The Enid Buzz Shop is now open! Buy Here!

We currently only have one photograph available (above) but we have more lined up. Bookmark the store and watch for new Enid posters and prints to be added from time to time.

We hope you enjoy!!

Enid is closing in on record rain amounts. We think the drought can officially be declared dead and burn bans should be few and far between this year. Here's the latest rain around Enid.

Rain around the neighborhoods.


Shoes left out will be wet.


Driving around town.


The drainage ditch is filling up.


Boggy Creek running high.


Meadow Lake run off.

Postcard of Cessna flying the Elbridge powered Silverwing near Enid, OK in 1911.

Clyde V. Cessna was born in Iowa in 1879. Cessna moved to Kansas the following year when his family settled in Kingman County. When he began working, Cessna moved to Oklahoma and eventually started his aviation career in 1911 near Enid.

Cessna was selling cars at an Overland automobile dealer in Enid, Oklahoma when in 1911 when he was struck with flying fever. He became fascinated with the Bleriot XI monoplane that traversed the English Channel in 1909.

Cessna dubbed his first airplane the "Silverwing." It was an American-built copy of the Bleriot XI. To create the light airplane he mated a Bleriot fuselage with a water-cooled, 60 hp, four-cylinder Elbridge Marine engine.

Throughout 1911 Cessna made many flights in the airplane on the Great Salt Plains near Jet, Oklahoma in an effort to teach himself how to fly. He and Silverwing suffered numerous accidents, but in December 1911 Clyde made a highly successful, five-mile flight near Enid that included turns and ended with a safe landing at the departure point.

Here is a great story by Jack Tenney, publisher of Business People Vermont. It is the story of Jack's days in Enid as a thirteen year old boy and his job as a pin setter...

The story

This story was brought to our attention by another Enid pin setter, Marion Mackey. He wanted to set the record straight on where Enid's first bowling alley was located. Here's a note from Marion:

I just read Jack Tenney's story about Enid's first bowling alley. It said it was upstairs over the stores at the northwest corner of Broadway and Grand. I remember it well. However, it was on the NW corner of Independence and Broadway. If it were on the NW corner of Grand and Broadway it would have been on the courthouse lawn.

It was above the old Sanford Frazier Drugstore. I think there is a carpet store there now. The bowling alley was where a law firm is now.

I used to help a friend of mine set pins. The bowling alley
was at the back. Up front were pool and snooker tables.

Marion Mackey
Berlin, New Hampshire

The building. According to the story Enid's first bowling alley was located upstairs in the white building on the left. It is now occupied with attorneys offices.

Does anyone have any photos of Enid's first bowling alley??

Enid native Kyley Tetley is trying for a PGA Championship invite. Kyley, 27, is currently the assistant professional at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow.

His hopes for making the PGA Championship can be found in the PGA Professional National Championship's rulebook. The seventh criteria on the event's form states that the 20 lowest scorers in the annual event will earn invitations to that year's PGA Championship.

The dream of playing Southern Hills Country Club later this summer with golf's superstars begins Thursday in Sunriver, Oregon. Kyley is just one of 312 club pros teeing off at Sunriver Resort's Crosswater and Meadows courses.

Kyley played the Lone Star mini-tour for more than a year in the mid-1990s before becoming a club professional. He began working at Enid's Oakwood Country Club before accepting the assistant pro position at Golf Club three years ago. He is regarded as one of the top playing club pros in the PGA South Central Section, which consists of Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Kansas.

Kyley earned one of the event's five slots by tying for fourth at last summer's PGA South Central Section Championship.

Good luck Kyley!!

Photo © 2007 ,Tulsa World, World Publishing Co.

Police blocked off the area around Bank of the West on West Broadway around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. All streets surrounding the bank were blocked by police as they searched for the bank robber who was seen fleeing the bank.

After a very quick investigation and the use of a police K-9 unit, the police were able to track down the robbery suspect in less than two hours and detectives arrested John Scott Slaughter only blocks away from the bank.

We happened to be driving by as detectives were processing the scene and interviewing witnesses. Kudos to the Enid Police Department for such quick action.

Well Enid, can you hear the whining? It's those whiners out there that complain about every last thing on earth. Anytime something new comes along or something different is tried they start up their big fat whining machine. Boo hoo.

According to the whiners everything the city does, the leaders do or the police try is just a new tactic created to make their lives miserable. The whiners don't want to clean up their yards because they would rather have a city that looks like an abandoned parking lot. They don't see the point in trying to attract new industries to Enid because the "city fathers" will keep new businesses out of town so they won't have to pay higher wages. Huh?

The new city manager is trying some new ideas but the whiners do nothing but complain. They're not going to fill potholes, by golly! It's not their job! They pay their taxes and the city has no right to ask them to help improve their own city. Off with his head!!

The whiners complain when budgets are slashed due to unexpected events like the recent bridge collapse and are the first to complain if taxes are raised to pay for these non-essential entities like Leonardo's and Main Street.

Whiners laugh at new ideas like incentives to get residents to move to Enid. Why try to entice anyone new to move to Enid? That would just increase more tax revenue and cause businesses to grow. We wouldn't want that now would we?

My point is the whiners whine the loudest. They're always the first to complain and never have any ideas of their own. We at Enid Buzz would like to thank those thinkers that are trying to improve Enid. We appreciate new ideas and think the city is headed in the right direction. We want the city to know that the majority of the population wants new ideas but will never make as much noise as the whiners.

So you whiners just keep on whining and one day we thinkers and doers will come up with an idea that will replant your whiny &%#$'s to another city.

Don't forget about good old dad today! Happy Father's Day to all of the great dad's out there. If you have not already gotten dad a special gift, here is a quick list of great gifts for dad...

1. Retro tie
2. Power tool
3. Tickets to a sporting event
4. Eating out at his favorite restaurant
5. Hunting gear
6. Fishing gear
7. Golfing gear
8. iPod
9. Tickets to a concert
10. Hammock
11. Watch
12. Wine
13. Shaver
14. Favorite movie on DVD
15. Wallet

Today is Flag Day!! While it is not an official federal holiday, it is a great time to recognize our nations most symbolic image.

Flag Day was first observed in 1877, on the 100th anniversary of the Continental Congress' adoption of Old Glory as the official flag of the United States. Congress asked that all public buildings fly the flag on June 14, an idea that quickly caught on and was repeated year after year.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson, following the lead of a Wisconsin school teacher who 31 years earlier had suggested that June 14 be known as "Flag Birthday," proclaimed Flag Day as a national celebration. June 14 officially became Flag Day in 1949, when President Harry Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill.

Rain, thunder and lightning moved over Enid Wednesday night starting around 10 p.m. The sky lit up from time to time and Enid received a steady amount of rain. These photos were taken around 10:15 p.m. at night!

A few places that have closed:

Sunshine Noodle on west Garriott
Glass Mountain Coffee on Van Buren
Yankee Steakhouse on 4th

Any others lately?

Summer Chautauqua has arrived in Enid and begins tonight. The theme this year is “100 Years of Oklahoma Heroes.” This summer four characters from Oklahoma’s past will come alive at Humphrey Heritage Village each evening at 7:30 p.m. Additional entertainment by local performers and concessions also will be available beginning at 6:30 each night.

Famous poet and columnist Will Rogers will be portrayed by Doug Watson. Oil pioneer Waite Phillips will be portrayed by William Worley. Playwright Lynn Riggs will be portrayed by John Anderson. Enid’s Gary Gray will portray Oklahoma territorial governor Frank Frantz.

Here is the original schedule: (some performances may be changed due to illness)

Enid: Tuesday - June 12
6:30 entertainment
7:30 Will Rogers portrayed by Dr. Doug Watson

Wednesday: June 13
10:30 The Osage of Osage County with Dr. William
Worley
12:00 "Will Rogers was not just a cowboy." with
Dr. Doug Watson
6:30 entertainment
7:30 Kate Barnard portrayed by Dixie Belcher

Thursday: June 14
10:30 "Will's Words" with Dr. Doug Watson
12:00 Stumping for the new state of Oklahoma with
Dixie Belcher & Dr. Gary Gray
1:30 Lynn Riggs as Outsider with Dr. John
Anderson
6:30 entertainment
7:30 Waite Phillips portrayed by Dr. William
Worley

Friday: June 15
10:30 The Oklahoma Jigsaw Puzzle with Dr. Gary
Gray
12:00 Oklahoma and Oil with Dr. William Worley
6:30 entertainment
7:30 Lynn Riggs portrayed by Dr. John Anderson
9:00 Patron Social

Saturday: June 16
10:30 A Women's Forum on Social Progress with
Dixie Belcher
12:00 From Green Grow the Lilacs to Oklahoma!
With Dr. John Anderson
6:30 entertainment
7:30 Frank Frantz portrayed by Dr. Gary Gray

Enid Summer Chautauqua in the Park can be found at Humphrey Heritage Village, on the north side of Museum of the Cherokee Strip, 507 S. 4th. All Chautauqua events are open to the public and free of charge.

Hiland Partners, LP and Hiland Holdings GP, LP has announced that Joseph L. Griffin has joined the two companies as chief executive officer, president and director of its general partners, Hiland Partners GP, LLC and Hiland Partners GP Holdings, LLC, respectively.

Griffin has more than 20 years of experience in the midstream natural gas industry. Griffin leaves Lumen Midstream Partnership, a subsidiary of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, in Tulsa, OK, where since 2004 he has served as executive vice president. In 1989, Griffin co-founded Lumen Midstream and served as its president, chief operating officer, chief financial officer and director until Lumen was sold in 2004 to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

Griffin holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University and is also a certified public accountant.

Learn more about Hiland.

Tops In Blue will be in Enid on Monday at 7 p.m.!! This world-renown production is an all-active duty US Air Force special unit made up of talented amateur performers selected for their entertainment abilities. Each year, thousands compete in base talent contests and the most talented move on to higher levels of competition. The result is an elite group composed of 35 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, and dancers anywhere. Known as the Air Forces’ Expeditionary Entertainers; the group’s main mission is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. The enormous popularity of the group has also made them America's goodwill ambassadors around the globe.

Admission is free. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Chisholm Trail Expo Center is 111 W. Purdue.

More information on Tops In Blue.

In 1953, Sonic restaurants began in Shawnee, Oklahoma by accident under the name of Top Hat Drive-In. Troy Smith was running a steakhouse when he discovered a small root beer stand on his lot was doing a better business than the steakhouse. In an ah-ha moment he thought of adding an intercom system to his burger stand so people could order from their cars. Thus, the drive-in restaurant was born.

A local guy from Woodward was visiting friends in Shawnee and stopped by the Top Hat for dinner. Charlie Pappe had never met Troy Smith, but he was so impressed with the operation that he opened the second Top Hat Drive-In on May 18, 1956, in Woodward, Oklahoma.

By 1958, there were Top Hat Drive-Ins in Shawnee, Woodward, Enid and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Only four Top Hats were ever opened. It was soon discovered that the name was copyrighted so the two entrepreneurs changed the name to Sonic and the rest is history. The first drive-in called Sonic was in Stillwater, Oklahoma and continues to operate in the same location today.

Did you know? Does anyone remember where the Enid Top Hat Drive-In was?

Enid has a new west side strip mall appropriately called West End Plaza. The plaza is located on west Garriott in front of Wal Mart. There are several stores now open including US Cellular, Dollar Store, Cash Advance and Game Stop.

June is National Historic Preservation Month and Enid's Waverley Historic District will be conducting a four house tour this Sunday as part of the Oklahoma Centennial. The Waverley district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is centered around west Broadway, Maine and Cherokee.

The Waverley district has on display almost every architectural home style popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sunday's tour offers a look back in time at period porches, foyers, staircases, dining rooms, kitchens, butler pantries, mud porches and more. Although each home will have a hostess to guide you, only select portions of each home will be on display.

The tour runs from 2 to 4 p.m. June 3. The cost of the tour is $10 per person. The money raised will go to the Waverley Historical District for sidewalk improvements.

The four featured homes on the tour are:

• McCristy-Knox-Hedges mansion (pictured above), 1323 W Broadway.

• P.C. Simons home, 1324 W Broadway.

• Rudolph Ruzel Sr. home (also known as the house on Broadway with 100 windows), 1601 W Broadway.

• H.E. Alton home (of Alton's Mercantile), 1402 W Maine.

Homes on the tour are pictured here.

For more information and tickets, call (580) 234-2197 or email knoxmanor@aol.com.

Now Open!!

Enid has gotten a new hot dog stand. Dickey Dawg is now open in the parking lot of Sunset Plaza. The fun little location is not a sit down style restaurant but features an easy to access drive thru. Dickey Dawg is serving up chili dogs and should be a great addition to the Enid area. Stop by Hastings for a great movie and pick up some dawgs to take home for dinner.

We will try to post the hours and menu when we get that information.

According to the AP, high winds tore through Garfield County, damaging about 100 homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power to thousands. Authorities said nobody was injured during the storm.

Emergency Management officials estimate the damage to homes and businesses at more than one-million dollars. They also agree that the damage was caused by 80-85 m.p.h. winds and not a tornado. Tornado theorists may disagree but there was no indication on radar of the formation of a tornado.

More photos below...

High winds and rain stormed through Enid last night and left damaged trees, homes and businesses in it's wake. The major portion of the damage runs along the west end of Chestnut from Oakwood to Van Buren. Areas around Grand and Willow and 4th and Willow were also hit hard.

Most all neighborhoods have limbs down and several people are without electricity.