|
April 15, 2012
WOLF CREEK HERITAGE MUSEUM NOTES by Virginia Scott MUSEUM HAPPENINGS We had a good week and this week is looking good. On Friday we had a visit from the Lewis Family whose family clothing we have on exhibit. The family is one of six families who will be featured in the Ken Burns PBS special on the Dust Bowl. The Travis family from Follett will also be featured with interviews of Trixie about the families survival during the Dust bowl. Dorothy Schoenhals is a member of the Travis family. The museum was host to the Florentine Films production staff when they were in our area and assisted them in collecting Dust Bowl photographs and documents. On Saturday, the museum staff journeyed to Goodwell, OK to preview the production. It was an excellent program and a treat to meet many of the people who experienced the depression and the horrible storms during the Dust bowl. The four hour special on the Dust Bowl will be aired on the PBS channel on November 18 and 19. Mark your calendars ! The weather has finally cooperated with Lance Bussard so he could prepare the ground for our Quanah Parker Arrow. It should be upright on the center of our lawn when you read this article so the next time you visit the museum we will have a new look. When you see Lance thank him for all the work he does for the museum. He is one of our loyal supporters and volunteers. Hopefully, I will be able to submit a photo of the arrow once it is in the ground. HISTORICAL MUSINGS It has been 65 years since a now recognized F-5 tornado ripped through five panhandle towns with 132 people killed and destruction of towns and families that is still felt in our area. The Woodward tornado on Sunday morning reminds all of us of the vulnerability of our area. Looking at the destruction of tornados, it is amazing at some of the stories that develop from these storms is also amazing. The following is one of the stories from 1947: Enclosed with a letter from Harold Bragg, Of Wilmore, Kansas was an old John Deere invoice made to Carl Freeman and a photograph of Harold Taylor of Higgins. These two pieces of paper were picked up by Mr. Bragg in his pasture in northeast corner of Comanche County, Kansas, along with a blank check on the First National Bank of Higgins. Mr. Freeman stated that the invoice was filed in a steel filing cabinet in Glazier. This invoice is the only evidence found of the steel cabinet or its contents. The other material is assumed to have been picked up by the tornado in Higgins and all carried 150 miles into Kansas. We also have the marriage certificate of Raymond and Jean Weis on exhibit that survived the tornado with only a small chip damage. These items represent the survival of the residents who live through nature’s storms to carry on with our rich heritage and way of life. All of our emergency personnel from all our towns have responded this week to assist the people of Woodward recover, we thank each of you for your dedication to your community. Be safe and have a good week. |
 |
© 2006 - 2024 Wolf Creek Heritage Museum
All Rights Reserved |