The cause of the storm was a low pressure center that moved northeastward along a slowly moving cold front. These two systems stalled over north-central Oklahoma, depositing record-breaking rainfall. The 24-hour rainfall total at Enid of 15.68 inches exceeded the previous record which occurred September 3-4, 1940 (at Sapulpa). Unofficial reports have put the amount at 20 inches of rain.

The rain in Enid actually fell in about 12 hours, with 75 percent of it falling in 4 hours. The severe flash flooding that resulted from the rainfall in Enid destroyed or severely damaged 300 homes and 40 businesses. The rainfall also contributed to nine deaths. In Garfield County alone, property damages were estimated at 8 million dollars, with damages to crops and land that climbed to some 13 million.

LEARN MORE HERE.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
South of St. Mary's. Photo courtesy Mike and Wilma Nixon.
-

I live in Indian Hills and made my way down Hayes to the trail near the big drainage ditch. I always love starting there because I can go east to Van Buren, north to Meadowlake or west to Oakwood. I also enjoy crossing the bridge over the large drainage ditch.

I glimpsed over the side as I started my journey and saw two large turtles enjoying the morning water. It was 6am and there was no one in sight. I decided to take off west to Oakwood Rd. One of my favorite spots going to Oakwood is the area crossing the railroad track and the wooded area after that. I'm always reminded of the movie Stand By Me as I walk along that route.

I loved passing the wheat fields because the wheat is just about ripe enough to cut. The fields seemed to stretch forever and I got some great photos. I saw some great birds, bunnies and squirrels along the way. There were also plenty of mosquitoes but fortunately for me I do not get bumps when I'm bitten so I just swat them away.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I arrived at Oakwood and saw that the trail seemed to continue further west. I crossed Oakwood, rounded a quick curve and saw that a new mile had been added to the trail! I took off on my first excursion on this part of the trail.

I'm not sure if it was the sunrise, the smell of the wheat or just the new surroundings but it was one of the best walks I've ever had. The wheat fields along that stretch were even larger and more golden than those I had already passed. The trail has some really good curves in this section and a few water areas.

Along the new route there is an additional bridge, a pond with fountain and a few more low areas that were filled with water. I happened upon a big turtle and took his pic, I saw dozens of tiny toads hopping all over the trail and watched a scissor-tailed flycatcher pass by me. The new stretch reached all the way to Garland.

All along the way you can see the back of Walmart, Oakwood mall and many of the new hotels. There is also a new church being constructed on Garland. Fortunately I had decided to take my handy dandy iPhone with me and I took many photos along the way. I also returned on Sunday and made the same trek.

Below is my photo diary of my time on the walking trail. I hope you enjoy and get out to spend some time on the trail. For some reason I have a title for each photo.
-

-
"A Road Less Traveled"
-

-
"Annoyances"
-

-
"Bloomers"
-

-
"Cutting A Path"
-

-
"Golden Slumber"
-

-
"Gateway To Sunshine"
-

-
"Morning Wheaties"
-

-
"No Photos Allowed"
-

-
"A Time For Reflection"
-

-
"Scissor-tailed"
-

-
"Sit A Spell"
-

-
"Smoke On The Water"
-

-
"Subtle Variations"
-

-
"Swheat!"
-

-
"The Path Of Least Resistance"
-

-
"The Shadow Knows"
-

-
"This Is The End"
-

-
"The Three Amigos"
-

-
"Tiny Croaker"
-

-
"Atracktive" (disclaimer: this photo was taken on a public crossing on the trail as I walked by. It is illegal to go down the railroad tracks at anytime especially to take photos.)
-

-
"Treeshine"
-

In years past all of the competing marching bands would parade around the Enid downtown square in what was known as the Million Dollar Parade. Bands from all over the country would converge on Enid for this yearly event.

In the heyday of Tri-State kids would sleep in churches and homes because there was never enough room to house them all. Band buses could be seen on every corner of town. The carnival rides were located on W. Broadway between the post office and court house.

Enjoy these memories below...

Tri-State Photos from Enid, Oklahoma

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

The Wagon Wheel was a staple on the northeast corner of Van Buren and Maine for decades. Below is a 1988 photo that shows the diner as it was prior to closing and eventually being torn down. The sign on top of the building is the newer sign, as a kid I remember a bigger chuck wagon sign.

The Wagon Wheel was opened in 1959 by W.E. "Ernie" Mankin and stayed open 24 hours a day. The restaurant was run by Ernie, his son Sam and his family until 1988. Ernie's sister, Mary Worthen, owned the Alamo Cafe located on south Van Buren.

Floyd Harrington and his daughter Pam Jantz took over in 1988 and ran it until 1991 when it was closed for good. His special was his homemade chicken noodles.

In its earlier life, the building had been a drive-in selling ice, drinks and groceries. Mankin turned the cafe into a popular spot for his world famous chicken fried steak and specialty called Ernie’s Manifold Meatloaf. It was also a perfect location for late night travelers that could pop in for breakfast and coffee at the counter. It had the old fashioned spinning stools and was decorated with many prized fish that the family had snagged over the years. Fishing was a big part of the Mankin family.

Ernie and Sam served anyone that entered their door and everyone felt like family. President Richard M. Nixon even slipped into the Wagon Wheel for a bite to eat while on his 1973 stop at Vance, AFB.

Sam later opened Door Step Diner while his son Rob stayed in the restaurant business in Enid for many years.

The original Wagon Wheel sign with the back of the chuck wagon.

Enid's Wagon Wheel restaurant in 1988.

This photo was most likely from the 80s.

Rob Mankin and some of the crew. Gotta love the fish.

An old Wagon Wheel menu.

A few years back while I was searching online for historical facts about Enid I stumbled upon a cross country flying schedule of Amelia Earhart that mentioned Enid, Oklahoma as a destination. The landing date on the list was June 15, 1931. Having grown up here almost my entire life I had never once heard the tale that Amelia Earhart had actually visited Enid.

I decided to investigate things a little further and found a second source that had Enid on Earhart’s flying schedule during her Beech-Nut Transcontinental Autogiro tour across the country. I also found news accounts of Earhart having a mishap in Abilene, Texas just days before she was to arrive in Enid. Some newspaper accounts wondered if she would continue her tour which made me question if the accident had caused her to skip Enid.

For a year I conducted quick searches online but was unable to ever find any verifiable proof that she had ever landed in Enid. One morning at KGWA while doing my radio show with Alan Clepper I mentioned my search for information on Earhart and word got back to the Public Library Of Enid. Jade Champion, Mary Shaklee and especially Sarah Cariker took time to scan old Enid Morning News articles and came up with 100% proof that Amelia Earhart had indeed come to Enid, Oklahoma!

Below are details we’ve uncovered from local news articles on the cross country tour and trip Earhart made to Enid.

The Beech-Nut Tour

Harold F. Pitcairn designed the Pitcairn PCA-2 which was an autogyro developed in the United States in the early 1930s. The PCA-2 was the first rotary-wing aircraft to achieve type certification in the United States. He used a number of high-profile activities including the first flight across the United States in a rotorcraft to promote his plane. That feat was attempted by Amelia Earhart, flying for the Beech-Nut food company, but was actually accomplished by John M. Miller who completed his flight nine days before Earhart on May 28, 1931.

Pitcairn’s intent was to fan the public fires of autogiro interest, and he accomplished that with many different marketing techniques. He arranged for journalists to take rides in the PCA-2, and then would use their columns in advertising to tout the revolutionary nature of Autogiro flight. Ernie Pyle, aviation editor for the Washington News, was given a ride and praised Autogiro’s performance in a column dated September 26, 1930.

In May 1931, Earhart took off from Newark, NJ on her first transcontinental autogiro tour. The autogiro craft in which she flew was ordered specially for the aviatrix by the Beech-Nut Packing Company to promote their chewing gum. The autogiro was a relatively new aviation design that many at the time believed to be dangerous and Earhart was out to prove them wrong.

The Crash

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record. Earhart was married to George Putnam in 1931 but because of her liberal views she kept her own name. Due to the climate of the times, many newspapers insisted on calling her Mrs. Putnam which we’ll also call her from time to time.

Putnam arranged to have Earhart fly Beech-Nut’s autogiro on a transcontinental tour to promote both the plane and the gum. Earhart took off in the company’s vivid green rotorcraft from Newark, N.J., on May 29, 1931, accompanied by mechanic Eddie de Vaught. The autogiro was capable of vertical landings and could poise motionless in mid-air. It had a 300-horsepower engine and had a top speed of 110 miles per hour.

The autogiro plane needed to be refueled frequently, which caused Earhart to make many stops in small towns across the country. She was often invited to attend luncheons and banquets in her honor while visiting and demonstrating in each city. Normally Earhart would be dressed in her leather jacket, jodhpurs and boots. Unfortunately she didn’t have room in her open cockpit to carry a nice change of clothes.

On Saturday, June 13, 1931 Earhart ran into trouble when her autogiro failed to attain sufficient momentum during a demonstration over Abilene, Texas. She crash landed the plane in an area away
from the onlookers and walked away unharmed. The plane’s rotors were damaged and the propeller was bent preventing it from being flown.

Fortunately for Enid residents, Earhart took a private plane from Abilene to OKC piloted by aviator Dick Young. Another autogiro was flown to Oklahoma City from Philadelphia and the tour continued. Major Hugh Askew, manager of the Enid airpark, tried to call Mrs. Putnam but could not get her on the wire. He then telegraphed her to ask about her Enid plans and was told she would still be coming to town.

Earhart In Oklahoma

Earhart appeared at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds on Sunday, June 14, 1931. The Texas crash had not stopped the crowds from coming out to see her as she continued the tour. Prior to her autogiro demonstration in Oklahoma City, Earhart was serenaded by a 42-piece band, an airshow featuring what one report said was “practically every plane in Oklahoma City,” formation flying, a parachute jump and a demonstration by a local woman stunt pilot.

Amelia Earhart Putnam was to arrive in Enid at 10 o’clock on Monday, June 15, 1931. She was to be
coming from Oklahoma City and would leave Enid that same day after her appearances. She was to give demonstrations with her autogiro and was to be a guest of the Enid Air club at a luncheon. She was then to appear before the Oklahoma District Lions convention at the general session in the afternoon.

Earhart made it to Enid on June 15 at 9:10am. She arrived in her ‘Wind-Mill’ plane in an hour from Oklahoma City. Upon arriving in Enid, she gave a demonstration of how her plane operated at the Municipal air park. During the demonstration she flew over Enid but landed when a rainstorm appeared in the area.

At noon, Earhart was the guest of the Rotary club at their weekly luncheon in the Masonic temple downtown. The Enid Air club was in attendance and the program was turned over to them. Mrs. Putnam, as she was called in the paper, described this area as mighty fine country to fly over and noted that we had fine landing fields. She joked that she hated to fly back east but unfortunately she had a husband there.

Earhart later greeted members of the Oklahoma Lions Convention and area residents from the mezzanine floor of the Hotel Youngblood. She was described as having a friendly handshake and charming smile in a newspaper article. She spoke about wearing flying apparel everywhere she went and let the crowd know that she did not prefer flying gear to her normal clothes.

Mrs. Putnam described flying over our part of the state as one of the prettiest parts she had seen. She described watching farm sections that appeared as tiny patches of green. Earhart said Enid could be seen for a long distance and the town itself was beautiful.

Later in the afternoon, Enid resident George Zacharias, a member of the park board and a World War aviator, was taken for a ride over the city by Earhart in her autogiro. Earhart then left Enid flying back to Abilene.

Just six years later on July 2, 1937, during an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. To this day there is no explanation as what actually happened to Earhart.

The photos and tour dates for this article come from the Lincoln Highway Museum website. Unfortunately many of the photos were not labeled with location or the photographer that took them. We do not know where Earhart was when the featured photo was taken. Details of Earhart’s visit to Enid were found in microfiche copies of The Enid Daily Eagle and Enid Morning News from 1931 thanks to the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County.

Contact us at buzz@enidbuzz.com if you remember hearing stories of Earhart being in Enid or have an old family photo showing her in Enid.

Photos Of Earhart In Enid

UPDATED: June 16, 2015 – Kate Shaklee, daughter of Enid librarian Mary Shaklee, found these photos  while going through old family photos. Her dad’s grandfather, Waldo G. Clegg, was an editor for the Enid Morning News and was also an airplane enthusiast. The family does not believe Mr. Clegg took these photos but may have made copies from originals which were not identified.

We do not have 100% proof that these photos were taken in Enid, Oklahoma but the probability is very high. We would like to thank the Shaklee and Clegg families for allowing us to use these photos.

-

-

-

-

-

Crazy Day was the brainchild of the retail businesses in town. It was thought to be a great way to clear out spring and summer items and introduce new fall inventory. Retail merchants from all over town would move their old inventory out onto the sidewalks and mark them with crazy low prices. Many families went to shop for back-to-school clothes.

To help entice shoppers, retailers would encourage their employees to dress in crazy outfits. There were costume contests for different areas of town and within each store. Employees gave out popcorn, balloons and other fun stuff for the kids.

The Enid square would be packed with shoppers and the sidewalks would be so crowded it was sometimes hard to walk. Finding a parking spot downtown was always an adventure and if you were lucky your parents would drive you up the Sears parking garage and it was a bonus if you immediately got to go back down.

Throughout the earlier decades of Enid's growth, most retail was centered around downtown. The Enid square at one time could boast it had large retailers like Sears, TG&Y, Woolworth's, JC Penney, OTASCO, Kress/Dollar General, Evans, Newman's, Lerner's, Coldirons, Anthony's and many smaller boutique shops, pawn shops, pharmacies and diners.

Other large retailers in Enid included Woolco, Wackers and Trade Mart. Although Westgate, Sunset Plaza, Heritage Hills and others had great sales, most of the Crazy Day activity centered around downtown.

Crazy Day has continued over the decades but as larger stores have moved and closed, the circus feel of that summer day in downtown Enid has slowly faded. It was a different time and a different era. Crazy Day will always hold a fond memory for those of us that were kids during its hey day.

Vintage Crazy Day Photos

-

-

-

-
In 1968 Harriett Dupus and Lucille Rogers both worked in the shoe department at Sears. They rode bicycles to work on Crazy Day in their Crazy Day outfits!
-

-

-

-
Lindy Hutchins Chambers Grandma Hutchins (front, with red top) and her friends dressed up for Crazy Days in downtown Enid in the mid 60s.
-

Enid Zoo History

-
The Enid Municipal Zoo was located on east Garriott and 4th St., near Government Springs Park. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is now located in that spot. The name on the gate was Springs Park Zoo.
-
The zoo was started in the early 1950's and was closed around 1972. Regulations and cost were the major factors in its closing. Many people think there was a ship in the monkey pit when in fact it was an old horse drawn wagon. The sunken ship was at the monkey pit in the Lincoln Park Zoo in OKC.
-

Color Video from the Enid Zoo:

Thanks to Ken Freed for sending us the video. This is from Ken:
-

"When I was just a "children", my Uncle Gene, Aunt Dorothy, and Cousins from El Reno came up to Enid and we all went to the zoo. My Uncle always had a video camera with him. Here is a short clip of my Cousins, older Sister Marcia Cowley, and older brother Phil on a trip to the Enid Zoo. No sound, but some good coverage of the monkey pit. Thanks to my Cousin Jimmy Martin for figuring out how to transfer the old movie films to digital. Also in video are Cousins Rick Martin & Billy Martin (the one that my Aunt Dorothy didn't want to fall in the monkey pit)."
-

-

-
The monkey pit in 1972.
-

-
The color photos below are from the WW Evans collection of Enid photographs.
-

-
The Enid monkey pit had an old wooden wagon in it.
-

-
Everyone remembers the SMELL!
-

-

-
Inside the monkey pit.
-

-
Lion cage in the background. Photo courtesy Lindy Chambers.
-

-
Another shot of the monkeys.
-

-
The zoo entrance in the 1960's. Thanks to Joe Flaming for sharing.
-

-

-

-
The Champlin Mansion completed in 1939. The original plans for the house called for the use of brick with stone trim. Once learning that Henry Ford had built an entire home out of the trim stone, Mr. Champlin changed the design and the mansion was built all in stone shipped from Ohio. The home does have an Otis elevator.
-

-
The Champlin Mansion kitchen in the 40's. The best brain's of General Electric's Hot Point Division were used to design the kitchen. The entire kitchen and butler's pantry were finished with equipment built of monel metal. The crew that installed the kitchen came directly from Washington where they had just installed a Hot Point kitchen in the White House.
-
These photos and stories come from a book Henry Bass wrote about HH Champlin called "Building For A Rugged Individualist" which he self-published in 1961. We have a signed copy of the book.
-

-

-

-

-

-

-
This photo was taken before the mansion or park were built.
-

The watercolor effect makes the images look like they've been painted with water colors. Once I get enough of these pics I may put a small book together with all of the photos. Enjoy!

- - - - - -

-
Downtown Enid, Oklahoma - North side of the square
-

-
Kiwanitrain and bridge at Meadowlake
-

-
Kite Flying Record Breaking Attempt
-

-
Downtown Enid - Independence Street - Live music
-

-
Cherokee Strip Parade - Grand Blvd.
-

-
Enid High Plainsmen Football
-

-
Air Force Thunderbirds - Vance AFB Open House
-

-
Main Fire Station - Enid, Oklahoma
-

-
Old Highway Patrol Building - Champlin Park
-

-
Train yard - North Van Buren 81 overpass
-

-
Santa Fe Train Depot - Saturday morning Farmers Market
-

-
Enid Skies in the morning
-

-
Enid Lights Up The Plains - Christmas in Downtown
. . .
All photos/pictures Copyright Curtis D. Tucker 2012-2015

-

Sign Up for the 2017 Color Stampede Here

-
Enid, OK - The Color Stampede is a one of a kind experience that is less about speed and more about enjoying a color crazy day with your friends and family. This run is a BLAST!! You will love the Color Stampede of fun! Come join us for Enid's Original Color Stampede!
-
9:30am on Saturday, September 30, 2017
-
Fun Run Registration - $15 by Sept. 25; $20 after Sept. 25
5K Run Registration - $25 by Sept. 25; $30 after Sept. 25
-
The run/walk will take place at Crosslin Park, 1520 W Oxford Enid, OK.
-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Photographs of Enid, Oklahoma

-
I'll be posting random photos I've been taking around Enid on the website. Check back often and see the latest photographs of Enid, Oklahoma. All images are copyright Curtis D. Tucker. Contact me at buzz@enidbuzz.com if you are interested in using one of the photos.
-

-
A lost art. Billy Thompson is one of the very few sign painters left in the area, if not the only one. Billy's dad, W.O. Thompson, hand painted signs all over Enid for years. I caught Billy yesterday working on the lettering at Evans Northgate. 07/09/16
-

-
A thunderstorm was attempting to form over Enid creating this eerie cloud. It never did produce anything while over the city. 07/09/16
-

-
I spent a little time at this sunflower field just east of Hennessey. It's pretty amazing to stand in a sunflower field. 07/07/16
-

-
On July 4th there was a very out of the ordinary fog surrounding Enid. As it lifted, dozens of spider webs appeared along the walking trail. I snagged this one on the trail bridge. 07/04/16
-

-
A very calm morning on the trail caused this great reflection in the little fishing pond nearby. 06/05/16
-

-
A lone storm cloud just south of Enid at sunset. 06/23/16
-

-
Wheat harvest has been so good that grain elevators are piling it in areas on the ground. 06/20/16
-

-
A Strawberry Full Moon on the Summer Solstice, a rare occurrence. 06/20/16
-

-
Phillips/NOC Lake with the columns and Clay Hall in the background. 06/20/16
-

-
The Meadowlake spillway. 06/12/16
-

-
An August sunrise over Enid, Oklahoma.
-

More photos of Enid, Oklahoma.

. . .