Mead, Oklahoma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mead is a town in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census. Mead has seen very slow growth in recent years due to its proximity to Lake Texoma and the fast growing town of Durant.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Mead is located at 34°0′4″N, 96°30′38″W (34.001244, -96.510445)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 123 people, 49 households, and 29 families residing in the town. The population density was 431.7/km² (1,142.5/mi²). There were 64 housing units at an average density of 224.6/km² (594.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 79.67% White, 5.69% Native American, and 14.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.44% of the population.

There were 49 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the town the population was spread out with 35.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,071, and the median income for a family was $23,125. Males had a median income of $29,167 versus $16,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,697. There were 17.1% of families and 19.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 20.6% of under eighteens and 13.8% of those over 64.

[edit] History

In 1866 a band of Creek Indians, who were being provisioned by the United States Government, were camped out a half mile South of the present site of Mead. Two families of Indians were camped in the present site, North of the Frisco Depot. These families freighted from Bonham, Texas to Fort Washita. West of the camp of the Creek Indians were two large Springs. This place was selected for the camp meeting grounds. Some of the Presbyterian Missionaries who came to this place were: Allen Wright and Stephens Peter. Later J. Frank Wright son of Allen Wright, educated in New York, came. Dixon Durant, a full-blood Choctaw, also preached here. He could speak English and would preach in the Choctaw language then interpret it for the white people who were there.

In a few years, A.J. Lucy came to this place and put in a store and named the place Double Springs. They built a church house, both white people and Indians began to move here, the church was also used a school.

C.W. Guew, a school teacher, started a subscription school, the white children were to pay one dollar per month and the Indian children could go free of charge. As there was no school house, he taught in the church house. A white man by the name of Lowe had some difficulty with the Indians with whom the teacher boarded and burned the church house, so the teacher would have to leave. They caught the man and had everything in readiness for a hanging, when a white man decided since the only evidence they had was his tracks, they could be mistaken. He was oldest man in the group, so they let him decide what to do with the prisoner. He decided in the prisoners favor and they let him go. They set to work to rebuild the church and in six weeks, it was ready for church services.

In 1890, C.W. Meade moved to Double Springs, put in a store, and he became the first postmaster. Since Double Springs was rather a long name, they decided to change the name of the place to Meade, then later the "e" was dropped and was now known as Mead from then on. The mail was brought out from Durant by Will Glover. The method of convenyance was a horse and buggy. C.G. Cline was the first rural carrier. The other carriers to follow were Thomas Tillery, Renard Looyengoed, Pepper Childerd, Chic Childers and Wendell Sexton.

The first Post Office was later run by Lewis Krause, where Mrs. Presley lives. It was moved across the street to Moore's Grocery and Hardware Store. Then, Mr. Moore was Postmaster. Later it moved back across the street on the corner, Earnest Scott was Postmaster a short time, then Luther Davis was Postmaster and Walter Boothe, Mrs. Sallee was acting Postmaster for a while then Vern James and he is now the Postmaster.

In 1895 Doctor Kenney put in a drug store. About three years later Doctor Morrison came and became his partner.

In 1902, a branch line of the Frisco Railroad came one mile North of Mead. The people decided it would be better to live nearer the railroad, so they moved their houses to the present site of Mead.

In 1903, the Frisco ran four trains a day. Passenger trains, two went West to Ardmore, Indian Territory and two went east to Hugo, Indian Territory.

Then the railroad took all passenger trains off and put on a small train, "The Little Dinkie". Mead had a large depot, the first depot agent was C. C. Cline. Mr. Free was section foreman.

Some of the children rode the train to school. The roads were too bad for a bus to run. Later in the year, 1960 the "Dinkie" was discontinued.

A new two story school was built a block East and a block North of the old school. Mrs. Ella Davis Cox taught in this school. Mr. West was the first superintendent, then Mike Rowland, McCready, Fox, R.H. VanMeter and Whitley.

In 1917, a brick school was built in South part of town, it was used until the school consolidated with Cobb in 1969 and a school was built at Silo. Some of the teachers in this new brick school were Mr. and Mrs. Ryle, Bradley, Bowden Rains, C.D. Parrish and Mrs. Bartlett. The first 10 grades taught at first, then later the 12 grades.

Later Mead Cemetery was made where Double Springs once stood. Mrs. Street Davis played the organ for the church. She was buried where the organ once stood. Mrs. Jennie Adcock wanted to be buried where the church steps stood.

New Mead, Indian Territory at one time had: a garage-Albert Adcock and he was Justice of the Peace. Two shows run by Sparks, Gibson and Meeks, a mattress factory and a bakery owned by Big Jack. A bank-Mr. Templeton, Stubbs and Ralph Ownby, a Drug Store - Dr. Kenney, Dr. Beech and Dr. Creswell. A newspaper-called "Mead Messenger", Grocery stores and Dry Goods, Bee and Bob Edelen, General Merchandise-Garris Brothers, and Mr. Moore. The Edelen Store sold on some Saturdays $1,000.00 cash and bought 30 cases of eggs, not counting credit and checks for the Saturday. Ice House- Bud Ratcliff ran the ice house for years. Each day around 11:45 everyone used to go down to the ice house and buy 5 cents worth of ice for lunch, 5 cents worth would buy a big block of ice.

John McAlester ran a restaurant. A cafe was owned by Gibsons, and a meat market. A hotel was owned by Mr. Moore and Mrs. Moore fixed lunch for the train men and delivered it to the depot.

Then Horton's ran the hotel for years until it closed. Mead had two cotton gins, Mr. Inge owned one and Mr. Henry Gammons ran one for a gin company.

There were three doctors in Mead. Dr. Jackson, Dr. Armstrong, and Dr. Austin. Dr. Creswell ran the Drug Store for years.

A Barber Shop came to Mead in 1903, Murce Katy was the first barber. He moved to Durant and George James was the barber after he left.

The first black smith shop was run by Hank Brown, then W.R. Davis and it had a griss mill run by Mr. Ridenhour, Bill Minor and Emit Canard. Taxi or Jitney was run by Street Davis, Luther Rowland and E.Q. Franklin.

A lumber yard was owned by Frensley Brothers, Bruce Ellis ran the yard. They made bricks North of Mead for a while. Highway 70 was first built about 1918.

Written by Audra and Willie White and Vivian Kenney