Coal Mining Was Reason For
City Of Dewar's Being

 

 

The town of Dewar first began with a cluster of houses near No. 7 mine, and in 1907 Fred Darl laid out the streets of the town. The name of Dewar was used in honor of Sam Dewar, one of the officials of the M. 0. & G. Railroad.

 

Dewar School Founded

In 1906, a small building was moved to Dewar from Coal Creek for use as a school. A teacher was contracted to teach but became ill of pneumonia and died. As no other teachers were available, Mrs. Thomas Gower taught the first school term. In about 1908, a four room frame building was built for a school, burned down several years later, and was replaced in 1912 by a two-story brick structure. Another brick building was built in 1918 and served as high school until 1938 when the Hammond High School was built.

 

Post Office Established

About 1908, a fourth-class post office was instituted here with W. P.  Harris as postmaster, and at about that same time, a freight depot and small frame passenger depot were built. In 1916, J. T. Dennis of Muskogee was contracted to build a brick depot, and simultaneously the post office was raised from fourth-class to third-class. This status was held until about 1931 when the depot was wrecked and the post office again became fourth-class.

 

Churches Built

Dewar's first church was built in 1912 on the present site of the United Pentecostal Church and was called the "Little Green Mission." In 1912, the old Presbyterian church was built but has been wrecked since. Mrs. Thomas Gower and Mrs. A. G. Hughey solicited the first $100 to build the old Baptist church in 1917, and at that time building was started on lots donated by the Oklahoma Coal Company. In 1937, the church was wrecked and a new Baptist church was built two blocks east of the old site on Broadway Street. The Methodist church was built in 1921.

 

City Incorporated

In 1915, the City of Dewar was incorporated, and on October 5, 1915, the first city council met and filled appointive offices. John Fouler became chairman of the board with Ed Sadness as treasurer, and High Condors, as clerk. Appointees were Jack Curry, city marshal; L. A. Williams, special city attorney; Arthur Triffin, street commissioner; and Sol Teague, sanitary commissioner.

By the end of 1915, the city of Dewar had its own gas plant and electric companies, and by February of 1916 had its own water works. At that time Dewar's population numbered well over 3,000. On March 1, 1918, the city purchased the present city hall, which was built in about 1916 by Clarence Evans.