Today McGee is a ghost town, surviving only in memory without a single reminder to give evidence of its existence, except the mute witness of the old McGee Cemetery at the southeast edge of the place where the town once thrived.
William Wallace "Wally" McGee was the towns founder and namesake, not "Walter McGee" which has been erroneously quoted. He first came here as a lad of 18 back in 1885 when he trapped for a living in Indian Territory. (3) In 1891 he opened the first business in the then embryo town, his blacksmith shop adjoining his log cabin home. He had learned his trade before coming to the wind swept prairies of Oklahoma. Wally McGee was a tall, thin, clean shaven white man, and was married and had two children. Soon after he opened his blacksmith shop in 1891, W.J. Long built the first store in town, about 150 yards south of the McGee house and blacksmith shop. The new store had a big sign on the front: "W.J.Long-Dry Goods Groceries, Provisions". (4) Long sold the "Springfield" make of wagons, and had one pound cans of Black Beauty brand axle grease for sale. Early in 1892 Wally McGee expanded his business interests by opening a sawmill, and soon afterward, he built the first cotton gin in McGee. He operated both from a nearby pond formed from rains during the year. After several seasons, Mr. W.W. McGee moved to Avoca in Pottawatomie Co., two miles north of present Asher where his brother Tom McGee operated a cotton gin.
The third business in the town of McGee was a post office, which had opened on Apr. 15, 1891. It was located in the rear of W.J. Long's store, with Joe Moad (not William G. Mood) as postmaster. (5) Joe's left hand was amputated at the wrist. He would "bunch" the letters in the crook of his left elbow, then thumb through, sort, and alphabetized them with his good right hand. Joe Moad was killed in 1897, by unknown outlaws who shot at him through the back door of the store while attempting to burglarize the place.
Dr. Jesse Mooney(born 1866 died 1915) came to McGee in March 1892, in a covered wagon from Washington Co., Arkansas, with his wife and three small children. (6) He put his sign on a stake beside his covered wagon - his temporary home - "Dr. J. Mooney". He soon constructed a dugout for his family in the southwest part of the new town, as the confines of the covered wagon were too crowded for comfort. He also built the first drug store in town, about 50 feet west of Long's store, out of rough oak lumber from the McGee sawmill. The drugstore was the fourth business in McGee. The Mooneys likewise, made the fourth family here. The first baby born in town was Nina Olivia (Ollye) Mooney, born May 22, 1892, the daughter of Dr. Jesse Mooney and Ella Mooney. This daughter married a man by the name of "Trout" and now lives in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (7)
On September 9, 1892 Dr. Mooney drove 45 miles in his buggy and took four pupils to the first enrollment at the University of Oklahoma, then returned the 45 miles to McGee the same day - 90 miles in a buggy in one day! (8) He drove his familiar, stalwart team of white horses, which were well known in his community.
Five years later, in February of 1897, Dr. Mooney was sent for by a military escort from Fort Sill to go there and attend to the seriously ill Geronimo, the old Apache war chief, and his three children, all deathly ill with double pneumonia. The old chief had refused the services of the military doctors at the fort.
In August 1896, Dr. Mooney had made medical history in Oklahoma by performing the first known operation of Cesarean Section in this region, using a kitchen table as his operating table in a dugout nine miles west of McGee. His only assistant was the frantic, though brave little husband of the pioneer family. Both the baby and mother survived. (9)
On February 3, 1894 J.A. Harris(born 1865 in Tennessee) came to McGee and soon opened a general outfitting store (5th business) across the street north of the drugstore. A few months later he built a two story hotel, called the Harris Hotel. This was built next to the store and was the sixth business in town. His father, Lafayette Harris was a Confederate Civil War veteran. J.A. Harris had formerly been in business at Simpson, TX for five years. He had also been a traveling salesman in California, in New York, and in Santa Point, Idaho. Several years later he had branch stores in Frances, I.T. and at Sacred Heart, Oklahoma Territory. He was appointed postmaster at McGee on March 3, 1901. He was a member of the Woodsmen of the World Lodge and Crescent Lodge No. 15 Knights of Pathias. (10) His wife was buried in the McGee Cemetery. The first tombstone there stood at her grave, and was a monument nine feet tall, marked "Martha Donna Harris". Harris later married Ruth Richards, one of Sam Richards daughters. (11)
In the summer of 1893, Andy Thomas opened the 7th business in town - a second blacksmith shop. Thomas died two years later in 1895, and had a graveside Masonic burial.(12)
In 1895, the Lee and Goodwin Store was opened as the 8th business with W.U. Goodwin and his brother in law, Sam Lee, as partners, specializing in groceries and hardware. They handled the "Bain" make of wagons. They both married sisters, daughters of Sam Richardswho came to McGee in 1893 and bought half interest in Dr. Mooney's drug store. (13)
Oswald Williams opened the second cotton gin in McGee in 1896 (the 9th business) and had a grist mill. He had the latest type 50 hp steam engines, each stand having 70 saws that could gain the incredible total of 20 bails of cotton a day! He died in 1899. Henry J. Watts (born 1847, died 1929) then bought the business. Watts had farmed for three years north of McGee, coming from near Burnett, Pottawatomie Co., Oklahoma Territory, where in 1893 he had opened the first cotton gin in the history of that county. His son, Arthur Watts,later owned a gin for many years in Stratford where he now lives. (14)
The first school in McGee was a subscription school held for the three months in the summer in a brush arbor, with logs used for seats. John A Walker(born 1866) was the first teacher. (15) Among the pupils using the new "Baldwin" readers, were Dave Hybarger and A.T. Reeves. (16) The teacher later was Dr. J.A. Walker of Burnette and Shawnee, Oklahoma. Walker studied the medical books of Dr. Mooney, his preceptor, before going to medical school.
In 1896, the first frame schoolhouse was built, the tenth business in town. Mrs. Nathe Pence was the second teacher in 1893, and Ella C. Mooney, the third teacher in 1894(wife of Dr. J. Mooney). Mrs. Mcfell was the teacher in 1896. Later a Mr. Key was the teacher. Willie Wilcoxson was there in school in 1897. He married Dave Hyden's daughter, and many years later was a teacher himself at "Old Sandy" country school. Years later he was a Baptist preacher. His children were Ray, S.W. (Buddy), and Vivian Wilcoxson.
The missionary Baptist Church was built in 1896, eleventh business in town. Soon thereafter the Methodists built their church with Preacher Sherwood as pastor. This church (twelfth business) was a two story frame building with the Woodsmen of the World Lodge occupying the upstairs portion. (17)
Dr. J.N. Norris (born 1867) came to McGee in the fall of 1897, three months after Dr. Mooney had moved to Moral, O.T.. Dr A.H. (Gus) Shi had moved to town the year before as a partner for Dr. Mooney. A year later Dr. Norris bought the Mooney-Richards Drugstore. He married Miss Maggie J. Byers of Johnstonville, I.T. in 1898. (18) He later manufactured and sold his "Chickasaw Chill Cure", an old prescription from Dr. Mooney on file at the drug store. This medicine was formerly called "Hell Up The Creek" because it was so bitter with quinine and other compounds.
McGee Masonic Lodge #94 was installed in 1896 (thirteenth business) in the hall built as a second story over the W.J. Long Store. Sam Richards was the first worshipful master and W. J. Long was the Secretary. (19) CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
NOTES
CITY OFFICIALS OF MCGEE AS OF MAY 1906
INDEX/TABLE OF CONTENTS
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