The Redbud City: The Redbud City of Oklahoma
Clyde Wooldridge
“RED BUD” BILL FOR SHAWNEE GIVEN STATE SENATE APPROVAL
The House willing, Shawnee hereafter would be known as the “Red Bud City” of Oklahoma. For after flowery oratory, trimmed with a few slightly aromatic quips, the Senate passed a resolution by Senator Mead Norton of Shawnee, so designating the Pottawatomie County seat on Jan. 14, 1941. Sponsor Norton offered as one argument for passage of the resolution this statement: “My district doesn’t have much in the way of a senator, and you ought to do a little something for it.”
Senator Joe Thompson of Ardmore objected to the resolution on the grounds that in the heart of the Arbuckles, there was more red bud “than in all of Pottawatomie County.” Senator Virgil Stokes of Marietta wanted consideration postponed because “I’ve been besieged by groups who want to share in the designation.”
The Redbud City: It happened in April
Clyde Wooldridge
CITY ELECTION
125 YEARS AGO - The city-wide election on April 8, 1896, was a highly emotional contest between two competing political views. The local news media called it “a grand and glorious victory for the good people of Shawnee. It cannot be called a Republican victory for the fact that many good Democratic citizens voted for Mr. Search.”
Charles Knox, the Democrat, was elected as city clerk by 102 votes over George Boggs, the Republican. From the First Ward, Dr. H.J. Keith and Oscar Lee were selected as aldermen; Robert Reed and L.C. Thompson won their posts in the Second Ward; in the Third Ward, Charles Linn and Eastes tied and would have to be selected by lot, won by Linn; and finally, in the Fourth Ward, George Overstreet and C.C. Blake were elected. William S. Search was elected mayor by a count of 285-218 over Bob Galbreath. William K. Dodge earned the city attorney over Hammond by 35 votes. B.K. Brown, the inc
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The Redbud City: It happened in March
Clyde Wooldridge
Contributing writer
1889 - Even though Shawnee was not part of the original land run in Oklahoma of 1889, it set the stage for the second, that would follow in just a couple of years. On February 27, 1889, Illinois representative William M. Springer added section 13 to the annual Indian Appropriation bill which authorized President Grover Cleveland to open the lands to settlement through issuance of a proclamation.
Known as the Springer Amendment, this rider authorized settlement under the provisions of the Homestead Act of 1862, and it denied the original settlers their squatter’s rights. They were to be expelled and the lands were to be settled by a land run. The Act as amended was signed into law by President Cleveland on March 2, 1889. During his third week in office, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation on March 23, 1889 to settle the 1,887,796 acres.
The Redbud City: Redbud City forces into the 1940s
Clyde Wooldridge
Contributing writer
Shawnee made it through the 1930s with a few scrapes and bruises but survived the “Hard Times.” The decade produced a lot of “good guys” and “bad guys.” The depression hit the city hard and many families suffered, but the community was resilient and reached out in many ways to help the needy.
The city saw a big facelift during the 10 years of the 1930s, with the rise of the courthouse, the municipal auditorium, the city lake, and a few others. However, according to the 1940 U.S. Census there were 22,053 people living in Shawnee, 95 percent of which were American born. This was a five percent decrease from the 1930 Census.