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    Avery – Ghost Town of Oklahoma

    Established in 1902, Avery is a stop along our Guthrie-Stillwater-Cushing dual sport loop. Currently there is an old school building still standing, and a few…

    James Pratt October 29, 2015
    1 Comment

    Pleasant Valley – Oklahoma Ghost Town

    Pleasant Valley is an old Oklahoma ghost town located between Stillwater and Guthrie, just south of the Cimarron River along a dirt road. It once…

    James Pratt October 29, 2015
    2 Comments

    Tri-City Dual Sport Loop – Guthrie-Stillwater-Cushing

    This dual sport loop takes you along dirt roads from Guthrie to Stillwater to Cushing and back to Guthrie. The loop features a number of…

    James Pratt October 28, 2015
    17 Comments

    Clayton Lake Dual Sport Ride Report 2015

    The thirteenth annual Clayton Lake Dual Sport Ride is in the books, and what a great weekend.  The weather was darn near perfect except for…

    James Pratt October 13, 2015

    Elmer McCurdy and Bill Doolin Outlaw Gravestones

    A nice little side trip while you are riding near Guthrie is a stop by the Boot Hill section of Summit View Cemetery to see…

    James Pratt August 1, 2015

    Off the Beaten Path – Sedan, Oklahoma

    I was traveling back roads in Oklahoma on my way home from an assignment in Altus when I ran across an old rock gasoline station…

    James Pratt July 21, 2015

    OKC – Grand Boulevard Loop

    Many in Oklahoma City are familiar with Grand Boulevard. There is even an exit for it off I-35 between SE 29th and SE 44th street.…

    James Pratt June 29, 2015
    1 Comment

    Sod Town – Ghost Town in the Oklahoma Panhandle

    Sod Town is a ghost town in the eastern portion of the Oklahoma Panhandle. There is nothing there now except the remains of an old…

    James Pratt June 27, 2015

    Cowden School Building – Ghost Town

    I was recently meandering my way back from working in Altus and like usual, was traveling back roads, often gravel covered or paved secondary roads.…

    James Pratt June 26, 2015
    1 Comment
    The United Methodist Church in Jefferson was built in 1895 and is still operational today.

    United Methodist Church – Jefferson Oklahoma

    As you travel along the Oklahoma Adventure Trail in northern Oklahoma, be sure and take a one mile detour north to visit the United Methodist…

    James Pratt June 25, 2015
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    Established in 1902, Avery is a stop along our Guthrie-Stillwater-Cushing dual sport loop. Currently there is an old school building still standing, and a few houses in what once was a thriving agricultural community in Lincoln County. Many of the early citizens of Avery worked in the nearby Cushing oil fields. From the book "Ghost Towns of Oklahoma" by John W. Morris: County: Lincoln LOCATIONS (a) Sec. 11, T 16 N, R 5 E (I7) 12 miles north, 7 miles east of Chandler; 7 miles south, 1 mile east of Cashing POST OFFICE: September 16. 1902—August 26, 1957 RAILROAD: Eastern Oklahoma Railway (Santa Fe) Avery, established in 1902, became one of the most important agricultural growing and shipping centers in central Oklahoma before World War I. The soils of the area were fertile, the growing season long enough for crops such as cotton and fruits to mature, and the pastures suitable for cattle grazing. Roads were poor, and there were no large towns in the immediate vicinity until Cushing developed as an oil collecting and refining center. Also, the railroad through Avery made connections with the main line of the Santa Fe at Newkirk and Pauls Valley as well as connections with the Rock Island at Shawnee. [caption id="attachment_1393" align="alignnone" width="470"]Avery, ca. 1916. Four passenger trains served Avery each day. (Courtesty Oklahoma Historical Society) Avery, ca. 1916. Four passenger trains served Avery each day. (Courtesty Oklahoma Historical Society)[/caption] As agriculture developed, the railroad became the source of life for Avery. Reports indicate that more animals were shipped from the town during certain years than from any other place between Pauls Valley and Arkansas City, Kansas. Herds of hogs and cattle were driven to the stockyards by men on foot. There was one day in 1907 when 125 cattle cars were loaded and shipped to Kansas City. About twice a year notice would be sent to farmers that a poultry car would arrive on a certain date. Farmers would then bring in chickens, ducks, and turkeys to sell. During the cotton picking season the gins would run twenty~four hours a day. One man stated that he “had counted 125 wagon loads of cotton and forty loads of grain on the streets of Avery in a single day." In addition to shipping out, the railroad was responsible for bringing in the feed, seed, coal, and machinery sold and used. Avery was also the cultural and social center for the area. ln addition to the saloons, which had to be closed at the time of statehood, the village had the usual stores, livery stables, blacksmith shops, and restaurants. There were two hotels, which tried to outdo each other. The price of a hotel room for one night plus breakfast was fifty cents. One could get an entire home—cooked dinner for twenty-five cents. Each Saturday night a dance was held in the hall above the drugstore. “The single boys came on horse back; those dating came in buggies; and those married came in wagons with plenty of hay and straw in the bottom so the youngsters could sleep while mamma and papa were at the dance.” There was also a magic lantern show which operated on Saturday nights. With the opportunity to make “big money” working in the oil fields near Cushing, Drumright, or Shamrock, many young men left the farms. World War I also took others away. The Model T Ford and better roads made it easier to buy and sell in the larger towns. The soils of the area, not having been fertilized, declined in production. Gradually, farms were consolidated and much land returned to pasture. The old main street of Avery is now overgrown with weeds, and trees stand where buildings formerly stood. The remaining business buildings are unused, some half torn down, others rotting and falling down. The depot has long since been removed. Although the tracks remain, they are seldom used. The large school, built during WPA days. stands vacant and neglected. A few homes are still occupied. [caption id="attachment_1394" align="alignnone" width="470"]Avery, 1974. Remaining abandoned buildings and foundations of former buildings located in the heart of the old Avery business district. Avery, 1974. Remaining abandoned buildings and foundations of former buildings located in the heart of the old Avery business district.[/caption] test [map style="width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;" z="10" gpx="https://rideok.com/wp-content/uploads/Avery.GPX"]
     

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