RonnieAdventure #0496 - Oklahoma 2021 Part IV

Due to fire concerns, in the early 1900s the town of Buffalo (population 1,299) required all building to be constructed of stone, so many of the historic buildings have survived and are still in use today. At the turn of the century, there were five different newspapers in Buffalo, but in 1903 the two largest papers (Buffalo Republican and the Harper County Democrat) consolidated into the Harper County Journal, which is still published weekly.

Gate (population 93) is the "gateway" to the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Panhandle is also known as "No Man's Land," "Public Land Strip," "Neutral Strip," and "Cimarron Territory."  Originally, Gate was the "gateway" to a ranching area. Most of the commercial stores in Gate have been abandoned, except for Laurie's Café that is reported to have a 5-star rating.  

Beaver (population 1,515) was named after a fur-trading post that was located along Beaver Creek. Early residents wanted Beaver to be the capital of a proposed Cimarron Territory, but the US Government never recognized the proposal and the Panhandle area became part of Oklahoma Territory. 

As people moved into the Panhandle area, it became known as "No Man's Land" because there were no laws or law enforcement officers. Outlaws frequently committed crimes in Kansas and Texas, then rode across the border into the Panhandle to avoid being arrested. Crime rate in the Panhandle became so high that the settlers started forming vigilance committees and many outlaws and less desirables were hanged without a formal trial. 

Historically the Jones Plummer Trail passed through Beaver and was originally used to transport buffalo meat and hides to Dodge City, Kansas. Later the trail was used as a freight route and at one point in time there were over 150,000 pounds of freight passing through Beaver each week. 

The Jones and Plummer Trail Museum in Beaver contains a history of the area; and although the museum was closed when I stopped, there were a number of outdoor exhibits located around the grounds. 

US Highway 412 west of Guymon (population 12,965) runs "razor-edge straight" for 47.7 miles. Although not contiguous, when also considering the 17.8 miles east of Guymon, the total "razor-edge straight" length of US Highway 412 is 65.5 miles, making it the longest straight road in the United States.  

Goodwell (population 1,293) received its name because of the "good well" found there by travelers. 

In 1909 the Pan-Handle Agricultural Institute was establish in Goodwell, and after several name changes the Institute is now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University. In 1932 the Science Department established the No Man's Land Museum and in 1934 a historical society was formed and assumed control of the museum. It was reported that the museum contains a comprehensive collection of historical items, but the museum was not open the morning I visited the campus. 

Boise City (population 1,266) is the first American city that was bombed by the United States Army Air Force During WW II. 

On a July 6, 1943 night training mission, a military bomber was off course by 45 miles and accidently dropped bombs on Boise City. Then, on August 16, 1943, Tarnov, Nebraska, was bombed and on July 13, 1944, Sierra Blance, Texas, was mistakenly used for target practice. Fortunately, all of the bombs dropped had reduced explosive charges and no people were injured, although a few buildings were destroyed 

A bomb monument was reported to be located directly across the street from the courthouse, but I could not locate the monument. I visited with people working in the courthouse and they informed me that bomb monument was temporarily removed while the City was doing renovations to utility lines, sidewalks, and streets. They did not know when the monument would be returned. The below-listed picture of the bomb monument is from the web.

Web Picture by "Cluckleberry Hen"

On the way out of town I noticed a dinosaur and a Tin Man by the side of the road. The Tin Man appeared to be looking for some wood to chop, but apparently the dinosaur had eaten almost all of the vegetation in the area.