Weston Wednesday: The Stokes brothers
Editor's Note: In collaboration with the Bartlesville Area History Museum, the Examiner-Enterprise has revived the late Edgar Weston's 'Revisiting the Past' columns that ran in the newspaper from 1997-99. Weston's columns recount the history of Bartlesville as well as Washington, Nowata and Osage counties.
The Stokes brothers, James H. and David L. Stokes, had located on Double Creek and were farming extensively in 1898. James H. Stokes was located just north of present Ramona and David L. Stokes had leased 1,100 acres including the town site, which was planted in wheat.
Jacob H Bartles, James Stokes, and A. D. Morton were associated together in the Kansas, Oklahoma Central and Southwestern Railroad Company in acquiring right-of-way from Bartlesville south to Collins Coal Mine and construction of the road bed. The Caney to Bartlesville railroad bed was already under construction.
James H. Stokes, at the urging of Jake Bartles, plotted the townsite of present Ramona. He built the first house in what is now Ramona, the location was in a little grove of trees where the school playground is now. The Stokes’ house was stocked with supplies needed by the railroad construction crew and was called the Bon Ton House. The Stokes family had a large tent set up in which the railroad construction crew could purchase their meals.
James Stokes had a financial interest in at least four businesses that were established in the new town. The Santa Fe Railroad had purchased Bartles’ and Porters’ right-of-way and when the railroad tracks were laid and a depot location was selected the Santa Fe called the Depot Hobson. However, the town site was called Bon Ton, this continued for a time and Granddad William Little suggested the name Ramona as a suitable name for the town. He said this name also had an Indian inference, since it was in the Cherokee Nation. The name Ramona was adopted and continues today.
Ringo had attracted several good businesses that moved their buildings into Ramona. In a few years, stone and brick business buildings replaced the wood buildings and Ramona took on a look of a stabilized growing city. The Tank Farm brought a great financial boost to the city and area.
James H. Stokes made a business trip to Tahlequah, I.T. and died there June 21, 1904. The Stokes family returned to their farm and ranch northwest of Dewey. Georgia Russell Stokes married an employee of Jake Bartles, Walter Brown, they continued operating the ranch.
Robert S. Duke, a brother-in-law of James Stokes, had been a business associate of James Stokes and he remained in Ramona. The Stokes’ home was moved by Bob Duke to the west side of Fifth Street opposite Dr. J.W. Bandell’s home and made a part of Bob Duke’s home.
In 1904, Walter Brown, Georgia Stokes Brown and her daughter, Olive Stokes, went to the World’s Fair in St. Louis. Will Rogers was there performing and they met Tom Mix there. They had worked together in the Zack Mulhall Wild West Show once. The Brown-Stokes family stopped to visit with Will Rogers and he introduced Olive Stokes, then
fourteen years old, to Tom Mix. It was a brief encounter but not the last Tom would see of Olive.
Tom Mix had grown up at Mix Run, PA, his father was a horse trainer for Col. DuBois, a wealthy lumber dealer and horse enthusiast. Tom had grown up on a horse, had little interest in school and had become a very good horseman and athlete. After seeing a great Wild West Show in Pennsylvania, Tom felt the desire to venture “out west” to perhaps join a Wild West Show himself.
After being in the Coast Guard, Tom indeed ventured west and at Louisville, KY a furniture dealer had a daughter, Grace Allen that Tom met, courted and married. In 1903, they went to Guthrie, I.T. where Grace Mix became an English teacher. For a time, Tom taught physical fitness, and worked some in the Blue Belle Saloon as a bartender. Grace Mix’s father did not approve of the marriage and it was dissolved.
Tom went to Oklahoma City and tried out as a drum major in the Oklahoma Territorial Cavalry Band. His physical training and acting ability won him the position of drum major to lead the band at the St. Louis World’s Fair and they trained in Oklahoma City for the Fair.
Tom returned to Oklahoma City and the only work he could find was bartending on Robinson Street. He stayed in the Perrine Hotel where Tom met the daughter of the hotel owner. Tom and Jewell Perrine began a relationship.
Tom tried every opportunity to get out of the bartending business and into the Wild West Shows. Joe Miller, of the 101 Ranch, drank in the bar when he was in Oklahoma City. Tom visited with him and expressed his interest in getting into the Wild West Shows where he could use his horse training and physical training abilities. Joe Miller told Tom to come to the 101 Ranch and he would be employed there. Tom and Jewell Perrine went to the 101 Ranch and Joe hired Tom as a dude cowboy. He was to perform some of his horsemanship for important visitors and guests, then tour them over the ranch. Tom was very successful in impressing visitors.
The next year Tom went on tour with the 101 Ranch. He and Jewell Perrine were married by this time but their marriage was not very satisfactory and in 1908, when the 101 Ranch show returned to winter quarters, Tom Mix came to Dewey looking for Olive Stokes.
We will continue this discussion next week.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Weston Wednesday: The Stokes brothers
