OklahomaHistoryChapter17

Chapter 17

Kate Barnard

• _{First Commissioner of Charities and}

Corrections.

• _{Responsible for the inclusion of child}

labor laws and compulsory education provisions in the Oklahoma

constitution.

• _{Responsible for changes in the care}

of the mentally ill and for requiring sanitary conditions in jails.

• _{Responsible for care of the state’s}

Governor Charles Haskell

State’s first Governor

•

At age 17 he was a certified teacher.

•

1901 became a practicing attorney.

•

March 1907 he became the publishers of

the New State tribune.

•

Married Lillian Elizabeth Gallup (2

wife)

Acts as Governor

•

Prevent Standard Oil Company from creating a pipeline

that would go from Bartlesville to Kansas.

•

He sent the militia to enforce the law.

•

He need to give the state government time to decide

on the necessary regulations for governing the

pipeline.

•

The State Penitentiary was built at McAlester the

Jim Crowism

•

Grandfather Clause:

–

You could only vote in an election if your grandfather

had voted in the previous election.

–

This was designed to keep African Americans from

voting as their grandfathers had not had the right to

vote.

•

Literacy test:

–

Election boards were not restricted as to what they

could use as a literacy test.

Moving the State Capital

•

Through the Organic Act Guthrie was named

the Capital because it was the first meeting

place of the legislature.

•

Cities that were not selected were given

“perks” such as Stillwater getting the

Agriculture and Mechanical College and

• _{Representatives from Guthrie would attach conditions that}

the capital not be moved to all appropriations (money) bills in the state legislature.

• _{The Enabling Act had named Guthrie as a temporary state}

capital until 1913.

• _{An election was set for June 14, 1910 to name the capital}

but was later moved to June 11 (a Saturday)

• _{Cities vying for the capital were Oklahoma city, Guthrie, and}

Shawnee.

• _{Of the 135,000 votes cast 100,000 were for Oklahoma City}

so Governor Haskell arranged to have the State Seal moved to Oklahoma City.

Moving the State Seal

• _{Rumored moves:}

– _{Sent in a limousine}

– _{African-American riding a mule carried} – _{it to OKC}

– _{Hidden in the Laundry Basket}

• _{Legal Challenges:}

– _{Arrived in Oklahoma City early Sunday morning and the}

Governor set up temporary offices in Lee-Huckins Hotel.

– _{It was challenged in the courts and was declared “void”}

due to an error in wording.

– _{The State Legislature ratified OKC as the new capital on}

Problems for Haskell

•

He was indicted by the federal government in 1909 as

president of two companies that had invested in

Creek Lands illegally.

•

The case was thrown out of court because of a law

which limited prosecutors’ time for gathering

evidence.

•

He went to New York started an Oil Company

Oil Fields and Boom Towns

• 1905 the famous Glenn Pool was discovered on Ida Glenn farm. Bob Galbreath and Frank

Chesley were the first drillers.

• _{Oil wells grew to 125 wells in the area producing}

some 55,000 barrels of oil daily.

• _{Oil prices ranged from 25 cents to $2 a}

barrel depending on the cost of drilling.

• _{In October 1907 the first pipelines had opened}

and the first Glenn Pool oil went to the refineries in Port Arthur Texas. (Texaco, Gulf Oil, and

The State Constitution

created the Corporation

commission to govern

the industry.

When a field was drilled

out the drillers began to

leave and so did everyone else. Boomtowns

became ghost towns such as with Kiefer

and Cushing.

Governor Lee Cruce

•

Elected to serve starting Jan 1911.

•

Believed in the “Spoils system” – appointing

as many of his friends and family to government

position.

•

Created the Highway Department – but did not

fund the program.

•

•

Created the Supreme Court Commission to help

Governor Cruce continued

• _{Created the State Board of Education.}

– _{Cruce made the appointments – then decided he did not like}

them, had them removed and appointed new members.

– _{Those that were removed filed a lawsuit and in a special}

session of the Legislature they refused to confirm the new members or anyone involved so the Governor was forced to name new members of the Board.

• _{Use of militia- on April 14, 1914 the Governor called out the}

State’s 4

th

legislative session

•

Extensive investigation of many state officials

for possible impeachment

–

State Auditor Leo Meyer

–

Insurance Commissioner Perry Ballard

–

State Printer Giles Ferris

–

Impeachment of the Governor failed by only one

3

State Governor

Robert L. Williams

Peaceful control of the Legislature

Dictated most of the bills passed by the 5

legislature

Created the Prison Board

The Capital Building

•

Construction began June 1914.

•

Original plan was for a Dome

but there was not enough

money appropriated and it was

postponed

•

(the dome was

added during

the administration

of Frank Keating

German American Problems

•

German-Americans lived in north central Oklahoma.

•

Most were farmers and many only spoke German.

•

Some continued to support Germany

•

Many tried to convince Americans that they were loyal

to the US

•

Civil liberties for German Americans shrank

–

Some cities forbid the speaking of German

•

Oklahoma towns changed their names

because of their German origins.

–

Korn became Corn

–

Keil became Loyal

–

Bismark became Wright

•

Oklahoma schools were forbidden from

The Green Corn Rebellion

•

Oklahoma was the strongest socialist state in the

nation.

•

Working Class Union (WCU) began with Farmers and

laborers.

•

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

•

Both supported the end of the draft and wage

• _{Union workers stated advocating the overthrow of the}

government

– _{Cited farmers problems} – _{The draft}

– _{And they called WWI a rich man’s war poor man’s fight}

• _{The WCU advocated open rebellion and set a date for the}

overthrow of the government – August 2, 1917.

• _{They were told they were part of the 3 million others who}

•

Word leaked about their secret meetings and

Sheriff’s and Deputies were able to arrest 400 of the

members.

•

They soon found out there were only a handful of

men planning to march on D.C.

•

They were charged with treason. Since they had

Oklahoman’s in World War I

•

Territorial Guard became the National Guard.

•

They were called into active duty 1916 to

protect the U.S. Mexican border.

•

They were then shipped out to join the 36

Infantry and 42

infantry (Rainbow

Division)and the 90

division

•

Major artillery and Aviators were trained at Camp

Doniphan near Fort Sill.

•

October 10, 1917 the 36

division engaged its

first battle at St. Etienne France.

•

They took 549 prisoners

•

Oklahoman Lee Gilstrap was awarded the

•

End of WWI: 90,527 Oklahomans (including

5,000 African Americans) fought in the War.

–

4,154 were wounded in battle

–

502 were missing in action

–

1,064 were killed

Congressional Medal of Honor

•

George Price Hayes of Okarche

•

Samuel H. Sampler of Martha

•

And Harold L. Turner of Seminole

•

Choctaw Indian Joseph Oklahombi was the war’s

most decorated solider.

•

Oklahoma’s regiments returned home June 1919 7

Spanish Influenza

•

Killed 502 soldiers in Europe

•

Oklahoma had 125,000 cases reported

•

The State Health Commission closed all public

gathering places – even funerals – limiting them

to a maximum of 12 people.

•

The death rate from the influenza in Oklahoma