Loveland

Column sent to Frederick Leader and Frederick Press

June 9, 2009

Loveland School, 1916

Loveland was Promising Big Pasture Town

During Tillman County’s first decades many communities and small towns sprang up, each with hopes of becoming a prosperous residential and commercial center. Many of those communities failed to prosper and today are only distant memories.

Other towns such as Loveland were established and did survive. Loveland never grew to the scale that its organizers had dreamed, but it did prosper as a thriving community for much of its 100 year history.

The following description of Loveland in its early years is from the July 21, 1916 county industrial edition of the Frederick Leader:

“Loveland was one of the first towns to “come alive” after the opening of the Big Pasture. When the Wichita Falls and Northwestern railroad tracks were laid across the prairie from Wichita Falls to Frederick, that being its first lap, C.A. Swartz and G.V. Harris, two enterprising gentlemen of Frederick, laid out the town of Loveland, and on August 6, 1908, held their first town lot sale. The town was laid off on rather an ambitious scale and lots in it were bought by persons in many states.

Loveland Street, 1916

“As is the rule in all town lot sales, not all of those who bought lots came to Loveland to live, but enough of them came to establish here a good trading point and Loveland today has a number of enterprising stores, which do a thriving business, a bank with $65,000 on deposit and other evidences of a substantial town.

“It may be said of Loveland that it probably has the best school facilities of any town of its size in all western Oklahoma. Until a few years ago the town had only a small school, and the surrounding districts were in the same fix. Then came a movement for consolidation, and five districts, including Loveland, voted for a consolidated district, which is now known as Consolidated No. 5. As a result of this action a superb two story red brick schoolhouse, handsomely trimmed with white stone, was erected in the town of Loveland, standing on a hill which makes it very noticeable to people approaching the town from any direction. The people of the district, and particularly of the town, take a great pride in the new school, and have made it not only a pleasant place for the children and teachers, but a social center for the community. J.F. Pottorff is the principal and there will be four other teachers next term.

Loveland Baptist Church, 1916

“The religious side of things is not neglected in Loveland, and there are two churches here, the Methodist Episcopal and Baptist. The Methodist Episcopal church, South, has been holding services in the Baptist church, but it is thought probable that the two Methodist churches will consolidate and make one strong body.

“Loveland is famous for being situated in a rich part of the Big Pasture, and is surrounded by very fertile lands. Wheat and cotton are raised here in abundance and corn does better in the bottom lands in this vicinity than it does in most parts of western Oklahoma. These crops are well taken care of by two elevators and a cotton gin, while there are always buyers to pay the highest market price for all kinds of products of the farm.

“The fraternal spirit finds expression here in a strong Masonic lodge and in a lodge of the Woodmen of the World.

“The town has a hotel and has its own water system. Letters addressed to the Farmers’ and Merchants’ State bank or to any of its business men will bring information concerning either the town or the surrounding country.”