Flag Day is not a federal holiday but is observed all across the country. The holiday was officially established in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson, and in 1949 Congress declared June 14 a national holiday.

20 Facts about the American Flag:

1. Pennsylvania is the only state that observes Flag Day as a state holiday.

2. The flag has been changed 27 times. The final star, for Hawaii, was added in 1960.

3. The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.

4. The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.

5. The first time the flag was flown after being adopted was on Aug. 3, 1777 in Rome, New York.

6. The designer of the American flag was Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey.

7. Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.

8. There are six American flags on the moon. Five are standing, but Neil Armstrong's fell over.

9. The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.

10. After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's  called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.

11. When your flag is old and has seen  better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried.

12. The Flag Code bans the use of the flag as clothing. That’s right, not USA T-Shirts, bandanas or bikinis.

13. If you like to study flags, then you are a Vexillologist!

14. The colors of the flag have meaning. Red stands for hardiness and valor. White symbolizes purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.

15. An American flag should never touch the floor or the ground.

16. When displayed on a wall or window the blue field should be in the upper left corner.

17. The military folds the flag with 13 folds, each with symbolic meaning.

18. 50 flags fly 24 hours a day around the Washington monument.

19. 95% of U.S. flags are made in the U.S.A.

20. The U.S. flag always flies at the top of a staff above any other flag.

To be considered for the Walk of Fame, a person shall:

• Have demonstrated a lifetime of service to the community in general; or
• Have made an extraordinary contribution or act of selflessness or statesmanship for Enid.

Nominations must include the name, biography, and a photo of the individual that is being nominated. Additionally, the name, phone number, and mailing address of the individual submitting the nomination should also be included.

To submit a nomination, download and submit the form with the biography and photo of the individual nominated from: Enid.org/WalkofFame. Nominations will be accepted in the City of Enid Office of the City Clerk until 5 p.m. local time on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Please submit an envelope with your nomination marked as follows:

City of Enid
Attn: City Clerk - Nomination for Walk of Fame
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Municipal Complex
401 West Owen K. Garriott Road
Enid, OK 73701

Information may be obtained in the office of the City Clerk at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Municipal Complex, 401 West Owen K. Garriott Road, Enid, Oklahoma, 73701 or by calling (580) 616-7274.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission announces the following celebratory events slated for Monday, January 19 at the Stride Bank Center Arena, located at 301 S. Independence Avenue:

• MLK Prayer Breakfast: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• MLK Celebration Lunch and Program: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• MLK Commemorative March: 1:30 p.m. (begins at the Stride Bank Center Arena)

Local student poster, poetry, and essay winners will be awarded at the celebration program.

Board Chairman Lanita Norwood said, “The entire community is invited to the event to help us honor and pay tribute to Dr. King’s contribution to our society.”

Local groups and organizations will be participating in this years Veterans Day Parade. Parade organizers will have cars, motorcycles, floats, bands, horses and vendors. All residents are encouraged to come downtown on the square and help honor our veterans.

Sign up for the parade at https://forms.gle/v2YVBVWboMyBY52E7.

Riding along on the tour you'll travel back in time with Enid Cemetery Tombstone Tales. Enjoy the cemetery after dark as your guide stops at specified tombstones, where costumed re-enactors portraying historic Enid figures step out of the shadows to tell their stories.

Get into the spirit of Halloween and find out what secrets have been taken to the grave. It's just a little spooky but mostly educational and informational.

The Enid Cemetery is located at 212 W. Willow but participants will park in the north end of the cemetery off of N. Washington St.

Ticket price is $15.00/person. Tickets on sale at the "Enid Welcome Center". For reservations, call 580.233-3643, ext. 1 or stop by 201 W Garriott. Only cash or check accepted.

Wagons go out every 15 minutes from 6:00-8:15 pm.

I originally wrote this list in 2008 and have revised it and added to it over the years. It is one of the most engaged posts I've ever written about Enid and it usually sparks the most comments and additional memories. Many of the most memorable items on the list were popular in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

Being a kid in Enid, back in the day, meant you were free to ride your bike anywhere in town and you always felt safe. You could explore creeks, tunnels and parks where few adults ever wandered. As kids we remember certain things that stick in our memories forever. This list will include of few of those events, places, businesses and people.

Some of you might not remember everything on the list but I hope it brings back a few great memories. From time to time I do add and subtract from the list. I hope you enjoy rereading the list if it's been a while since you've seen it.

You might be from Enid if...

1. You dressed a little crazy on the last Saturday of July
2. You spent your allowance at Wackers, Woolco and OTASCO
3. You were or knew an extra in the movie "Dillinger"
4. You ate at a restaurant with a train in it and a train with a restaurant in it
5. You know where you were during the "Flood of '73"
6. You know the Wee Too is not a Chinese restaurant
7. If you're immune to jet engine noise and train horns
8. You can spell Chautauqua and know what it is
9. "Going to the City" meant shopping at Crossroads Mall
10. You attended P.U. and had a skunk mascot
11. You've ever used the term "flyboy"
12. You know what "The Quill" is
13. You've ever seen the winding of a May Pole
14. Someone talked you into going to the "insane asylum"
15. You watched the "submarine races" at Meadowlake
16. You know where Lahoma Road was
17. You remember riding the "Bullet" at Meadowlake
18. You ate at a restaurant that had a volcano in it
19. You know where the "Wheat Capital of the World" was
20. You remember the smell of Bond or Ken's Bakeries
21. You remember the smell of Champlin Oil Refinery
22. You honked while driving by the Enid State School
23. Your favorite astronaut is Owen K. Garriott
24. You threw peanuts into the monkey pit at the zoo
25. You know who the Price brothers are
26. You know who won the 1998 Grammy for Best New Age Album
27. You've ever heard something blamed on the "City Fathers"
28. You got into the "Trail Drive-In" in someone's trunk
29. You've ever been on an Adventure Quest
30. You've marched in a Tri-State parade
31. "Chapter 7" meant more to you than bankruptcy
32. You know that the Tia Juana wasn't a Mexican eatery
33. You know where Enid's only escalator was
34. You've heard about the failure of "the loop"
35. You know the Simpsons aren't named OJ and Bart
36. You remember the masked jogger pushing his wife in a wheelchair
37. You heard wild stories about the Magnificent Cobra
38. You read books at a Carnegie Library
39. You bought Boy Scout supplies at Coldirons
40. You know which President ate at the Wagon Wheel
41. You could hear the stock cars races at the Enid Speedway
42. You bought school supplies at Vaters
43. You saw the Thunderbirds at an airshow
44. You think carnival rides can only exist on W. Broadway
45. You rented skis from Simpsons, Evans or Crosscourt
46. You swam indoors at the "Y"
47. You've sat in an empty bathtub during a severe storm
48. You ran across the train bridge at Meadowlake to beat the train
49. You know what "Donkey Basketball" was
50. You ever dragged Van Buren (or Grand)
51. You accidentally call Taco Bandito, Taco Grande
52. You loved the Three Towers dressing
53. You know that John Wilkes Booth REALLY died in Enid
54. You got shakes at Gold Spot
55. You think of Roman Holiday for pizza not as a movie
56. You remember the number to Time & Temperature
57. You bought an album or cassette from Jack
58. Your favorite cookies are Katy's
59. You chased hot air balloons at Summerfest
60. You watched fireworks at Meadowlake Park
61. You know Boggy Creek had tadpoles not monsters
62. PEGASYS wasn't Greek mythology to you
63. You've followed EnidBuzz.com!

Here are some comments we've gotten on this post over the years...

1.  Robin Pierce

   July 20, 2010 at 1:16 pm

   I’m stumped on the answer to #33! Can you help?

2. Buzz Head

   July 20, 2010 at 1:32 pm

   Hi Robin, the escalator was in the original Mongomery Wards building which later became Evans Drug on the corner of Randolph and Grand.

3. Lorie Legere

   July 20, 2010 at 3:30 pm

   I can’t remember the restaurant in #18, with a volcano???? Please help me out!

   • Buzz Head

     July 20, 2010 at 3:42 pm

     Toucan Harry’s in the Midwestern Inn on Van Buren.

4. Erica

   July 21, 2010 at 10:04 am

   # 36 ? What is that about????

   • Buzz Head

     July 21, 2010 at 10:54 am

     Used to be a guy that jogged everywhere around town. In the summer he would wear a full ski mask, no shirt and a speedo. You could usually see him running along Garriott. About half the time he was pushing his wife who sat in a wheel chair but was not unable to walk. This went on for years.

5. Jessi

   July 26, 2010 at 11:41 am

   The masked jogger was a state school “graduate”. (See #22) Sometimes he pushed his wife in a shopping cart and other times he wore a tutu to run in. It was always fun to see what new outfit he would wear. I’m not sure I ever saw the speedo though.

6. Michael

   August 5, 2010 at 3:48 pm

   you knew that too get your boy scout stuff you would have to go to coldirons

   The shale pit was an awesome place to take the motorcycle or 4×4

   Grand Natl Quail hunt every year at Mid western Inn

   4th of july at Meadowlake

   Awesome air shows

   Wheat capitol of the world

   Spectator races at the speedway

   Hardees to Meadowlake was the drag

7. Kurt

   November 1, 2010 at 9:17 pm

   Burger Chef predated McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Hardee’s.

   Hickory Hut was way out west, but the skating rink was practically in the panhandle.

8. Kurt

   November 1, 2010 at 9:17 pm

   You’re from Enid if you know which President ate at the Wagon Wheel.

9. Pam Pattillo

   December 31, 2010 at 4:18 pm

   You might be from Enid if your Dad met your Mom at the Youngblood Hotel.

10. Randy (stet)

    May 27, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    You might have gone to Enid High if you know what the boys wore for swim class in the ’60s!! (SR ’67)

11. Scott

    June 17, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    Nixon stayed at the Midwestern Inn and walked to the Wagon Wheel in the middle of the night during the Quail Hunt.
    The EHS Boys swim class’ wore the same nothing in the 70s as well. When did that finally STOP?
    Before there was Wal Mart or K.Mart, all the kids bought school supplies at Vaters.
    Did anyone house band kids in their own homes in the 60s and 70s from other states for Tri State?
    How about Pizza Inn and the guy managing the place calling everyone “Ralph!”

    • Buzz Head

      June 28, 2011 at 5:50 pm

      Thanks for the additions!

12. Karen Waldman

    June 28, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    You know you are from Enid if you remember:

    The great walk-out protest against the school dress code.

    Playing “Ghosts at Midnight” in the Bird Sanctuary

    Visits to the Lahoma Drive-in

    Dear Gabby in the Waller newspaper.

    • Buzz Head

      June 28, 2011 at 5:49 pm

      Great additions!

13. Karen Waldman

    July 2, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    Does anyone know what happened to the Main Street Station railroad car that used to be a restaurant downtown? Thanks!

Mid-America Summerfest began in the summer of 1986 running annually for six years until it ended in 1991. Summerest was put on and organized by the Enid A.M. AMBUCS as a fundraiser and a three-day community event. It was originally conceived as a celebration to lift spirits of Northwest Oklahoma residents.

The festival promised to be top-notch entertainment for the whole family. It was a combined effort of the AMBUCS working in cooperation with other local civic clubs and the City of Enid. It took hundreds of volunteers that spent countless hours in preparation for each celebration.

Summerfest was most well known for the hot air balloons but there was a very wide variety of activities. Exhibits and displays included antiques cars, lumberjacks, antique engines & steam show, Skoal Bandit racing car, Kodak Chipmunk aerobatic plane, fireworks, arts & crafts, commercial booths, petting zoo, bands, Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats, Magicians of Taipei, comedy, food, and much, much more.

Enid Buzz will be updating this page with more photos, videos, posters, publications and stories from Summerfest. Stay tuned! We're just getting started.

Listen to our hour long Podcast interview about Summerfest. Click the play button and the podcast will load and play.

-

Teachers will be treated to their choice of a root beer float, or a personalized ice cream sundae as they explore the Heritage Center and all of the available programming/field trip options available for the upcoming school year!

The historic Humphrey Heritage Village will open with living history interpreters offering hands-on activities and there will be raffle drawings for prizes throughout the event.

The prizes will be provided by local businesses, and each teacher who attends will receive a FREE pass for them and one guest to attend one of our annual special events of their choice in 2025 - either Family Farm Day or Christmas in The Village!

The theme for Summer Chautauqua 2025 is, “Anything Goes: America in the Roaring 20s.”

Characters to be portrayed include:

Tuesday, June 10: Al Capone, by Doug Mishler
Wednesday, June 11: Zitkala-Sa, by Selene Phillips
Thursday, June 12: Zane Grey, by David Fenimore
Friday, June 13: Bessie Smith, by Rebecca Jimerson
Saturday, June 14: Mae West, by Karen Vuranch

Workshops will be held at 10:30 am and Noon each day. Feature performances begin with live entertainment at 6:30 pm followed by the scholar at 7:30 pm. Admission to all Chautauqua events is always free.

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning in 2025, all Chautauqua events will be held at Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid!

February 15 is National Remember The Maine Day. Remembering the Maine is exactly why Enid has a Maine Street.

In January 1898, Battleship Maine was sent from Key West, FL, to Havana, Cuba, to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban War of Independence. The U.S.S. Maine was a battleship, 319 feet long and weighing 6,682 tons. It was the largest ship ever to enter the harbor at Havana.

On February 15, 1898 an explosion on board the Maine occurred in the Havana Harbor destroying the forward third of the ship. The remaining wreckage sank to the bottom of the harbor. In total 260 men lost their lives as a result of the explosion and related injuries.

It has never been established exactly what caused the explosion or who was responsible, but the consequence was the brief Spanish-American War of 1898. The yellow press, led by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, proprietors of the New York Journal and the New York World, took every opportunity to inflame the situation by exclaiming, ‘Remember the Maine.’

Immediately after hearing of the incident, the Enid City Council changed what was known as D Street to Maine Street to honor the battleship and her crew. And that's why Enid has a Maine Street!

In 1976, Adm. Hyman Rickover of the U.S. Navy mounted yet another investigation into the cause of the Maine disaster. His team of experts found that the ship's demise was self- inflicted--likely the result of a coal bunker fire.

The museum will also be open to guests, and docents will be available to tour the galleries and teach about the area’s rich agricultural traditions. Family Farm Day and guided tours are included with paid admission.

For more information about the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, please call 580-237-1907 or visit www.csrhc.org.

The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

Photos from prior Family Farm Days below...

FRIDAY SEPT 13th

11:00am - 1:00pm
Cherokee Strip Lunch Rush - Fry Bread Taco and a Drink for $10. Courthouse lawn.

SATURDAY SEPT 14th

9:00am Enid Walk of Fame Ceremony Stride Bank Center
9:00am-1:30pm Cherokee Strip Festival - Courthouse Lawn
10:30am Cherokee Strip Parade - downtown Enid
7:00pm David Allen Memorial Ballpark 25th Anniversary Celebration & NOC Alumni Baseball Game. Grand Finale Fireworks at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.

-

-

-

ENID, OK - Each of us carry our own memories of growing up in a carefree time, when we had little responsibility and days of discovery. I loved growing up in my hometown of Enid, Oklahoma. There are dozens of memories trapped in my mind that occurred in the 70's and early 80's. This is a list of the things I remember and miss the most from those good old days.

This list is not to say that Enid doesn't have many great things going on now. There is easily a list of 50 things that my daughters will look back on in 30 years and remember fondly. Each of us grew up in different neighborhoods on different sides of town. I was pretty much in the middle of everything location wise and economically.

The thing that sticks out the most is the freedom we had when we were in grade school and junior high. We could go to any part of town on our own and our parents never had to worry. We could throw our bikes down at the movie theater and they'd be there when we got out. It sure seemed like a safer, more innocent time whether it was or not.

I originally wrote this back in 2008 but I've updated it and thought I would re-post.

1. I miss the Tri-State carnival rides and food being parked on west Broadway.
2. I miss Summerfest and taking photos of the hot air balloons.
3. I miss the stores and crowds downtown, especially on Saturday and Crazy Day.
4. I miss watching Disney and other movies at the Esquire Movie Theater.
5. I miss my birthday dinner with relatives being in the round room at Richill's Cafeteria.
6. I miss collecting green stamps and trading them for stuff at the Green Stamp Store.
7. I miss buying toys and snacks at Wackers in Westgate Shopping Center.
8. I miss playing 45's in the jukebox at Ken's Pizza during lunch at Enid High.
9. I miss the onion rings and shakes from Next Door Restaurant on Garriott.
10. I miss buying comics from Baker's Pawn Shop on west Maine.
11. I miss sneaking into the Trail and Enid drive-ins.
12. I miss playing Asteroids for hours on one quarter at Putt-Putt.
13. I miss chasing ducks in the paddle boats at Meadowlake.
14. I miss buying cassettes and albums at Jack's Records and Tapes.
15. I miss sitting at the A & W Drive In and sneaking off with their trays.
16. I miss looking at Weeblo and Cub Scout gear at Coldirons.
17. I miss the mystique and tales of the Magnificent Cobra.
18. I miss seeing the bikini swimsuit guy jogging down Lahoma Rd.
19. I miss trips out to Trade Mart because it seemed so big.
20. I miss the riding the Bullet at Meadowlake and watching my best friend get sick.
21. I miss buying white mice, 45's and black light posters at Woolco.
22. I miss getting bike parts and skateboards at OTASCO.
23. I miss riding bikes & sliding on boxes down the hill at the Bird Sanctuary.
24. I miss getting drinks with "good ice" at Somewhere Drive In.
25. I miss finding boxes around town to build a cardboard maze on Halloween.
26. I miss exploring the water drainage tunnels under Van Buren and Garriott.
27. I miss catching tadpoles in Boggy Creek and going home covered in mud.
28. I miss going up and down the ramp at the Sears parking garage.
29. I miss sneaking out to the, so called, "Insane Asylum" late at night.
30. I miss cruising and watching people drag Van Buren.
31. I miss trick-or-treating in the Waverly area with sidewalks packed with kids.
32. I miss playing on the escalator at Evans Drug downtown.
33. I miss browsing hobby and train stuff at Enid News and Stationary.
34. I miss the awful smell of the monkey pit at the Enid Zoo.
35. I miss the electronic parrot and the running train at Richill's.
36. I miss playing hide-n-go-seek under the seats at the old Gaslight Theatre.
37. I miss throwing snowballs off the second floor of the Hedges/Knox Mansion.
38. I miss eating multiple Pak-A-Sak burgers and their great onion smell.
39. I miss the giant water slide on north Van Buren.
40. I miss playing neighborhood hide-n-seek on west Broadway late at night.
41. I miss skateboarding in the office park parking lot at 1420 west Garriott
42. I miss riding bikes on the BMX dirt track at Elm and Cleveland.
43. I miss the smell of Ken's Bakery.
44. I miss picking out gifts from the Service Merchandise catalog and store.
45. I miss the base wide 4th of July celebration and cook-out at Vance.
46. I miss buying magic tricks and gags at Papa Torry's.
47. I miss the creaky wooden floors at Dollar General/Kress.
48. I miss buying candy at Fitzsimmons on the way to Waller Jr. High.
49. I miss trying on sneakers and t-shirts at Larry Black's.
50. I miss listening to stereo equipment at Contemporary Sounds.

Read the comments for more great memories

Why is there an extra day every four years and who picked February 29 as that day?

The quick and simple reason is that our yearly calendar in made up of 365 days. The problem with calendars is that they do not take into consideration hours, minutes and seconds.  The time that the Sun actually takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons is called a tropical year and it is approximately 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds.

Those extra 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds need to be made up somewhere or our yearly calendar dates would eventually stop coinciding with the tropical year. Meaning, both calendar year and tropical year want the seasons to begin and end at the same time every year.

Julius Caesar had astronomer Sosigenes tweak the original Roman calendar to make up for the discrepancy. The astronomer decided on a 365-day year with an extra day every four years to account for the extra hours, and so February 29th was born. The reason February 29 was chosen basically comes down to the fact that February had the fewest days at that time (that's a whole other story).

The Caveat

Although most of us consider there to be a leap year every four years that's not exactly true. There's actually a leap year every year that is divisible by four, except for years that are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. This extra rule about centuries was an additional fix to make up for the fact that an extra day every four years is slightly too much of a correction. The year 2000 was a leap year, but the years 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. Got it?

Matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, Maria von Trapp (1905-1987) is a woman of passionate faith and uncompromising determination. Her story is richer and deeper than you might imagine. Step back in time to meet this funny, lively and unforgettable woman via this entertaining Living History program. Maria von Trapp is portrayed by Elsa Wolff.

Workshops at 6 10:30 & 12 noon. Evening presentation at 7 pm. Admission to all Chautauqua events is always free.

ENID, Okla. - As far as restaurants and recipes go in Enid, Oklahoma, there's none more famous than 3 Towers Restaurant and their epic salad dressing. Just the mention of the business brings a flood of comments about a favorite food, a great memory and that ever popular salad dressing.

Many have tried to copy the recipe and many have failed. Some Enidites claim that the famed dressing is now being served at a few restaurants in town. We cannot confirm nor deny these claims.

The restaurant began in 1947 and served for decades. The original recipe may have been lost or modified over the years but there seems to be a few common ingredients in most of the claimed secret recipes that have been smuggled out over the years.

We do not claim to know the exact original 3 Towers Salad Dressing Recipe but the list below should get you very close to the same flavor that many claim to be the best in the world.

Here are a few of the recipes we've run across from different sources:

3 c. buttermilk
1 c. Wesson oil
2 ½ T. mustard
½ t. garlic powder
1 ½ t. salt
3 T. salad dressing (mayo not Miracle Whip - heaping)
3 green onions, chopped
1 avocado
Place all in blender and blend well. Add avocado seed to dressing to prevent darkening.
-

1 egg, beat until frothy
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup salad oil
1 cup buttermilk
Mix the above ingredients in a blender.
-

3 cups buttermilk
1 cup Wesson oil
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or enough to thicken)
Mix until oil dissolves. Refrigerate.
-

1 egg, beaten two minutes
Add 1 1/3 cups oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Sprinkle salad with paprika after adding the dressing to the lettuce, etc.
-

3 eggs, beat until thick and frothy
Add 2 cups Wesson oil but only mix in 1/4 cup at a time
16 ounces sour cream
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Mix together and beat.
-

3 cups buttermilk
1 cup oil
2 tablespoons salad dressing (mayo not Miracle Whip - heaping)
2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Mix all in blender of mixer. Add paprika if you like.
-

1 quart salad dressing (mayo not Miracle Whip - heaping)
1/5 quart buttermilk
1/5 quart salad oil
1/5 cup mustard
1/2 pod garlic
Pinch of salt
Beat all together until smooth.
-

1 cup salad oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 raw egg
Mix all ingredients except egg and blend five minutes. Add egg and continue to beat until smooth. Chill before serving.
-

Many of these are pretty close to each other so we must assume that the ingredients of the original salad dressing recipe are most likely in this list. Try these and try your own versions. Hopefully you'll come close to something that brings back those great tastes of yesteryear.

Ethel rode a horse each day to the little red school house, which was Glenwood School.  She had to quit school when her mother died, to stay home and take care of her two brothers who farmed the land. This prevented her from being our first generation to graduate from Enid High school.

Ethel married William A. (Bert) Erwin in 1909. They purchased 1009 W. Randolph sometime not long after. Over the years we always called it Ten-O-Nine. Their daughter, my grandma, was born there, on the second floor, in 1913. She was the last person to own the house until it was sold along with the other homes on the block for commercial development.

The house was basically located where Taco Mayo is today. The entire block was filled with large two story homes when I was a kid.

Vintage Enid Photo

The photo above is a picture of my grandma, Elizabeth Scaling, in a wagon being pulled by a goat. The photo was taken in front of Ten-O-Nine around 1916-1917. The house next door (in the background) really changed over the years while old Ten-O-Nine stayed much the same.

1009 W. Randolph, Enid

Here is an early photo of 3 young girls in front of Ten-O-Nine. We are not sure who the girls are but most likely neighbors. Notice the lot next door and the big house in the background. The house in the background would have been on the southwest corner of Van Buren and Randolph. My best guess is that this was in the 1920's.

1009 W. Randolph, Enid

This photo is a better shot than the one above it. Again this is 1009 W. Randolph looking east. The street between the two story houses was Van Buren when it was nothing more than another 2 lane street named after a president. The house in the background closest to Ten-O-Nine eventually was torn down and became the south bound lane of Van Buren. There is a lady in a mink coat walking a dog in the background. Best guess is that this photo was taken right around 1920. This is Elizabeth Erwin Scaling at about age 7-8.

1009 W. Randolph, Enid

Yet another photo in front of Ten-O-Nine looking east toward Van Buren and downtown. Again this is Elizabeth Erwin Scaling in the mid to late 192o's. Notice the two story behind her head. That is the home that faced east looking down Randolph towards downtown. That was where James and Randolph split. Once Van Buren was widened that house lost almost all of its front yard.

1009 W. Randolph, Enid

We discovered this photo of Ten-O-Nine with a big tree in front and a new house next door. Our best guess on this photo is the 1940's or 1950's. The single story on the left eventually became a gas station and the house on the right had a complete remodel somewhere down the road.

Ethel Valentine Erwin

My great grandma, Ethel Erwin, owned the home before my grandma. This black and white photo shows my uncle, Richard Scaling, with my great grandma standing in front of Ten-O-Nine. The year must have been in the early 1950's.

1009 West Randolph, Enid

This photo is most likely from the late 60's or early 70's which is the way I remember the house as a kid. It seemed like a huge house and had the coolest wrap around front porch. There were stairs on the front and back of the porch so we ran around it for hours. It also had a two person swing that kept us occupied for hours.
-
There was a small gas station right next door to the east which rented U-Hauls. I remember playing in the front yard at night running and hiding from cars. I always wondered why the cars only seemed to come from one direction, as a kid I hadn't learned about one way streets.

1009 W. Randolph, Enid

This is an additional 1980's photo of Ten-O-Nine. The lot from which the picture was taken is the area between Randolph and James. All of these homes had been torn down for commercial development.

Scaling House

The last photo shows Ten-O-Nine in it's later years. This was late 70's or early 80's. All of the houses in the area were being bought up for a rumored development along Randolph and James. My grandma had moved into another home and held out selling Ten-O-Nine as long as she could. It wasn't long after this photo that the old place was torn down.

If you notice the garage in the background you can see it was painted half and half. From the time they were built, Ten-O-Nine and the house next door shared one driveway and each owned half of the garage. Talk about a parking nightmare!

Today, this is the parking lot and location of Taco Mayo. My grandma's house sat almost exactly where the restaurant is and it always brings back great memories when I eat there.

Interesting fact: If you look back through the photos you'll see a Gremlin and a Pacer parked at the house. My uncle may have been the only person to have owned both cars!!

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.

-

-

-

-

-

ENID, OK - The Federal Government had granted seven million acres of land to the Cherokee Nation in treaties of 1828 and 1835. The United States guaranteed to the Cherokee Nation that this land would be a perpetual outlet west for tribal hunting grounds, measured 58 miles wide and extending 220 miles along the northern border.

After the Civil War, because part of the Cherokee Nation had supported and fought for the Confederacy, the federal government demanded that a new treaty be written. The new treaty reduced the original reservation lands and permitted "friendly tribes" to be moved into the eastern end of the Outlet.

With the start of the cattle drives following the Civil War the Cherokee Indians began to use their western land to make a money. The Cherokee leased the land to the cattlemen that wanted to fatten their cattle on the grasses before taking them to Kansas. This eventually became the Chisholm Trail.

The trail reached Enid from south on the west side of where the Rock Island tracks run, broadening out and swerving somewhat eastward. It followed Grand Ave., past the old Gensman corner (across the street southeast of the library), on north where the Alton Building (Leonardo's) was, to the Skeleton Stage Station where the Enid State School was, and north to the trail's end in Kansas.

Mail routes and stage coaches followed the Chisholm Trail. The first mail route was between Wichita and Ft. Sill, Indian Territory. Four stations for change of horses, rest and food were in the Strip, two of them in Garfield County - at Skeleton Station and at Buffalo Springs.

All of Garfield County was covered with ranches during the era of the cattlemen, but only a few dim traces of that colorful period remain today.

Opened by "land run" on September 16, 1893

Settlers, wanting to own their own land, viewed this use of the area as a waste of fertile farmland and pressured the government to purchase the land from the Cherokee. Congress eventually paid the $8,505,736 or about $1.40 per acre, and announced the opening of the Outlet to homesteaders.

President Grover Cleveland designated September 16, 1893 as the date of the "run" for 6,000,000 acres. On that day, 100,000 land hungry persons gathered for the land run into the Cherokee Outlet by horse, train, wagon and even on foot. From Caldwell, Kansas 15,000 people gathered to make "the Run" south into what is now Oklahoma. Caldwell was 1 of 9 places where potential settlers awaited cavalry soldiers' gunshots to start the biggest land rush in the United States.

How Enid Got Its Name

Before the land run, the Rock Island trains had been stopping at what is now North Enid. They had a depot there and the railroad had named the town Enid. There has long been several versions of how Enid got its name, but clearly the most recognized and plausible theory was that Enid was named by M. A. Low who was a vice-president and general counsel for Rock Island.

In the early 1930s, George Rainey, who was one of the preeminent historians on the Cherokee Strip, in researching his book on the Cherokee Strip traced down several versions on how Enid got its name. He came to the clear conclusion that it was Low who named the station as an alternative to the its initial name Skeleton Station. Low felt that no town would ever want the name Skeleton. He had been reading Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King on the railroad trip from Kansas. Enid was a prominent character in Tennyson's book. She was the second most fair lady of the realm, second only to Guinevere. It is believed that Low named Enid after that character.

Becoming Cities

At the end of the run, farms were quickly being established, and the cities of Enid, Perry, Alva, and Woodward had been formed out of what had been only prairie land and train depots the day before.

The original train depot, before the run, was located in North Enid. Soon after the run, a second Enid town site was plotted south of the original one. In the beginning, the railroad refused to stop at the south township which caused a struggle between the two towns that were only three miles apart. The feud was eventually resolved through some unsavory tactics and the south Enid began to receive train service. Because a post office had already been established in the south town called Enid, a post office later built in the north town had to be designated North Enid.

7 Original Counties

At the time of the 1893 Land Run, there were 7 original counties called: O, L, K, P, Q, M and N. "O" County was provided with a county seat reserve of 320 acres, a plot of four acres for a court house, and one acre for a government land office. The county seat was Enid, and eventually "O" County became Garfield County. The settlers of each county were given the right to select the name of their county after the run. The names selected were Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble, Pawnee, Woods and Woodward.

The first Methodist circuit rider to arrive in Enid was the Reverend O.R. Bryant. This courageous young minister preached to a small congregation of early settlers on Sunday, September 17, 1893, the day after the great run into the Cherokee Strip. The service was held on the courthouse lawn and was the first Protestant sermon delivered in Enid. This was the beginning of the First Methodist Church in Enid.

Through all the hardships of life on the prairie, including the Dust Bowl, Enid became the center of commerce for all of Northwest Oklahoma. Enid was the center for farming, cattle, oil and industry and even had an automobile called the Geronimo was once manufactured here.

Learn more Facts About Enid, OK HERE.

National Register of Historic Places in Enid, OK

Did you know there are 15 National Register of Historic Places Sites located within the City of Enid? The US Department of Interior recognizes these sites as being historically significant to our city, state, and Nation. The sites include:

1. Broadway Tower (114 E Broadway)
2. H.H. Champlin House (612 S Tyler)
3. T. T. Eason Mansion (1305 W Broadway)
4. Enid Armory; demolished to make way for Garfield Elementary (6th & Elm)
5. Enid Cemetery & Calvary Catholic Cemetery (200 Block of W Willow)
6. Enid Downtown Historic District
7. Enid Terminal Grain Elevators Historic District
8. Garfield County Courthouse (West Broadway)
9. Jackson School (415 E Illinois)
10. Kenwood Historic District
11. Lamerton House (1420 W Indian Dr)
12. McCristy-Knox Mansion (1323 W Broadway)
13. Rock Island Depot (200 Owen K. Garriott Rd)
14. Waverley Historic District
(Historic Roadside Marker located in 1300 block W Broadway)
15. H. L. Kaufman House is listed; however, home was demolished in 2005 by the Enid Public School System to make way for an expanded playground at McKinley School