The Miami Of Today As already indicated, Miami was poorly
prepared for the sudden influx of population which immediately followed
the announcement of the, discovery of vast deposits of lead and zinc,
but with characteristic Western enterprise its citizens got busy and
they now boast of having an up-to-date city with all the modern
conveniences. They now have, three railroads including an interurban
line which connects Miami with the towns and mining camps which have
sprung up in the district. Other Mining Towns The principal mining towns and camps in the
mining district are : Commerce, Cardin (Tar River) Picher, St. Louis,
Douthat, Quapaw, Lincolnville and Peoria. Of these Picher has made the
most remarkable growth. It is located in the heart of the mining
district about seven miles north of Miami. Picher is now but five years
old, yet the official United States census report of 1920 gave it 9,676
inhabitants. Within its first two years it grew to be a town of 5000
people without any form of municipal government, except that by common
consent its commercial club exercised a sort of quasi authority over its
public affairs. In 1918 the town was incorporated and has since
maintained a complete city organization. At the time of its
incorporation, the miners in that vicinity were receiving wages
amounting approximately to $15,000 per. day. Picher has built up a good
public school system, several churches, has prosperous lodges of Masons,
Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and other fraternal orders. It has been
hampered in its growth by not being able to secure title to many of the
town lots, the land being still owned by Indians, who, instead of
selling off their land in town lots, adopted the plan of leasing the
lots at a fixed annual rental, allowing the lessees to erect their own
buildings. Numerous substantial brick store buildings have been erected
on these leased lots, the lessees hoping that at some future time, they
may be able to secure title to the lots which they have improved. The Town of Afton is located in the
southwestern part of Ottawa County on the Frisco Railroad. It is one of
the older towns of this section of the state and is surrounded by a good
farming community. Like many other Indian Territory towns, it has
suffered from several destructive fires. In October, 1895, a portion of
the town was burned but its most disastrous fire occurred during the
latter part of September, 1897. This fire originated in a barn in the
rear of the Afton Hotel, the property of Grant Victor. The hotel was
destroyed and a strong wind from the south carried the flames northward,
destroying the stores of R. A. Abney, J. R. Dawson & Bro., the printing
shop of the Afton Advance, their weekly newspaper, also the stores of
James Lowe, J. W. Lewis, W. H. Watkins, G. W. Edens, H. S. Hill, J. L.
Blevins, F. M. Crowell, the post office, kept by J. P. Thompson,
together with a number of other small stores and shops. The citizens of
the town, although they had suffered heavy financial losses, did not
waste much time in grieving over their misfortune, but immediately got
busy, cleared away the rubbish and ruins, and in place of cheap frame
structures, proceeded to rebuild the town with more substantial
buildings. Afton is now a pretty little prairie city of 1800
inhabitants, supplied with good homes, substantial business houses, good
churches and a good public school system.
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