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Collinsville,
Oklahoma
June
4, 2007
Oklahoma
Centennial
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6th
in A Series
As We Approach Oklahoma's First Century As A State
This
web site is brought to you by the Newspaper
Museum In Collinsville and the other advertisers appearing on these
pages. If you would like to provide content or advertisements ...
call Ted Wright (918) 371-1901 or send email to
wrightted@aol.com.
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Sampling
of Life In Collinsville's First Decade:
Telephones since 1902
Typhoid Deaths in 1905
Electricity Since 1909
Edison's Movie Machine
Home
(email questions/comments to wrightted@aol.com).
Ted Wright -- last update 6/4/2007 (OKCentennial6.html)
www.cvilleok.com
Copyright 2007 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma
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| Typhoid fever struck
Collinsville hard in 1905. One of the deaths was my grandfather's sister
(Nellie Wright). Nellie appeared to be doing better when the news story
above came out but died not too long afterwards. Nellie is the young lady
in the 1900 Collinsville photo below with her father W.L. Wright and brother
C.H. Wright (with his drum). I haven't read the old 1905 issues in a few
years but suspect there were multiple doctors in town so W.L. Wright's
fued with Dr. Griffith had no impact on her medical treatment. -- Ted |
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Mr.
Gates had the first telephone franchise in Collinsville starting in 1902. I
don't know the facts, but had heard at least one story that some of the early
phone lines used existing fence wire where available. It was 1959 before there
were dial telephones in Collinsville. Before then operators would connnect all
calls from switchboards.-- Ted
Mr.
Brown was Collinsville's mayor in 1903 when he was trapped on the other side
of the flooded Bird Creek. The Sante Fe railway (which Collinsville had since
1900) ended at Owasso until 1905 so horseback (and possibly buggy) was the fastest
way between Collinsville & Tulsa. There were ferrys at most of the creeks
and rivers before the bridges were built but it was dangerous to cross at flood
stage. Marshall Rod Perry had possession of a horse that had strayed (or was
stolen?) from it's owner.
Drilling
in 1906 was less of a science that today so it was usually a surprise if you
would have an oil well, a gas well, a water well, or a dry hole. You could buy
coal (that was surface mined) from my great grandfather (Chauncey Duane Evans)
for $2 per ton.
The
City of Collinsville did not yet own the electric franchise when homes were
initially being wired here for the convenience of electric appliance. It would
appear that at this point in 1909 the current was not even available during
the night time hours.
After
Collinsville got electricity (in 1909) it wasn't long before it had motion pictures
(in 1910). Many of the local performances were with live actors even after movies
were available. I'm fairly certain the Lyric Theatre was in the building that
is directly east of our present day post office on 11th Street & Center).
-- Ted
A
portion of Collinsville's Main Street in 1906.
