As the weather starts to warm up and before the farmers start planting their crops you might want to head out to Grady County, OK to do a little practicing with your detector.
This spot, the location of an old ghost town known as Silver City, could bring you several artifacts and even a few coins. Silver City, OK was established on the south side of the Canadian River about three miles north of present day Tuttle, OK. The post office was established in May of 1883 and remained open until June of 1890. The town, or village as most people knew it, was established well before the post office but no one knows exactly when the town became a town. Before 1880 there was a Mexican family that lived where the town stood that used to sell stock whips to the cowboys when they came through.
Why would cowboys come through you say? The Chisholm Trail ran directly through the town and it was a major stop for the cattle movers because of the grazing land around the river and because of three small creeks in the vicinity that supplied good water. This made for a lot of traffic through this area.
In 1890 the Rock Island Railroad extended its tracks to the south side of the river and a new town called Minco was established. Over the next couple of years everyone in Silver City migrated to Minco and Silver City died out. The only thing that remains of Silver City today is the Cemetery. As far as I know, the whole area that was Silver City is now farmland. With permission, this could be a bonanza of relics.
This spot, the location of an old ghost town known as Silver City, could bring you several artifacts and even a few coins. Silver City, OK was established on the south side of the Canadian River about three miles north of present day Tuttle, OK. The post office was established in May of 1883 and remained open until June of 1890. The town, or village as most people knew it, was established well before the post office but no one knows exactly when the town became a town. Before 1880 there was a Mexican family that lived where the town stood that used to sell stock whips to the cowboys when they came through.
Why would cowboys come through you say? The Chisholm Trail ran directly through the town and it was a major stop for the cattle movers because of the grazing land around the river and because of three small creeks in the vicinity that supplied good water. This made for a lot of traffic through this area.
In 1890 the Rock Island Railroad extended its tracks to the south side of the river and a new town called Minco was established. Over the next couple of years everyone in Silver City migrated to Minco and Silver City died out. The only thing that remains of Silver City today is the Cemetery. As far as I know, the whole area that was Silver City is now farmland. With permission, this could be a bonanza of relics.
Silver City, OK was located in Grady County in Section 22, Township 10 North, Range 6 West.
12 comments:
MAKE SURE you have premission from the land owner-s some will prosecute you.
proberod
Hi,my name is Crystal Mortensen My Grand mother was born and raised in Silver City,Ok.her name is Winona French-Barton. and I was raised On the Barton acres in Mannford,Ok. When I was a girl my grand mother would take me to silver city to go Blackberry picking and tell me stories about when she was a little girl.I'm sorry to say she has passed away
but her stories will go on forever in my family. thank you so much for putting this special little place on the internet.
You're welcome Crystal and thank you for your story as well.
There is a lot more information about Silver City, I.T. in the book, "The Chickasaw Rancher: Revised Edition," published by the University Press of Colorado and distributed by the University of Oklahoma Press. The original version was published in 1960. It was written by Neil R. Johnson, Montford's grandson. The revised edition which includes many updates, photos and maps came out in 2001. Neil Johnson's grandson, C. Neil Kingsley edited the revised edition.
The Silver City Cemetery was added to the national register of historic sites in 2008. A new wrought iron fence is scheduled to go up very soon and a completely paved road with a parking lot should follow soon after. The town of Tuttle has a committee for the preservation of this cemetery.
To the best of my knowledge, "Caddo" Bill Williams, his Caddo Indian wife and their children lived in that area first after the Civil War (1872). A few years later after realizing they were in Chickasaw territory he traded his house/store for some animals to Montford Johnson, a Chickasaw, who was living in Johnsonville (near Byars, OK.). Montford passed his current ranch off to a family member and moved to what would become know as Silver City (!878). The Williams family moved about 7 miles further west on to the Caddo's tribal land.
Montford's son, E.B. or Ed, enlarged the store and brought in joe Lindsey as partner. Joe eventually bought out the Johnson's interest and like everyone else moved the stores and other useful buildings to Minco when the railroad took over the shipping of cattle in 1889. This rendered the Chisholm Trail and Silver City as a town unnecessary. There is a 14 ton stone commemorating both the pioneer settlers of Silver City and the Chisholm Trail located on the northeast corner of highway 37 and (first traffic light) N. Cimmaron Rd.
I was very fortunate to have met a number of people who kindly helped me with my research on the Silver City Cemetery. To them I am very grateful.
I am the youngest of 13 children, born and raised in Copan, Oklahoma, 11 miles north of Bartlesville.
Now at the age of 66, I am looking for my grandfather's grave. He was a medical doctor, who died at a young age. I just found some of my fathers notes ( Dad died when I was 15) and it states his dad died when dad was only 13 and that he was burried in the Tutle graveyard on the banks of the river.
I wonder if it could be the Silver City Ridge Cemetery? Does anyone have information as to who is burried there? Or maybe live nearby and could look for my grand dads gravestone? His name is Sampson J. Kitterman and died on 1-30-1895.
Thanks for any information. Bill Kitterman in Kansas now.....
Bill,
The City of Tuttle maintains records of people buried in both of their cemeteries. FYI, the Silver City Cemetery is the only Tuttle cemetery near the river. You can call the city at 405-381-2335.
I do not think there is a headstone with that name on it, but there are several buried in the cemetery without stones. The city's listing includes those without stones - as best as they can.
Good luck!
Regina
Bill Kitterman
This is a website that has the names of everyone in the cemetary at Silver City, I did not see any Kittermans on the list but I thought this might be helpful. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okgs/silver_city_cem_grady_co.htm
Bill Kitterman If you haven't all ready, try this website for S.J. Kitternam
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kitterman-21
I went to the Silver City cemetery today and there is no headstone with that name. I took pictures of every headstone and the surrounding area. If anyone would like a copy of the pictures email me and I will send them to you. thetrailerparkhomesteader@yahoo.com
You want help from someone who lives in Silver City?
Did anyone ever medal detect it im wanting to take my boys out and let the detect the old town.
I live right by there and would love to make it a team effort. Just need to get permission and locate the owners.
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