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Oklahoma Museums Association named the Loretta Y. Jackson African-American Historical Society as a winner in the Preservation Projects category for its African-American Museum and One-Room Schoolhouse Restoration Project. The Verden Separates School as it looks today
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Preservation project wins award
The Loretta Y. Jackson-African American Historical Society has been selected as a winner in the category of Preservation Projects for the African American Museum and One-Room School Restoration Project in the 2008 Annual Awards Program presented by the Oklahoma Museums Association.
“I’m so excited about the fact that the school has withstood the tests of time,” said Jackson. “But this award belongs to all of the individuals who see the value in preserving history and who have helped with this project from day one. I want everyone to feel it belongs to everyone who resonates with a one-room schoolhouse and to anyone who wants to learn more about them.”
The awards recognize outstanding achievement by museums and individuals throughout the state during the past year. Award categories include exhibitions, promotional pieces, publications, websites, newsletters, conservation projects and education programs. The competition is divided into four budget categories.
In addition, certificates of recognition honor the contributions of an individual, group or business to Oklahoma museums or a specific museum or community. This year, the Laura McDonagh Streich Award to the Profession will also be presented.
Restoration of the one-room school was completed on Feb. 27, 2007. it was built circa 1910 by Allen Toles, an African American farmer, on land he acquired through the Homestead Act of 1862, for African American children, grades one through eight, near the town of Verden.
Once located on a farm and later used as a barn, the schoolhouse, threatened with demolition, was rescued and moved to Chickasha in 2004 as a rare, surviving example of a one-room separate school. The building retains a great deal of historic fabric relating to its use as a schoolhouse; the move did not jeopardize the existing materials.
Care was taken to save this rare and important building, which now rests on a concrete foundation on Ada Sipuel Avenue where it has been restored, with added ADA requirements, to its original exterior appearance.
“The LYJ-AAHS Project has been supported by the generous help and donations of an extraordinary group of local, state and national individuals,” said Jackson.
The African-American Museum/One-Room School restoration is an official project of the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration and was funded, in part, through a grant made possible by the Oklahoma Legislature. The relocation of the Verden Separate School from Verden to Chickasha was funded, in part, by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
A grant from the National Trust of Historic Preservation, through the establishment of the endowed Ruth and Allen Mayo Fund for Historic Preservation in Oklahoma, provided consultant services for the architectural drawing of the museum complex and to restore the one-room school. A grant from the National Trust of Historic Preservation made it possible to restore the roof of the one-room school.
In addition, the Verden Separate One-Room School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, the only known wood-framed one-room school to be built on black land by black people for black children that still exists in Oklahoma.
Award recipients will be honored on Friday, Sept. 26 in Bartlesville. The keynote speaker will be Gene Batchelder, senior vice president, services and chief information officer of Conoco-Phillips.
A historic association exists between the city and the school. When the Verden Separate School was abandoned in 1935 due to consolidation, its students were transported to the separate school in Chickasha. Since its relocation, the Verden separate school is also recognized as “the school that followed its students.” Edna McDonald Irby and Janie Roberts of Chickasha attended this school.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
