City officials seek power from Grand River dam

— Sequoyah County Democrat, June 3, 1949

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the May 30, 1999, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Residents of Sequoyah County shouldn’t worry about the leap into the next millennium. Banks and utility providers throughout the area say they are prepared for Year 2000 (Y2K).

Sallisaw city Manager Jim Hudgens said the flow of water and electricity will not be affected.

“Our distribution service is not dependent on computer software,” he said. “All services will remain on.”

—The demolition of explosives and ordnance at the Sallisaw landfill shook some Sallisaw residents at about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday.

A spokesman for the District Attorney’s District 27 Drug Task Force said demolition experts destroyed about 22 pounds of explosives at the landfill, after gaining permission from the city and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The explosives were found during a drug raid in Adair County, which was part of a four-day drug sweep in Sequoyah, Adair and Cherokee counties, the spokesman said.

The Sallisaw landfill was also used as a disposal site because access to the landfill can be controlled by law enforcement.

The explosives destroyed were several kinds of military munitions including 90 mm blank rounds, which contained explosives but no projectiles. Pyrotechnic devices were also destroyed.

50 Years Ago

(From the May 30, 1974, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —A ‘special emphasis” conducted by area law enforcement agents Friday night and Saturday morning at Lake Tenkiller netted 23 arrests, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. Denny Lindley said Tuesday.

Lt. Lindley said numerous reports were called in to the sheriff’s office by campers at the county recreation area that other people were ransacking their camps, riding motorcycles through campsites, stealing boats and other acts of vandalism.

The patrolman said a “special emphasis” is a concentrated effort in one certain area by law officers to control disturbances in that area.

75 Years Ago

(From the June 3, 1949, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —It was announced today by Fred Johnston, City Manager, that the Sallisaw City Commissioners are planning to confer in the near future with the Grand River Dam Authority to obtain electrical energy for Sallisaw.

The GRDA has a power line to the old Camp Gruber site at Braggs, sand a line of only 23 miles would be required to connect Sallisaw with the Dam’s present distribution system.

With the coming of summer months a number of local business firms have installed air-conditioning units which are putting a maximum load on the city’s generating facilities. The plant has been operation at full capacity 24 hours a day, and it has been necessary to buy additional power to supplement locally generated electrical energy.

It has been learned on good authority that a large industrial plant plans to move to Sallisaw if the needed power can be secured.

It is understood that the plant which is contemplating moving into Sallisaw would require approximately as much electricity as is now being used by the entire city.

—Several new pieces of dental equipment were installed this past week in the dental office of Dr. W.W. Breedlove located in the Sallisaw Medical Center.

A new Ritter X-ray unit that can produce the finished x-ray in 14 seconds replaced an older unit. He also installed a Roto-seat which provides more comfort and ease for the dentist while attending a patient. A modern “castle” overhead light was installed which removes the glare and shadows as thrown off in other types of lighting equipment.

100 years ago

(From the May 30, 1924, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —A raging tornado struck a path one mile wide just southeast of Muldrow about seven o’clock Wednesday evening and claimed three lives and demolished a number of farm houses.

J.M. Breace and two of his children were instantly killed when the tornado demolished his home three miles southwest of Muldrow and injured another. The storm suddenly dropped on the community just like a bolt of lightning from the sky and swept everything in its path. The twister was about a mile wide, taking with it, barns, farm houses, fence posts, telephone posts and livestock.

It is said the twister demolished a number of houses. Three houses near the Loan Oak school house on the Albert Pike Highway were completely destroyed and the occupants saved their lives by seeking shelter in a potato house. The houses were carried away and in one instance a barn was left standing without a shingle blown away.

It is not definitely known how much damage was caused by the twister in this county, but it is estimated to run in thousands of dollars.