Chronicles of Oklahoma
Volume 11, No. 3
September, 1933
GREER COUNTY PIONEERS ORGANIZE
Page 889
"Old Greer County Pioneers" was chosen as the name of the organization of the early settlers of Greer County, Texas, when
they met in their first reunion at Hollis, July 26, 1933. To be eligible for membership one must have been a resident of the
strip of territory known as Greer County, Texas before 1896, the date of the Supreme Court decision that settled the boundary
dispute between Texas and the United States and which declared this strip to be a part of Oklahoma Territory.
Elmer Gardner was chosen president; Mrs. S. W. Hopkins elected secretary and two vice-presidents, George Briggs and Drew Thomas,
were chosen.
Invitations for 1934 meeting places were given by Mangum, county seat of the present Greer County, and capital of Old Greer
and by Altus. Altus invitation was presented by Stansell Whiteside, Altus attorney, who has the honor of being the first white
child born in Old Greer. The invitation to meet at Mangum was presented by Mrs. Ashley Wilson, whose father, H. C. Sweet,
came to Greer in 1884 and laid off the Mangum townsite.
"Native Sons and Daughters", composed of persons born in Greer prior to 1896, elected Russel Reeves, of Gould, president.
Grey Newman, of Hollis, Mrs. Hester Rude Young of Mangum, and Stansell Whiteside of Altus were chosen vice-presidents and
Mrs. J. G. White, secretary.
A feature of the reunion was the trip made from Mangum to Hollis by the remnant of the old J Buckle and H bar Y riders by
horseback, accompanied by their chuck wagon and cook. S. H. Tittle, foreman of these brands in 1880 and still active, made
the trip in the saddle as well as sleeping out as he did in his younger days. He is now over eighty years of age.
The most conservative estimate gave the attendance at 15,000,
Argus Dickerson
Vinson, Okahoma
Return to top
Electronic Publishing Center |
OSU Home |
Search this Site
|
