Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1901 — GREW UP IN A NIGHT [ARTICLE]

GREW UP IN A NIGHT

LAWTON NOW A BUSTLING CITY OF THOUSANDS. The Wonderful Town on the Plains of Oklahoma Probably Has No Parallel in the History of the United States. There is nothing in the history of the country that will bear comparison with the wonderful city of Lawton (named in honor of the brave American general who was killed in the Philippines) that a few weeks ago sprang into existence over night on the plains of Oklahoma. A desert one day, it was a city of tents tho next, with a hustling, bustling population of thousands. A city of tents one week, it was a city of substantial frame dwellings the next, with stores and schools and churches and banks, and with business enough to keep every one on the jump for twelve hours out of each twen-ty-four. From a couple of acres square the townsite has “slopped over” in every direction, until now some of Its principal streets are nearly two miles In length. It doesn’t matter that the houses have been run up without chimneys. Bricks are scarce in Lawton, and in that climate chimneys are not needed before December, and by that time the railroad will have deposited bricks enough to give each of the 800 housea now standing a chimney. When the site of Lawton was first selected a ranchman who thought he knew the country pretty well shook his head and prophesied that the town never would amount to anything. "There’s nothing here to support a town. It’ll dry up and blow away," was his prediction. There were others who thought as he did. But these pessimists are shown to have been mistaken. Lawton is destined to become the center of a prosperous district whose mineral and agricultural resources will support it and keep it growing for many years. There can be no doubt that Lawton Is the biggest city of its age in the world, or that Comanche County, of which it is the county seat, with its 2,700 square miles of farm and pasture lands, is the home of the busiest, most energetic and progressive community to be found to-day in all the Southwest. The opening of the country to settlement was en improvement on any opening of new territory by Uncle Sam. The money from the sales of town lots is to be used for the benefit of all the people. Tho rent of the school land is a perpetual fund to run the schools. To the extent that it goes, the plan is ideal. For several years there need be no taxes for public Improvements, and there need be no school tax as long as the rent will cover the school expenses. The most exaggerated business condition of the new town is the fact that eighty-six saloon licenses have been applied for. It is estimated that a dozen would supply all demands. The development of the Lawton postoffice is said to be without a parallel. On Aug. 9 Postoffice Inspector Hosford of Wichita. Kan., opened the postofflee in a small tent and was in charge for a few days. Upon the arrival of T. J. White, the new postmaster from Arkansas City, Kan., the office was turned over to him and his bond was SSOO. In three weeks his bond was raised to $86,000. With a deputy postmaster and twelve clerks it is all that he can do to keep up with the business. The business now equals that of a first-class office. The next largest development is the banking business. Prominent among these is the First National Bank, which opened in a tent Aug. 6. Its deposits now amount to over $300,000. The City National Bank started the same day, has deposits of $360,000. Two other banks have been started during the past two weeks—the Citizens’ Bank of Lawton and the Citizens’ State Bank. All these banks are now in their temporary frame buildings. The postoffice has moved into a larger building adjoining the First National Bank. And-as an evidence of the desire of the people of Lawton to build well from the start, it may be said that plans for a $50,000 court house are being considered, and that efforts are being made to aecure the establishment there of the Southwestern Normal School.