equation Today the only outlet fl
the rapid congestion OF the country q