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Indexpage 1
SMITH’S DIRECTORY
of
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY
For the year commencing
August 1st, 1890
Embracing an accurate index of residents in all the cities and towns of the Territory, together with the names of all homesteaders, giving quarter sections, township and range; also the county officers, as appointed by Gov. Steele, for the seven counties, and the Federal appointments by President Harrison.
JAMES W. SMITH,
Publisher,
GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY
AN OKLAHOMA PIONEER
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THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILROAD, the greatest modern civilizer and one of the largest railroad systems in the world, traverses Oklahoma north and south from Kansas to Texas, passing through the center of the Indian Territory and through the greatest length of that part now open to settlement. Thus it affords a direct market for the garden spot of America to the deep water harbors on the Gulf and the great inland markets--Kansas City, Chicago, St. Louis and Denver.
This road may be said to have made Oklahoma; for if there had been on Santa Fe there would have been no Oklahoma, as in this age of railroads, regions no matter how favored by nature, without railroad accommodations are never sought after by settlers. Even if the country had been opened to settlement, it would have been but sparsely populated, and its wonderful resources would have gone for years undeveloped. As it was, however, with a great enterprising railroad running through the heart of the country, thousands of people all over the United States saw that Oklahoma was destined to become a rich agricultural region, in easy reach of markets already established.
The opening day of April 22d, 1889, has become historical. On that day this railroad had arranged its forces in readiness to accommodate the anxious thousands; and from the time the sun reached its zenith, train after train within short distances of each other conveyed the settlers to the promised land. No such migration of people had ever before occurred. Between noonday and sunset fifty thousand people had been thus transported. A new state had been planted. towns of eight and ten thousand sprung into existence as if by magic. The transformation wrought was marvelous. The setting sun of April 21st shone only on the wild solitudes of nature; on April 22d its lays rays shed their luster over a thickly populated country.
In this gigantic and successful undertaking of populating a vas country within a few hours, the Santa Fe cannot be too highly praised. A thing never recorded in history before was accomplished, not only without an accident of any kinds, but with great expedition and with admirable management. All the building material and subsistence in thousands of freight cares had to be brought, and the alacrity and promptness with which it was handled was remarkable. Since the opening the population of the territory had doubled, and the business which the Santa Fe now does in Oklahoma has become so voluminous as to necessitate the great increase in the working force.
The Santa Fe road, by reason of its extensive system of branch and main lines, gives Oklahoma the shortest outlet to all parts of the United States and the world. The main line between Chicago and Galveston passes through the center of the territory, reaching Guthrie, the capital, and Oklahoma city, Norman and the other principal towns in the territory, which will be the distributing points for the Cherokee outlet, the Iowa, Sac and Fox, Kickapoo, Pottawatomie, Seminole and the other adjacent Indian lands when opened to white settlement.
It has always been the policy of the Santa Fe to pave the way for white settlement in the western country, thus supplying the demands of the people of the new countries, and giving them all the great markets of the world, via Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas city, Superior, Neb; Denver, Col.; Galveston, Tex.; Dallas, Tex.; Fort Worth, Tex.; Houston, Tex.; Albuquerque, N. M.; El Paso, Tex.; Guaymas, Mexico; Deming, N. M..; San Diego, Cal.’; Los Angeles, Cal.; and San Francisco, Cal. Thus it is readily seen why this system has become the great popular line, as it has done so much for the upbuilding of the great west.
the Santa Fe is noted for the excellence of its passenger service, its thorough equipment, and the courtesy of its employees. Its principal lines are rock-ballasted, and the general accommodations are of a superior character.
the people of the West, and in particular the people of Oklahoma, feel under obligations it, and will always kindly remember this great system for what it has done.