Old Woodville, Town of Two Nations

Sixty years ago, if you went south from Alberta Creek for a couple of miles, you would pass the Boise Taylor place. If you then went west about one-half mile you would arrive in the town of Woodville. However, at that time, the town was being abandoned because Lake Texoma would soon cover the area.

The town of Woodville was named after Judge L. Lipscomb Wood, a prominent Chickasaw citizen. Judge Wood was an uncle to Lottie Durham. According to some sources, Woodville was the first town plated in Indian Territory, but I can't validate that.

Coming into Woodville from the east, you would be on Hwy 12, which was also Main Street. The public well was at the center of the intersection of Main Street and Broadway. The well was boarded up on the sides and had a pavilion-type hip roof over it. I guess you could have called it the Woodville Water Works. Three blocks north of the public well was the high school. There were nine brick buildings in the vicinity of the public well. Two blocks south of the public well was the railroad depot. West of the depot was a grain elevator, stock pens, and cotton gins.

I'll list some of the people who lived in and around Woodville, by their last names only: Achemon (or Ackerman), Adams, Armstrong, Ayers, Bain, Belt, Blakely, Blakenship, Bledsoe, Bostick, Brown, Buck, Buckley, Burkham, Capes, Cobb, Coffee, Coley, Collins, Compton, Conway, Crow, Coot, Dillow, Durham, Fowler, French, Gamel, Graham, Grissom, Goff, Hale, Hainline, Hartley, Henderson, Hendley, Hicks, Hudson, Howard, Ingram, Jackson, Johnson, Juzan, Lassiter, Lemmons, Mann, Markel, Martin, McClendon, McCorstin, McCuan, McGarr, McGranhan, McLaughlin, McWilliams, Muncrief, Rainey, Russell, Rust, Sharpe, Sheppard, Spence, Steele, Stiff, Stewart, Stevens, Strickland, Sullivan, Taylor, Tillman, Thompson, Tutton, Vann, Ward, Wheeler, Whitley, Wiley, Wilkins, and Winston.

This is by no means a total list of everyone, but does cover many of the pioneer families. I hope this brings back memories for some of you and enlightenment to others.

As you left out of Woodville going west, you could go north of Hwy 12, which is now where Hwy 70A terminates, or go west to Isom Springs. Isom Springs was another town covered by the waters of Lake Texoma. That town was named after Isom Okayamba, another affluent Chickasaw Indian.

Recently, one of the big rains washed out a culvert on an existing road that goes west from the end of Hwy 70A. Thanks to the efforts of concerned area citizens, the culvert has been replaced and the road is now passable. To my knowledge, Paul Owens and Loyd Reese had a major role in getting this done. I understand that Ron Kifer donated several hours of dozer work. The Corps of Engineers donated three culverts that were joined together to span the roadway.

It was just a few years ago that the Corps of Engineers attempted to close this road, but a public demonstration and outcry by the local citizens was heard loud and clear. The McLaughlin Creek area residence now maintains the area.

They have also widened and improved the nearby boat-launch ramp. I was told that Paul Owens and Loyd Reese picked up four barrels of fireworks remains after the recent "big bang". The newest member of the clean-up crew is "Doc" Waddell, a retired veterinarian who has purchased the Willis place.

The gravel for the roadwork and the concrete for the ramp were expensive and were paid for by concerned citizens. To make a donation to the McLaughlin Creek Area Maintenance, contact Loyd Reese, (580) 564-4910.

Now, I'd like to mention another person who played a big part in the road repair. He is none other than the County Commissioner Tom Adams. Commissioner Adams is limited by state law and a tight budget in what he can do to help the constituents of his district. However, with the McLaughlin citizens paying for the gravel and using "work release" labor he was able to do all that was within his power to get the road back into service. It has often been said that a political job is a thankless job, but I would like to personally say: "Thank you, Tom, for all you do in maintaining and upgrading the roads for us here in your district of Marshall county."

As usual, the fish are biting in Alberta Creek. Last week I caught 30 of those big Alberta Creek bluegills. That's a total of 60 little filets that I took to my brother Richard, who is undergoing chemo treatments again. I fully expected his wife Gail to do the cooking, but no, Richard insisted on cooking, and he cooked the whole mess. Of course, I had to do my part in helping to eat them.

He said that memories of our childhood flooded his mind as he cooked. Richard was the oldest of six little stair-steps and he would sometimes cook fish and bring it out to the front porch for his little brothers and sisters. "Man of the house" was thrust upon Richard at the tender age of eight years and eleven months. I don't think he has entered that second childhood state as yet, but when he does, he deserves it, because he didn't get to finish to first one. In my lifetime, I've never known a man I admire and respect any more than my brother Richard.

Richard McWilliams passed from this life June 22, 2004.