Squabbles

The big squabble was over the location of the county seat, and "The Panhandle Agricultural Institute" which had been authorized by the state legislature. There were two candidates for both in the field. The towns of Hooker, and Guymon. The contest grew hot and bitter. Mr. J.R.P. Sewell owned a bank in the town of Goodwell and had helped very materially to build a handsome brick church house, and had helped with other financial interests in Goodwell. He and his friends wanted the Panhandle Agricultural Institute located at Goodwell. When the contest reached the stage, where it looked as if Hooker would win the county seat; Mr. Sewell made a proposition that Goodwell would support Guymon in the county seat contest, if Guymon would support Goodwell's claim for location of the Panhandle Agricultural Institute. Guymon wanted both the county seat and the institute, but Hooker was giving so much opposition they accepted Mr, Sewell's proposition, and so it ended up by Guymon winning the county seat and Goodwell winning the P. A. I. [OPSU] as the school was called.

Other Local Squabbles

There were many other local squabbles about the formation of school districts. Before some of these squabbles were settled, the exodus had set in and so many people left the county it was several years before all school districts were laid out and boundaries for them were established.

Developing public schools which involved the laying out and defining of boundary lines of each school district. It appeared that every family wanted the schoolhouse located next door to their own doorstep. This issue created many heated arguments, as there were several legal questions involved, such as a deed or. title to the necessary land, because at that time no homesteader had proved upon his claim; therefore no legal title to the land could be had.

Another question was the matter of financing the building and the payment of teacher's salary. To the everlasting credit of the settlers, the early schoolhouses were financed and built by private and personal donations of cash and labor. However, there were, as yet, no deeds to the land and the only revenue that could be raised by taxes was on what little personal property there happened to be in the newly formed district, (which was very little, indeed).

Schools were organized throughout the area, and some of them were good schools at that. After the schoolhouses were built, by common consent and practice, each school house served as a gathering place for the community, where they had religious services, churches, or other public functions.

The "Boomers" (Homesteaders) were moving out of the country rapidly in 1909. By the end of 1910 the area was just about deserted. The schoolhouses were left to stand, abandoned to the wind and the weather. About 1914 the conditions improved, and the few original homesteaders who had survived began the real development of the country. Later the school districts were consolidated and were adequately financed. At that time the schools were on a sound basis and remained so until a few years ago when the state legislature enacted a law which consolidated many schools and provided bus transportation to central schools, mostly in towns. In our particular area we have a good cause to be proud of our schools as they rate very high with schools throughout the state.