Sidewalk extended on Elm Street

This Week in County History

— Sequoyah County Democrat, Nov. 24, 1922

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times 25 Years Ago

(From Nov. 23, 1997, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

–Crime, overall, increased for the years 1994 through 1996 in Sequoyah County, reported the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in a report recently released.

The report, compiled from reports made by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in five county towns, reveals the county’s crime rate has risen from 22.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in 1994 to 28.7 per 1,000 residents in 1996.

The county’s most popular crimes, the report indicates, are felonious assaults, breaking and entering, and larceny.

Reporting agencies also reported four murders in the county in 1996; six murders in 1995; and none in 1994.

50 Years Ago

(From the Nov. 23, 1972, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Seven barges being towed upstream past W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam, located south of Muldrow on the Arkansas River, Sunday night broke loose from their towboat and crashed into the spillway portion of the dam.

There were no injuries in the accident, but damage to three gates at the dam has been described as heavy by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

By 5 p.m. Monday, six of the barges had been moved upstream from the dam, and the seventh barge had sunk just downstream from the structure, the corps reported.

—Grier’s 1972 Almanac predicted that the date, Nov. 21, 1972, would be “blustery” but did not hint at snow at all. Early Tuesday morning it was evident that the almanac was not accurate: snow was falling at a rapid rate, bringing Sequoyah County the possibility of a “White Thanksgiving.”

Parts of the state north and west of the county had reported measurable amounts of snow earlier, but the Tuesday snowfall was the first for the season in this area.

75 Years Ago

the Nov. 28, 1947, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—An early morning fire Tuesday completely burned the upper story of the First Methodist church in Sallisaw after firemen battled flames for almost an hour and a half before bringing them under control.

Rev. A. Max Holcomb, pastor of the razed church, has announced immediate plans for its reconstruction and issued an optimistic report Wednesday that the rebuilding should be finished in the near future.

It was first thought the fire was started from a gas stove, but the minister said investigations now reveal the holocaust was probably caused by faulty wiring in the rear end of the second story. Rev. Holcomb noticed smoke boiling out of the church around 7:15 a.m. and immediately turned in the alarm, but Marvin Tinney, who was passing on his way to work, had already placed a call just minutes before.

—Two Ft. Smithians payed fines totaling $75 this week when they appeared before County Judge J.T. Brockman after being hauled into court for a knifing and fighting scrap at the racing grounds on the north edge of Sallisaw Nov. 2, records in the court clerk’s office reveal.

Originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon, Mrs. Wanda Garner, plead guilty and paid a fine of $50 and costs after the charge was reduced upon a motion by the county attorney, to assault and battery.

J. Garner, her husband, who was first charged with assault with intent to kill, plead guilty and paid a fine of $25 and costs for breach of the peace.

According to court records, Mrs. Garner stabbed C.R. Bradley, Miami, Okla., with a knife during a brawl at the race track, and her husband was said to have made an assault with a pistol on H.M. McKinney of Muskogee.

100 years ago

(From the Nov. 24, 1922, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat)

—Albert N. Marrs is dead and William Newman and his brother, F.T. Newman are in the county jail held for the death of Marrs. The trouble that ended in a fatal blow struck by William Newman started over some hogs belonging to Marrs getting into the Newman corn field and destroying corn.

On last Sunday afternoon about three o’clock Marrs met the Newman boys in front of the Newman home and the fight began. Marrs and the Newmans live only 60 yards apart, and it is claimed by the Newmans that they had asked Marrs to keep his hogs up until they were able to gather their corn, this he failed to do and when they met Sunday afternoon a personal encounter took place and it is claimed that F.T. Newman assisted his brother in the fight. The men had fallen to the ground during the struggle and as they were getting to their feet Will Newman picked up a rock and threw it at Marrs striking him in the head, fracturing his skull which caused death a few hours later.

Sheriff C.M. Gay was notified and he went to the scene of the trouble and arrested the Newman boys.

—The old concrete sidewalk in front of the Citizens National Bank building has been taken up and a new concrete walk put down to take its place. The old walk was filled with holes and to keep abreast with the sidewalk building in our city the owners decided to have a new walk laid. In front of the Democrat office on Elm Street, the sidewalk has been extended three feet. New walk has been built around the Huckelberry property on the Corner of Elm and Chickasha streets. This gives students of the Quesenbury school who live in the upper part of town concrete walks to school.