County examiner says radio network’s report is not true
— Sequoyah County Times, April 4, 1974
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 Years Ago
(From the April 4, 1999, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Efforts to increase the database of the Sequoyah County 911 system are moving forward, Albert Marquez, chairman of the 911 Trust, said Friday.
Database information sheets from the Blackgum area have been turned in and information is being entered and verified for the area, he said.
“The Blackgum Fire Department gathered the information sheets for us. They have worked with us on this all along,” Marquez said.
Information sheets will be distributed to other fire departments in the county to help update the system’s database, he said.
Marquez added that the county is still working on obtaining two toll-free phone numbers so people in the Sequoyah County 911 area can call in and update their database information.
50 Years Ago
(From the April 4, 1974, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Rep. Bob Parrish, Sallisaw, told Your TIMES this week that he received a letter from State Inspector and Examiner John M. Rogers Monday that completely refuted an Oklahoma News Network (ONN) story that said, “Sequoyah County is the Most Corrupt County in the State.”
Parris said Rogers sent the letter to him Monday on the eve of a planned speech by Parris on the floor of the House of Representatives defending the credibility of county officials.
Parris said Rogers said in letter that he did not make the statement nor did anyone in his office that Sequoyah County is the most corrupt county in the state.
The local representative told Your TIMES Rogers said he felt like the man (ONN newsman Joe Pennington) was exaggerating and making “a grandstand play out of information that he, the reporter, had obtained.” The inspector told Parris that he said if all of the allegations were true, he would check into the county and that was the only comment that he gave the newsman.
—“Zero Plus” calling, a long-distance service that allows telephone users to dial operator-assisted calls direct, will come to Sallisaw this summer.
Dave Phillips, manager for southwestern Bell, said Zero-Plus will enable customers to dial their own person-to-person, credit card and collect calls in much less time than it now takes to place such call through an operator.
75 Years Ago
(From the April 8, 1949, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —On Tuesday, April 5, the Chamber of Commerce inaugurated a program which is hoped will be another step on the starting of the broiler industry in this county.
Under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce 2,000 baby chickens were given to 40 4-H and FFA club members. Each recipient received 50 chickens and a quantity of feed, which was donated by Bynum’s Grocery Store, IGA Grocery Store, Jones Feed Store and Matthews Grocery.
Each boy and girl who received chickens has entered into an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce that he will give the chickens proper care and attention and when the chickens are 12 weeks old, he is to return eight of the chickens to the Chamber of Commerce. The balance of the chickens are his to dispose of as he sees fit.
Also, each club member accepting chickens has been asked to have a poultry entry in the County Fair this fall.
—It was announced April 1 that Skeet Ivey has bought back Ivey’s Drug Store from Dewey Maddux and Paul Bollinger.
Ivey sold the drug store to Maddux and Bollinger last October when doctors advised him that he should take things a little easier, however, “recent checkups gave me the green light to get back in the harness,” Ivey said.
Ivey’s Drug Store was founded in 1902 by the late Mr. C.F. Ivey and has been in the family ever since except for the six months period that Maddux and Bollinger operated it.
—J.M. Goins, who is with the State Department of Agriculture in Oklahoma City, said today that there will be spray truck in the county starting Monday, April 11.
Mr. Goin said that all those who want their cattle sprayed for tick and fly control should be in touch with Mr. C.L. Weatherford, County Agent, either by coming to his office or writing a postcard stating the number of cattle they wish sprayed at their farm. All these requests should be in County Agent’s office before April 11, said Mr. Goin, so that the truck’s schedule can be worked out.
Mr. Goin said that DDT and BHC of sufficient strength will be used and should give good control if the cattle are sprayed from three weeks to a month intervals.
100 years ago
(From the March 28, 1924, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —The world can go on believing that Ed Lockhart was a bad man, but to a grief stricken little girl who is preparing to return to her home in the scenic Ozarks of Western Arkansas, he was the most adorable human that ever lived.
She is Maud Sitton Lockhart, widow of the last of Oklahoma’s triumvirate of outlaws, Henry Starr, Al Spencer and Lockhart. Today as memory lingers back to her last look at the lifeless form that was placed at rest in McCoy Cemetery, near here, Monday afternoon, the tears cascade down her dark cheeks. There’s a choking sensation in her throat and her flashing black curly eye lashes glue together.
“He was the best husband that ever lived. He loved his babies better than he loved his life. He always provided well for us and we were never in want. He had so many friends who were willing to keep him informed of the officers that he had no difficulty in keeping from being arrested.
—Mrs. Florence Starr, administratrix for the estate of Washington Starr, through her attorney filed a suit in the district court Monday against the Missouri-Pacific railroad company, alleging that injuries sustained by her husband when he fell from the train was the cause of his death several weeks later. Mrs. Starr asks for $2,990.00 damages.
Washington Starr was one of the oldest settlers of this section of the state and was among the Cherokee leaders during the territorial days. He served as a special U.S. marshal for a number of years and made a large acquaintance throughout t his section of the state.
