Save our Anadarko Heritage Museum

Anadarko State Bank - Was located downtown on the North side of Broadway (Floyd's Barber shop & the Downtown Bakery). It was shutdown by the state in the summer of 1913 and the Hite bros, who owned all stock, were charged with embezzlement. LM Hite was the bank president. It burned down sometime after.

Anadarko First State Bank at 6th & Main. It was torn down 1955.

"I remember the first bank that was ever in Anadarko. It was called the First National Bank. They kept the money in a tool box, and this box set upon a platform, outside of the tent. There were guards on duty all night and day, guarding the money. People who wished to deposit their money could put the money in this box, and they were given a receipt, and it was ran just like a bank." - F.F. Davis 1937. This is from an interview for the Indian Pioneer Papers that are currently housed with the Western History Collection at the University of Oklahoma. (here's the link to his interview https://digital.libraries.ou.edu//collect/indianpp/id/7467)

This is a little younger than most of the items at the museum, but I recently purchased an album of the 1978-1979 Anadarko Instrumental Music Department. It contains songs played from the Junior High and High School bands of that year. I copied it to YouTube so everyone could listen (sorry for the quality). Enjoy! - Shelby Director: Phillip Phyillaier - Asst. Directors: Tony Hooper & Mike Minton https://youtu.be/-ZrgMJ8fgtY

We would like to thank Betty Bell, Risa Stacy, Lenna Miller White for all they have contributed to making the museum, pretty again! More before and after photos. The museum is looking for a curator. You can put in your application at city hall.

We would like to thank Kenneth Corn, RD Robnett and all the city employees for their help cleaning up the courtyard at the Museum.. They took down all the broken limbs. Weed removal and spraying for the next weeds. These are before and after photos!Thank you so much!

Around 11am this morning (1/19/21) crews removed the large sign that has stood above the Miller Theater. The rest of the building will be torn down in the next few hours/days. Please share any memories you have of the Miller or any of the other theaters from Anadarko's past! https://youtu.be/2_bf3LSINPM

Thank You for the service of all veterans of WWII ! PLEASE HELP us in identifying others from the Anadarko area who were at Pearl Harbor on that day or who may have passed as a result of the attack. Rest In Peace Herman Bledsoe, who died at the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Bledsoe is said to have been from the Anadarko area, and had ties to Lookeba. He was serving as Steward's Mate Second Class on the USS Nevada, and was later buried in Hawaii. He was... said to be one of only fifty from the Nevada's 1500 Sailors who passed during the attack. Find A Grave Info: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61605644/herman-bledsoe USS Nevada During The Attack: https://www.history.navy.mil//uss-nevada-during-the-pearl-

The Fair Store was a staple in Anadarko early on in her days. I'm guessing this made her a target, as it reports to have been robbed multiple times in the local papers in 1910. On November 21, 1910 it was reported that robbers had broke in the night before and actually blew the safe.

This is a side post to the one earlier about statehood. I've already had the question "Where was James Brown Lumber?". It would have been located at the Corner of 6th and C Street (now 1st & Main. East of 1st State Bank and South of the Police Station.)

November 16 is Oklahoma Statehood day. Annette Ross Hume captured a plea for statehood during the Anadarko 1 year anniversary parade (Aug. 6, 1902) ("Give Us Statehood"). Notice the ladies behind the wagon in regalia with their parasols. This was five years before actual statehood. The second photo is for street reference of the same street in Jan. 1902 (also a Hume photo). The last photo is of a newspaper article from The (Anadarko) Daily Democrat-Nov 16, 1907.

From my personal Facebook a year ago. If you think you’ve seen it before, you probably have. - Shelby 110 YEARS AGO TODAY: On the evening of Saturday November 12, 1910 Police Officer Ralph Harrison encountered a Mexican man by the name of Antoni Salies. He had a report that Salies was creating a rough house on Main St near the K.C. Hotel.' While attempting the arrest, Mr. Salies resisted and was quickly hit with Officer Harrison’s club. Salies jerked away to produce a g...Continue reading

I wrote this last year on my (@Shelby Jones) personal Facebook, and thought I would share it here this year. (Remember I'm a tech guy and not a writer. It's a bit wordy. Please bear with be.) So what happened on Oct. 23 & 24 in Darko History? Even when I was younger, I loved history. Naturally, when the family would go over into Missouri and Arkansas I was always begging to go to one of the Civil War battlefields. I mean come on...they have cannons. Clearly not unders...Continue reading