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Memoirs Of My Hometown

2/16/2015

98 Comments

 
By Mark House and Daisy Dean
CopyWrite 4.12.2014 and 4.12.1914


Born in Anadarko and raised in the rural community of Lookeba, Oklahoma, I've always been proud of my small town Caddo County roots and upbringing. From 1962 to 1976, I belonged to a family of people who lived and worked together towards higher education and brighter futures. As well, we all seemed to watch out for each other in a way that only family would and could care to do. There seemed to be enough issues to eliminate the idea of perfection, but, none more than what normal families would be expected to endure and conquer.
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One of my greatest memories from this time includes searching for and gathering empty pop bottles to trade in at Ingram's Grocery. This in effort to feel and hear the jangle of some small change in my pocket just long enough to walk next door to Mrs. Ingram's Dimestore and buy a few packs of baseball or football cards. In our current environment filled with video games and world wide webs, the experience might seem a bit mundane. But, to me, it was huge. With what I thought at the time was hard work, the potential reward of getting one of my favorite players from the St. Louis Cardinals or Minnesota Vikings from within the small wax paper packages was indescribable. Not to mention there was always a tasty piece of chewing gum found inside. A real nice bonus in case all I got was some Steelers and damn Yankees.
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A few favorite baseball and football cards collected as a seven year old in the summer of 1970. A dime would buy a wax pack of ten cards and a piece of tasty bubble gum at Mrs. Ingram's Dimestore in downtown Lookeba. They were always kept on the shelf behind the counter and over to the left at Mrs. Ingram's.
My youthful days spent growing up in Lookeba were not unlike most other young men of the times. School days seemed to last forever and the summers filled with little league baseball could not last long enough. A simple existence with simple pleasures are missed. Riding our bikes wherever we wanted and mostly whenever we wanted. Sometimes all the way to grandma's house and back which was a big thrill. A long three miles but a big thrill none the less.

A post game cold soda and a frito chili pie from the concession stand invades my memory when I think of best moments. A personal window of time that seemed to open and close faster than a young kid can swing a little league bat and soak it all in for what it was truly worth.
A personal and adventurous embrace with a little league baseball game with a cold Coke and a big smile captured on old school 8mm film.

As life moves on, things can change and those best moments can quickly become memories written about in blog form. Time spent as part of a small community family can become history before your own eyes. A personal and individual history that is fondly remembered and now recognized as a very brief window of life's time within a community's lengthy existence.

With age, I've gained enjoyment from exhuming historical details about things that interest me. Whether it's an old cap, a rare image or my hometown, I've found interesting details are sometimes lurking just beneath a surface that deserves looking underneath with a youthful curiosity.

This philosophy is what brought me to research the true roots of where I came from. It has been such an intriguing adventure of documents, data and images that have fused together in a way that seems interesting enough to share. While everyone, including myself, can make the mistake of thinking time started when they were born, it can be an amazing awakening to look back farther than your mind can imagine and see what can be discovered.

While thumbing through various historical images at an Oklahoma City antique market one day and a few years ago, I ran across some that were most interesting and of my hometown. More recently and while scanning through the archives of Oklahoma's Historical Society, I ran across some interesting and old articles about my hometown. As well, my friend and fellow Lookeba-ite (just made that up) Terri Hulsey has loaned me her mom's 1976 yearbook that is loaded with historical images and information. I believe my attempt to merge these antiquated images with the somewhat distant, rare and time eroded information will be of great interest to some. Maybe to those who come from my hometown or have just traveled through or visited family or friends there at some point within their lifetime?

The early twentieth century images above have been collected within the past few years. This for historical reference, preservation and enjoyment of sharing with the story of "my hometown."

In search of details past, it was certainly exhilarating to discover a supplement published within the "Lookeba Index" over one hundred (100) years ago on March 12, 1914. Many will be surprised to learn that citizens of Lookeba enjoyed readings of their own newspapers at one point in time. This particular supplement seems to fairly and accurately document exactly what I was looking for. The earliest history of my hometown. This would be the decade of its birth and its youthful existence.
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An Oklahoma History Center microfilm copy of the cover of the Lookeba Index as published on August 9, 1909. The Lookeba Index was established for publication and distribution by a Mr. D. Ogle earlier in the spring of 1909. Viola Ogle served as Assistant Publisher.
PictureJohn Dunn, Publisher
It is my hope that some will enjoy the historical documentation as written in supplement form by one Daisy Dean. Daisy notes information assistance coming from a Rachel Hageman, a Wilber Hadley, a Claude Nickell, a Ernest Hageman and a Arthur Hageman. There are a few question marks included which represent the inability to legibly read the text as archived on microfilm by the Oklahoma History Center. At the time of the printing and distribution of Daisy Dean's special supplement, John Dunn was recognized as the publisher of the Lookeba Index.

Daisy Dean documents early Lookeba, Oklahoma, history within a published supplement in the March 12, 1914, edition of The Lookeba Index:

"Lookeba -  a peculiar name for a town. How it came by that name no one knows certainly. But the majority of its inhabitants seem to believe the origin of the name to have been with Mrs. Loo, who took the first syllables of the names of the 3 townsite holders, Loo, Kelly and Baker, and formed the word Lookeba. But however it came by its name, we know it is Lookeba, and we know that had the townspeople been allowed their choice, we would now be living in Oakdale instead of in Lookeba.

The first settlers came here in the spring of 1901, and a year later the townsite company bought 160 acres of land - eighty from Mr. John Digman, and eighty from Miss Carrie Oplinger. A section line passes through the center forming the main street of the town and another, the boundary to the east. The grassy slopes of four hills form a sheltered valley; black-jack, cottonwood, walnut and elm trees furnished shade: there lies Lookeba.


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The Loula family as pictured left to right: Fred Jr., Carl, Wilbur and Harry with their mother Lizzie Loula. Image captured in 1902 and possibly taken by one of Lookeba's original pioneers Frank Loula at their family homestead. 

In the south part of town near the Chickasha gin, there used to stand a little house built of pine. It is not there now, and nothing is left whereby we may know its exact location. That was the home of Miss Carrie Oplinger - and the first house built in Lookeba.

The same spring the townsite was laid out, the farmers graded Rock Island railway, and in the summer the track was laid. On the morning of September 28, 1902, the startled trees echoed for the first time the shrill whistle of the locomotive, and the prairie, so long hidden from civilization, trembled for the first time beneath the form of the "Iron Horse." The mail bags were exchanged. Then it was ???? ???? - but it had left  ???? ???? of future development; and the hope of greater prosperity; the opportunity to "make good."
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A rare look at the Rock Island Railroad Depot in Lookeba as photographed in the early 1900's. The railraod was considered the vital element of Lookeba's early days of economic and physical growth.

In August, of 1902, a post office had been erected. Prior to that time the mail had been brought from Binger three times each week, and was distributed on sideboards set up on posts in front of Mr. Scholten's tent, in the northeast part of town.

After lengthy discussion it was decided that a schoolhouse should be built. It was not a fine house, nor very large, but it supplied the demand at that time. On December 1902, school opened, with Mr. Otis Russell in charge.

As needful to a community as a school is religion of some form. As was common in small towns a Union Sunday School, and a United Bro(e)throne Church were organized. No church was built, meetings being held in the schoolhouse. Rev. Mr. Johnston was the pastor.
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Image of Lookeba school students captured in the early 1900's. Students are standing on the front steps of Lookeba's original makeshift school house with their teacher Thresha Driscoll. This particular school house was constructed in 1902 and also utilized as one of the first locations of church gatherings by Reverend Johnston of the United Bretheren Church.

But to bring people into a (?) there must be the promise of better homes, more advantages, some faith in a betterment of their conditions. All depends on the productiveness of the soil, and what hope can these be for a place where irrigation is practically impossible and where it never rains? That seemed to be the proposition here, for from the time the first settlers came, not a drop of rain had fallen. The third of May, 1903 brought the longed-for rain. It began with a mist and ended with a fall of water that spread Sugar Creek all over the bottom land, forcing Mr. Beach's - and others living on low ground to vacate their homes in the middle of the night and wade through water waist deep to dry land. No serious damage was done, and indeed, most people counted it a very fortunate event. Like the Nile, Sugar Creek has overflowed its banks each year since, and like the Nile, it seems to carry new life to the worn out fields. There has never been a complete crop failure in our locality since that flood.

Then the business men began to come in. G.W. Knapp established the first store - "The Summit Grocery," The Maberry-Wise Hardware, and H.N. Christian's Department Stores followed. The cotton yield that fall justified the farmers in establishing the Farmers Gin, and the Nickell and Allen gin was also erected that year. This year 1903, the Methodist Church was organized.
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Lookeba pioneer and future politician H.N. Christian established his department store on main street in the year of 1903.
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Following an elevated cotton crop yield in the fall of 1903, the Farmers Gin and the the Nickell and Allen Gin both were established to accommodate this early agricultural success in the Lookeba community.
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The Church was a most important part of the beginning and existence of Lookeba. Although the Methodist Church above was not completed until 1906, organized church services in Lookeba have been confirmed to exist since 1901. Some of Lookeba's early pastors include T.C. Coup of the Methodist Church above. Reverend Johnston of the United Bretheren Church and a Reverend Dodson of the Baptist Church.
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Along with many other businesses beginning in 1903, L. Beach & Son opened and operated a general merchandise store in Lookeba. They served the community for more than forty (40) years. Mr. Beach is at right in the early 1900's image above.
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With the setting trend of a 1903 business boom in Lookeba, R.W. Dunn is photographed above personally tending Dunn's Hardware store in 1904.

With the increased population came increased production. The land seemed to have been storing its fertility until it should be brought forth by skilled methods of cultivation for the benefit of humanity. Such was the abundance of crops in 1905 that it was decided to hold a street fair. The display showed that with a little care, our part of Oklahoma could easily match or surpass any other. There was not much fruit, as the orchards were not old enough to bear well yet, but what fruit was produced was of excellent quality.
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Image captured from Lookeba's very first Fair held in 1905. This first "Street Fair" was held to celebrate the abundance of crops raised during this particular year.

1906 was a year that made every one feel like making each day a Thanksgiving day. The people had become accustomed to this climate, and had learned to meet the conditions of existing here. Crops were especially good, and Lookeba had settled down to be a busy thriving town.
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Image of the newly relocated Lookeba Post Office in the year of 1906. Postmaster William Hadley, with help from carriers Ed Hadley, Jim Merrell, and Albert Koontz, moved into this new location as Lookeba continued to grow into an early century boom town.

But as yet, not a town - only a settlement. We had no rights as a people, we could not act as a body. What was done had to be done by individuals. In 1907 the town limits were surveyed, and ours became a real miniature city in 1908. The council consisted of W.E. Dean, E. McKinney, and O.M. Hadley. H.E. Warren acted as clerk, I.T. Nickell as treasurer and Clayton Babb as marshal. Of course if the marshal had anything to do, there would be need of a jail, so that fall, in order to protect its rights, Lookeba built a jail - otherwise known as "Clate Babb's Hotel." So far as I know there has been but two lodgers there each for but a night.

In 1909 our school district was consolidated with a strip of country east of here, making our district three miles wide and six miles long. Three wagons were employed to bring the children in from the country. A four room schoolhouse was built in the southwest part of town, the exact center of the district. It stands on a hill where it watches the town and guards it against giving way to the popular feeling of more cotton and less school. Three teachers were employed.
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Image of the four room schoolhouse constructed in the southwest part of Lookeba in 1909. The tall steeple like bell tower stood as the highest and most visible feature in early twentieth century times. It was built to serve the consolidated school district designated #131.

Mr. Ogle established a printing office that spring and printed the first editions of a newspaper all our own - The Lookeba Index, and it is yet the only paper printed especially for the town news.

After a series of Revival meetings Rev. Mr. Dodson organized the Baptist Church.

Lookeba has had in its history but one fire. About midnight Feb, 22, 1910. Mr. Prossers who were living in the hotel at that time, awoke to find their building in flames. The towns people were quickly summoned, but all effort was of no avail, for by two o'clock the hotel, drug store, pool hall and a general department store were in ruins. The block has not yet been wholly rebuilt.

After much argument with the governor, it was decided that some of the prisoners from the state penitentiary should come here and construct a road of about ten miles through Lookeba. In July 1911, one hundred men arrived, and amid a crowd of people who had come to view the "convicts," they journeyed to their camp west of town. The people seemed to think of them of some sort of humanity but hardly as men, as was shown in the amusing incident of one boy who, while talking about the hair(?) chains the prisoners made said that "convicts" always liked red better than any other kind.

The roads were greatly bettered by their work.
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One hundred and one (101) convicts from Oklahoma's state penitentiary were transported by train to Lookeba in the summer of 1911. This for the purpose of constructing roads in both the Lookeba and Sickles areas. The actual "road camp" was located one and three fourths miles west of Lookeba on the farm of a Luke Jackson.

The advancement of our town since then has been chiefly in a business way. At present there are twenty business houses in Lookeba kept at work, and two seed houses were established in December, 1913. Last year Lookeba shipped out 362 carloads of products while only 87 were shipped in. Ours has grown from a few farm houses and a post-office, into a real , live, thriving town, well fitted to supply the needs of the people who live here," concluded Daisy Dean.

Although there are so many families and entities not mentioned that helped create and progress the beginning of Lookeba, those mentioned by Daisy Dean in 1914 must have stood out from her reflection upon a most recent past. With her guiding story and the collection of images that match her time frames and subject matters, it is hoped that the beginning of my hometown is captured in a way that is interesting and chronicled well enough for future generations to understand and enjoy.

As a sports history enthusiast, there is only one other thing I would add to this blogumentary of originating days from our past. Base Ball. In the early 1900's, town ball in Oklahoma was quite exciting and most important to communities, small and large, with a hard focus on establishment, progression and survival. The earliest games I've been able to officially document in Caddo County date back to 1904. This with a guess the game was even played previous to that and Lookeba probably being no different. Other than descendants of these great early day Lookeba pioneers, seems that churches, schools, agriculture and baseball are but a few of the common elements surviving and progressing into the early parts of our twenty-first century. 
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America's greatest pastime, Base Ball, is well over one hundred years old in Lookeba. Results from game action in the summer of 1910 reflect an entertaining and fruitful victory over the Hinton team by a score of 23-7. This with Gracemont coming to town for contest the following Sunday.
98 Comments
Carroll Tucker Isbell
2/16/2015 09:12:37 pm

Very interesting and much appreciated. Thank you for sharing.

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:11:30 pm

Thank you for taking time to read with hopes you enjoyed it.

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Devonna delagarza
6/8/2018 05:27:59 pm

Mom and dad are deceased. Loved the time I spent at Lookeba.went to school there. My mom and dads names are: Alton and Carole Barger...I really need to come out there and visit. We live in Hughes county.

Karen Barthel Klein
2/16/2015 11:26:58 pm

Wow! So much great history there. I appreciate your talent for writing and the time you spend researching so other can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Thanks a million, Mark.

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:12:47 pm

Thanks for the kind words. Your comments are a great reward for this effort.

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Virginia Taylor
2/18/2015 03:29:43 am

I love reading about our town before I knew it exited

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:13:38 pm

It was fun to put this information and images together with hopes a few folks would enjoy it!

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Alan standridge
11/23/2017 07:25:36 pm

Hi Virgina, would I be related to Troy Taylor? My Dad is his cousin.

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Sharon Keechi Ahpeahtone link
5/19/2018 09:43:10 pm

Alan standridge what is ur dads name, r u on Facebook still, where u live.

Jim Schimmel
3/27/2015 09:44:09 pm

I can see that this is a labor of love. Great job Mark! I enjoyed learning about my home town.

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:14:15 pm

Thanks Uncle Jim. It was a great place to grow up for sure.

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MOTHER.DONNA-SCHIMMEL-WILLIAMSON..
6/29/2015 04:29:23 pm

oh but so much was left out ... TO BE CONTINUED..

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:16:07 pm

With the town being more than 115 years old, there is certainly a lot more!

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Virginia. taylor
8/25/2015 04:31:29 am

Mark thank you for the written narrative about Lookeba , it's so sad to hear about what a bustling town it was compared to the small hamlit it is now . Thank for the memories .

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:18:28 pm

The rise and fall of the greatest level of town prosperity came and went with the railroad. We sure had some good years in the 1960's and 1970's but it was a lot calmer town by then. I would have never imagined being able to attend a parade in Lookeba as they did in the early 1900's.

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Dennis Hamilton
3/13/2016 06:50:50 am

Great job Mark, the article makes me homesick!

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:20:21 pm

Thanks Dennis! I'd borrow the money if I could buy back a few of our youthful days from that time. Of course it would be in summer during baseball season.

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Meridith Croucher
3/14/2016 10:01:58 am

What a great story. some of the best summers of my life were spent at my grandfather's farm in Lookeba. That would have been in the mid 50's to the mid 60's.

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Mark House
3/14/2016 07:21:56 pm

Thanks for your comment. I have great memories of working and playing on my grandparent's farm east of town in the 60's and 70's.

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Devonna Delagarza
3/15/2016 06:28:02 am

May family is all from there .I spent a lot of summers there as a child.we have pictures..my parents are alton and Carole Barger . Mom's maiden name sensintaffer. My aunt Alice ryburn and my cousin Brian ryburn. Dale and renee ross .she was a barger.this is just a few.
My sister melinda and i went to lookeba school a few years.

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Mark House
3/15/2016 08:35:08 am

Devonna, I can remember playing football with Brian in our back yards and we rode the school bus together. Both the Barger and Sensintaffer names come from the earliest part of our hometown's history. If you tap into the blog titled Life of Lura, you will find a story that mentions Lura Cox's remembrance of names such as Chatham, Moggs, Dodd, Duff, Barger, Sensintaffer, Harbison, Roselle, Van Allman, Hefferon, Gathers, Ancil Ross and Bob Palmer from the late 20's and early 30's.

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Donna Schimmel Williamson link
12/24/2017 05:10:54 am

Carole Barger and I went to school together .. we were in the same grade ... I would love to hear from you Carole... Donna Sue

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Meridith Croucher
3/15/2016 10:44:19 am

My Grandfather's name was John Teeman. My mom was Ina Mae

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Mark House
3/15/2016 03:11:56 pm

Meridith, I spent a lot of fun days playing with Jimmy and John David out on the farm east of town and also enjoyed fishing and camping down on Teeman's lake. I can remember eating some awesome breakfasts cooked by Miss Ina when I got to stay over for the night. Jimmy and David are my cousins.

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Meridith Croucher
3/22/2016 04:40:34 am

That really makes me smile. We call Jimmy and John David our cus-uncles as they were our cousins, then were adopted by our grandparents. I have memories of a lot of relatives, but I don't remember you specifically.

My mom told this story: My sister and I came and spent the whole summer with Grandma and Grandpa. We would have come late June or early July since New York schools start and end later in the year than do yours. I had been to kindergarten, but not yet started first grade. I started school that year in Lookeba in August. Mom said that Lookeba Sickles started a kindergarten the following year as I was ahead of the 1st-2nd grade class in a lot of subjects. I don't remember any of this part, but remember the school and the fact that 2 grades were together. I had a lot of fun. Grandpa drove the schoolbus. this would have been 1957.

Tammie Franklin Davis
3/15/2016 12:20:40 pm

Thanks for the history. Dad wasn't born until 1918, so this gives information about why he was born there. It was quite a thriving community !

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Mark House
3/15/2016 03:16:05 pm

Tammie, you will have to let us know your dad's name. I remember a Clifford Franklin from the time I lived in Lookeba. I believe my great grandfather Alfred Schimmel would have been overseas serving in France (WWI) in the year of 1918.

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Cecile Hobbs
3/22/2016 01:58:35 am

My grandfather was Clifford Franklin. Some of the best times growing up was coming to visit and walking down to Mrs. ingrams to buy a Coke in a bottle, a new coloring box and a new box of crayons.

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Mark House
3/23/2016 06:17:21 pm

Thanks for sharing your experience Cecile.

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Janet Schaffner
4/8/2016 06:26:22 pm

Thanks for this! The link was forwarded through several people before it made its way to me. My father grew up in Lookeba in the 1920s-40s. Daisy Dean was his aunt; and the H.E. Warren mentioned as clerk of the first town council would have been his father. Needless to say, our family is finding this fascinating!

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Mark House
4/8/2016 08:09:12 pm

Janet, I would be interested to know who your father was? The Warren name has been in Lookeba a long time for sure.

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Brenda Fox (Keeton)
4/9/2016 09:01:47 pm

This was so nice to read. I was born in Lookeba. I still have an aunt that lives there. Polly Keeton Hulsey. My dad is Cecil Keeton. My grandparents were Nelson and Francis Gillespie. My mom Phyllis Gillespie and my uncle James or Buster Gillespie. Maybe you knew them.

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Mark House
4/10/2016 10:31:26 am

Brenda, Polly loaned me an old Lookeba-Sickles yearbook that contained some of the images used in this blogUmentary. I went to elementary school with Polly's daughter Terri Hulsey before moving away in 1976. Terri is a bit younger than I.

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Buster Gillespie link
4/12/2016 05:43:32 pm

I still consider my home town as Lookeba. I went to school there in the late forty's and early fifty's. I was in the class with Butch Guffey, Donna Schimmal, Riley Williams and Peggy and other. That would be the class of 1961. I rode the same school as the House kids. Lived out just north of Centerville. Nice to see this web sight.

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Mark House
4/12/2016 08:11:28 pm

Mr Gillespie, thanks for sharing your comments. One of your classmates mentioned, Donna Schimmel, is my mom.

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Buster Gillespie link
4/13/2016 04:28:08 pm

The email address above is the correct one. I was out there this last summer and dropped in and seen your uncle Alvin. Donna was a good friend. Also your Granpa Vickter was my school bus driver. I would love to attend a school reunion if I know when and where

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Mark House
4/17/2016 02:20:06 pm

Mr. Gillespie, your email address is not published with blog comments but you can email me at mwhouse@cox.net. I can forward your contact info to Carrol Tucker who coordinates the Lookeba school reunions.

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Nancy Jackson
5/22/2016 07:23:26 am

I love seeing all the pics you have posted through the years but by adding this narrative it made it more complete. So much I did not know. I look forward to more!!

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Mark House
2/28/2017 12:44:41 am

Thanks Nancy, it was a time consuming project but well worth the effort. The reward is knowing that there are some people who care for and enjoy the ole hometown story.

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Orvie Brock McClain
2/27/2017 02:14:55 am

Wow, this is amazing! Growing up and graduating from Lookeba-Sickles was a wonderful experience and memory! Even though I have lived several places since then, Lookeba will always be my home! Reading this took me back to that time. Seeing the pictures and learning the history is amazing! Thank you for your time that you put into this! I know I appreciate it as well as I'm sure many more do too!

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Mark House
2/28/2017 12:46:47 am

Orvie, your words of appreciation are of great value and reward to me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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Brenda (Barger) Hall
2/27/2017 04:41:02 am

I love reading about the history of Lookeba. I have such fond memories of the Ingrams and Ingrams Grocery. I also remember going to that church with my Grandma Imogene Barger. Thank you so much for sharing.

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Mark House
2/28/2017 12:56:21 am

Brenda, thank you for caring about this story. I grew up knowing your Grandmother Imogene. She has recorded quite a bit of hometown history as well and has shared some new "old" evidence in regard to how our town got its name. It differs from the standard three family name combination and favors the carry over of what would be considered an "old Indian" name. That was not uncommon back then as the now ghost town of Komalty was named after Chief Ko-Mah-Ty of the Kiowa tribe.

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Tonya (Aragon) Oxford
4/14/2018 12:24:51 pm

Hey, Brenda not sure if you remember me. I lived across from you in 1987. How are You?

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Shawna (Sharry) Firanski
2/27/2017 08:40:34 am

Thank you for this wonderful article! I graduated from Lookeba-Sickles in 1989, my dad David Sharry graduated there in 69, and my grandmother graduated in 1949. I really enjoyed the article and the pictures.

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Mark House
2/28/2017 12:59:19 am

Shawna, thank you for taking time to share your enthusiasm for this story. It was exciting for me to dig up the iMages and piece together with the information.

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Dale Baker link
2/28/2017 05:26:31 am

Love to read about history of my home town, Mark. Great job.

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:30:16 pm

Thanks Dale. It was a tedious but interesting task to research and write.

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Sheila Crain Jones
2/28/2017 07:14:18 pm

Proud to be from Lookeba great memories

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Mark House
3/4/2017 11:27:47 pm

Thanks for the comment Sheila. I am very proud as well.

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Jeanette Davis Williams
3/15/2017 07:13:29 am

Thank you Mark! I accidentally stumbled on this on Facebook. I spent my first 5 yrs there. My parents (Al and Evelyn Davis) married in 45 and their first home was an apartment above one of the stores on Main street. By the time I came, 2 yrs later, they were in a two room house. We lived for awhile in a small house next to Nat Taylors laundry. A wonderful smelling small building with several wringer washing machines! Mrs. Taylor would let me watch her and play with her grandaughter Jackie Nat. We then moved to the green stucco house on the hill. It was my favorite all time house! No running water in the town then, one water pump for about a block of houses... at the BOTTOM of the hill. Daddy carried all our water up to house. I loved going and helping pump. I went to first grade with Mrs Dahl. Then moved to Hinton.
Our neighbors across the street were Mr and Mrs Ralls and grandson Lubert. Juanita Lindley's parents were other neighbors,cant remember their names. Zona Gail (older and very sweet to me) was there a lot to play with. She later married my cousin Vernon.
My mom worked at the Lookeba telephone office as the telephone operator. The old "number please" kind! Ingrams was THE place!! I remember being very sad to leave my little green house and move to Hinton. Lookeba was a lovely community in late 40's early 50's. Lots of warm fuzzy feelings for that place.

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Mary Francisco Birkett link
7/29/2017 12:29:07 pm

Hi, Jeanette! We meet again! It is wonderful that our roots are secure in that red Oklahoma dirt!

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:33:24 pm

Jeanette, thank you for sharing your experience. I am learning more and more just from the comments being shared.

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Jerry Beach
7/21/2017 06:33:54 pm

Thank you
Mr beach in the General Store photo is my Great grandfather Lorenzo Beach. My Father( Lorenzo's Grandson) was born in Lookeba in 1910.Glad I found this site.
Thank you again.
Jerry Beach.


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Mary Francisco Birkett link
7/29/2017 12:18:36 pm

I happened on this while looking at Facebook. L. E. Beach, owner of Beach's Store, was my grandfather. I never knew him as he passed away before I was born. Melba Beach Francisco was my mother. I grew up in Hinton where my father, Don Francisco, owned and operated Hinton Drug. I am so glad to discover this!

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:40:46 pm

Mary, thanks for your comments. I am thankful to know this story is appreciated.

Mark House
7/29/2017 10:37:59 pm

Jerry, I would love to go back in time and visit Beach's Store. It served the community and people ina big way for many years.

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Linda Gatlin Devaughan
7/22/2017 07:28:04 am

Keep up your good work, thanks much

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:43:18 pm

Thanks Linda!

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Randy Friesen
7/22/2017 01:14:39 pm

Enjoyable reading Mark. My cousin Donnie wrote a book about growing up in the forties and fifties in Thomas Ok .Really cool is my cousin played on 3 consecutive State championship football teams and 10 years later my oldest brother played on 3 state championship football teams at Clinton .Tnen I come along 10 years later and didn't win anything but I think I know where my competitive spirits were born.Didnt mean to ramble other than I enjoy factual stuff from the old days. I know of a couple of authors in Amarillo that use all fake names to tell true stories. To me that is gutless but allows them to call whoever bad names , in other words I guess you would call it rated R. Anyway I do enjoy stories of western Oklahoma and Johnny from Binger was my biggest hero from 3rd grade on. Ok I'm done.

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:46:44 pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Randy. Every hometown has it's own interesting story and people. Lookeba just happens to be mine. I miss our days playing some ball for the CCL in Eakly.

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Thunderhorse
7/22/2017 02:25:15 pm

Great stuff

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:49:44 pm

Thanks! Thunderhorse seems to be a noble identity with some strong inspiration.

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Dick Chatham
7/27/2017 01:17:38 pm

Thanks for publishing this. I have fond memories of Looked even though I didn't grow up there. My family left when I was 4 years old, but we returned just about every year to visit family. My Grandfather Dayton Teel was a mail carrier there for 30 years and my Grandfather John Chatham was the pastor of Binger Baptist Church. I am related by marriage to the House family. My mother's sister Veo Teel, married Howard House and Gene and Dayton House are my cousins.

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:52:55 pm

Thanks for sharing Mr. Chatham. Howard House was a brother of my granfather and namesake Marcus House.

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Tikisha Bowens
7/29/2017 06:42:40 am

I lived in Lookeba with my grandpa Bud Cox and my grandma Leta Cox. I loved growing up there great article! Great memories! Love the photos!

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Mark House
7/29/2017 10:57:27 pm

Tikisha, thanks for sharing. I went to school at L.S. with a Charlotte Bowens before moving away in 1976. If my memory is correct, Charlotte was a few years younger than me. I can remember LaDonna and Bud (Jr.) Cox. They were a bit older than I.

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Karen (Barthel) Klein
7/31/2017 07:08:45 am

Your grandparents, Bud and Leta Mae, were very good people and great friends with my dad, Raymond Barthel. Your grandmother made the BEST BBQ beans and many times I wished I had her recipe!

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Alan standridge
11/23/2017 07:21:17 pm

My Grandmother is Raymond's step sister, Elizabeth Vonallman Standridge.

Rick Ruckman
7/30/2017 08:56:12 pm

I wasn't ready to stop reading. I want to know more! Great job.

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Ruby Maggard Carlile
7/31/2017 07:14:49 am

Grew up in Binger, but I so enjoyed your Lookeba history. Very interesting.

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Scott Gray
11/26/2017 12:10:33 pm

Thanks for the great history lesson.
Again great job!

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Dean Jackson
1/2/2018 07:38:24 am

Mark,
You run into much on VonAllmen? Great grandparents were east of town on Baker farm. This is a great article! Also, grandparents were Warrens. Grandmother was Mary VonAllmen/Warren. I have great memories of Ingram store too! Would like to visit with you sometime!

Thx, Dean

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Mark House
1/2/2018 10:20:07 pm

Dean, glad you enjoyed this blogUmentary. The VonAllmen name goes way back to the early years of Lookeba. I will have to dig through my notes. This family name is mentioned near the end of my blog titled "Life Of Lura" at https://241490428653565257.weebly.com/blog/lookeba-life-times-of-lura-cox-brand ... you can email me at markhouse6@gmail.com.

Reply
Dean Jackson
1/3/2018 06:12:12 am

Mark, Thanks for the info! I think I accidentally cancelled my subscription....let's try again

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Kay Mogg rodgers
6/14/2018 04:01:26 pm

Thankyou for this very interesting story, and all the research you did

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Tim wood
10/15/2018 11:45:57 pm

My father and uncle and aunt went to live in lookeba in the fourties after there mother was killed in an automobile accident. There names were Marvin ray wood, Mary Lou wood, Ronald wood. My father went to school there, they went to stay with there uncle Marvin Loyd wood
My father passed in 1993 prior to that he had went back there and went by the school, my question is in the gym are there old photos of football players. .He took photos of them because one of the players was him... I'm just doing research on our family, thank you in advance

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Tim wood
10/16/2018 09:47:31 am

I just have one more piece of info his best friend when he was there I believe was a kid by the name of Melvin Kelsey, I'm not sure if that rings a bell with anyone. Thank you

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Brent VanDeman link
4/25/2019 11:24:31 am

Hi Mark -
Very interesting research and a great article. I spent many summers in the 70's digging for old bottles and relics in and around Lookeba and Sickles. My grandparents are Harry & Lorene Clay. My Grandpa used to take me to old homestead sites and we would look for jars and bottles. Great memories!

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Tim Bob Halpin (Scholl family)
5/1/2019 11:21:38 pm

Survey - any interest in reopening Ingram's?

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Jay
10/16/2020 09:06:04 am

we recently moved to Lookeba, and there is a concrete structure just to the west of our property. It looks to have been two stories and a pretty large building. Some are saying its the old Rock Island Depot but i cant find anything about it exact location. Could you possibly help us ou?

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    About The Author

    Mark House is a self trained historian, researchist and archaeologist focused on the collection of cool iMages, dOcuments and rElics relative to cool pEople, tHings and pLaces. Cover iMage of Oklahoma City base ball July 4, 1889.

    ​Contact Mark House at: markhouse6@gmail.com

    Picture
    Clinton Football: First Down On The West Oklahoma Plains

    ​Elvis: The King Is Dead

    Oklahoma City Base Ball Genesis


    Lookeba: Memwires Of My Hometown

    Paul Lorenz: A Foul Murder

    Laryn Garrison: Big Dreams In A Small Town

    Mike Moore: A Hall Of Fame Story

    ​Johnny Bench: Legend Nearly Lost

    Carl Mays: MLB HOF Case #2020-2021

    Tom Jones: No Fear

    Corky Billen: Shot Unheard Around The World

    Stan Rosenfield: Oklahoma HOF Nomination

    Curt Gowdy: Baseball Genesis - Eye Witness Account

    Mike Moore: A Hall Of Fame Nomination

    Lane Frost: The Last Ride

    Oklahoma Football 1897

    Bedlam Football Genesis

    Treasure Of Past Pleasure

    Ace Gutowsky: A Pro Football HOF Nomination

    Verlon Thompson: A Genuine Songsmith

    Ty Cobb: The Genesis Of

    Mike Moore: 2017 HOF Nomination

    The Convicts Dream

    Bill Greason: HOF Nomination

    Leader Of The Band

    First Friday Night Lights

    1941 Caddo County Champs

    Life of Lura

    Carl Mays: The Infamy Of

    Eddie Reeser: T-Bone Well Done

    Johnny Bench: Appreciation Day 1970

    Confession Of A Murder

    Mark House: The Last Inning

    Mike Moore: 2015 HOF Nomination

    Lookeba: Memoirs Of My Hometown

    Bill Greason: A Monumental Flag Salute

    Caddo County's Greatest

    Leroy "Ace" Gutowsky: A Pro Football HOF Nomination

    ​
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