Mays ............................................................................................................................................11 The Kansas City Southern Railroad...........................................................................................14 Arthur Edward Stilwell...............................................................................................................18 Stilwell. . . the First 50 Years The Incorporation of the Town of Stilwell...................................................................................20 The City Hall................................................................................................................................21 The Fire Department...................................................................................................................23 The Battle for the County Seat...................................................................................................24 The Adair County Courthouse....................................................................................................26 Starr Springs...............................................................................................................................27 Decoration Day of Old Recalled..................................................................................................29 Stilwell . . . the Second 50 years Entertainment and Recreation...................................................................................................30 SCHOOLS Cherokee Nation..........................................................................................................................32 Stilwell Public Schools................................................................................................................32 Athletics.......................................................................................................................................39 Stilwell Vo-Tech...........................................................................................................................40 Stilwell Public Library.................................................................................................................42 CHURCHES First Assembly of God.................................................................................................................43 East Park Landmark Baptist......................................................................................................45 Fellowship Baptist......................................................................................................................46 First Baptist................................................................................................................................48 Calvary Southern Baptist............................................................................................................49 Victory Southern Baptist............................................................................................................50 Faith Tabernacle..........................................................................................................................51 Freedom Christian Center...........................................................................................................52 First Christian.............................................................................................................................53 Church of Christ..........................................................................................................................55 Free Holiness...................................................................................... 57 First United Methodist................................................................................................................58 Pentecostal Holiness...................................................................................................................60 MEDICAL COMMUNITY Stilwell Municipal Hospital.........................................................................................................63 Memorial Hospital.......................................................................................................................63 Strawberry Reds Hospital Auxiliary...........................................................................................67 Stilwell Nursing Home.................................................................................................................68 Cherokee Nation Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center..................................................................69 William Zachariah Cook, Jr, M.D...............................................................................................70 John H. Carson, D.D.S...............................................................................................................70 Dennis Martin, M.D.....................................................................................................................71 D.P. Chambers, M.D...................................................................................................................71 J.V. Dawson, O.D........................................................................................................................72 J.C. Dawson, O.D........................................................................................................................72 Ralph Emmott, M.D....................................................................................................................73 Burdge Freeman Green II, M.D...................................................................................................74 L. Phil Keeter, M.D......................................................................................................................75 Charles W. Mehegan, D.0...........................................................................................................76 Jimmie W. Taylor, M.D...............................................................................................................77 J.R. Walker, D.C.........................................................................................................................77 Thomas Spencer Williams, M.D..................................................................................................78 BUSINESSES Old Businesses Remembered: Amos Handle Factory 79 Barber Shops 80 M.N."Doc" Beene 81 Blankenship Enterprises 83 Catron's Shoe and Clothing 84 Chuculate Station 86 Ode Hill Freight Service 87 Stilwell Mercantile 87 Morris Locker Plant & Meat Markt 87 Morris Processing Plant 87 McCaleb's Produce 88 Edd and Myra Mullins' Cafe 90 Vanderheiden-Hopkins 91 Whitaker Flour Mill 93

Businesses Fifty Years Old and Older Fletcher's Hardware 96 Stilwell Democrat-Journal 99 Reed's Hardware 102 Stilwell Banks 103 (Holt) Alltel Telephone Corporation 105 Eastside Abstract 105 John Hill Barber Shop 106 Bob Hill Barber Shop 108 Carson Loan and Investment Company, Inc. From a Livery Stable in the Indian Territory to the "C" Quarter Circle Ranch 109 Roberts/Reed-Culver Funeral Home 110 Farmers' Produce 113 Eagle Theater 114 Smay's Ace Hardware 117 The Stilwell Cafe 119 Stilwell Foods, Inc./Mrs. Smith's Bakeries......................................................119 Ozarks Electric Cooperative..........................................................122

Businesses Less Than Fifty Years Old Railroad Bar BQ.........................................................................124 AAA Abstract Company 125 Nancy Garrett Insurance Agency 125 Adair County Livestock Auction.....................................................125 Armstrong Bank History 126 Cherokee Nation Industries, Inc 127 Hart Funeral Home 128 Norman Isaacs' Station 129 Tyson Foods, Inc 130 Feeders Supply 131 Gladys Beauty Shop 131

Stilwell Businesses Today 132 ORGANIZATIONS

AARP 135 Adair County/Historical and genealogical Association 135 American Legion....................135 VFW.....136 Adair Country Retired Educators' Association 136 Alpha Delta Kappa International 137 Kiwanis Clubs 139 Stilwell Area Chamber of Commerce 140 Family and Community Education Association 142 Zion FCE 142 Stoney Point FCE 143 Flint Lodge #11 144 Soroptimists International 146

STILWELL KIWANIS CLUB AND THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL 1948 - 1997................148

Stilwell Strawberry Festival......................................................................................................152 Strawberry Festival Photo Gallery....................................................................................... 155

THE STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY Strawberries are a way of life in Stilwell, Oklahoma................................................................159

Strawberry Growers Ideal Fruit Farm........................................................................................................................ 160 W.F. and John Auffet................................................................................................................161 Baird's Farm..............................................................................................................................162 Jim Bolin...................................................................................................................................163 Henry and Clemmie Buckner....................................................................................................164 Bethel Eubanks Family.............................................................................................................166 Lockard Farm.............................................................................................................................167 Photos........................................................................................................................................168