Abernathy Day 2014

Fans of the Abernathy story watch as Jaye McLaughlin, as Jessie Pearl Abernathy, tells the story of the Abernathy boys. Fred Peters as Jack Abernathy looks on.

  

Abernathy Day a Great Success

     More than 100 people gathered at the Pioneer Townsite Museum on Saturday evening, June 7, to remember the early-day exploits of the larger-than-life wolf hunter Jack "Catch 'em Alive" Abernathy and his remarkable sons Bud and Temple.

     Following a dinner of barbeque brisket, all Abernathy descendants in attendance were introduced. State Senator Don Barrington showed a new painting depicting the Abernathy Boys that has been commissioned to hang in the Oklahoma Capitol Building, and two celebrated storytellers performed for the group as Jack Abernathy and his wife Jessie Pearl.

     It was a wonderful meal and program, in a peaceful setting, on a beautiful southwest Oklahoma evening.

     A good time was had by all!

  Scenes from the special day and the evening event follow.

During the afternoon, descendants of Van Abernathy (Jack Abernathy's brother) visit the original Abernathy ranch northwest of Frederick. Above, they inspect what's left of the foundation of where Van Abernathy's home once stood. The family lives in the Tulsa area and June 7 was this part of the family's first attendance at one of the Tillman County Historical Society's annual Abernathy events. They had a great time and promise to return for future events!

Marilyn Abernathy Stevens, daughter of Temple Abernathy, addresses the crowd at the Abernathy Dinner.

Program MC Ray Walker (left) introduces Case Waldroop and Kolt Walker who attended as Bud and Temple Abernathy.

State Senator Don Barrington displays a new painting that depicts Tillman County's Abernathy Boys in the 1910 New York City parade that honored President Theodore Roosevelt. The painting by artist Mike Wimmer of Norman was commissioned by Barrington and State Representative Don Armes as part of the Oklahoma State Capitol's permanent art collection.

Fred Peters performed as Jack "Catch 'em Alive" Abernathy.

Jaye McLaughlin entertained the crowd as Jessie Pearl Abernathy.

Jaye McLaughlin as Jessie Pearl Abernathy and Fred Peters as Jack Abernathy (left) and State Senator Don Barrington (right) are pictured with Mike Wimmer's painting of the Abernathy Boys. The painting will hang permanently in the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Abernathy Day Event

2014 Abernathy Day

Jaye McLaughlin (left) as Jessie Pearl Abernathy and Fred Peters (right) as Jack Abernathy visit with Frederick youngster Jake Schreiner (center) who portrayed Bud Abernathy at last year’s Abernathy Day. The car is a 1910 Brush Runabout like the one that Bud and Temple Abernathy drove from New York City to Oklahoma in 1910.

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Abernathy Day Dinner Set for June 7

The Tillman County Historical Society’s 2014 Abernathy Day Dinner will be held Saturday evening, June 7, 6:00 p.m. at the Pioneer Townsite Museum in Frederick.

In addition to a complete chuck wagon BBQ dinner, the event will feature two acclaimed storytellers who will perform as early Frederick area settlers Jack and Jessie Pearl Abernathy.

Fred E. Peters will portray Jack “Catch ‘em Alive” Abernathy, famous wolf hunter and friend to Theodore Roosevelt. Abernathy served as U.S Marshal in Oklahoma Territory and later, the young state of Oklahoma. Jaye McLaughlin will portray Jessie Pearl Abernathy, Jack’s wife and mother to his six children.

They will present an original program titled “The Intrepid Adventurers: Catch ‘Em Alive and the Boys”. They plan to perform this program at the National Storytelling Conference in Phoenix this July. Peters and McLaughlin live in in Fort Worth, Texas, and have told the story of the Abernathys in many performances to school and civic organizations throughout the region.

They are associated with Tipi Storytellers and are members of the Tejas Storytelling Association and the Tarrant Area Guild of Storytellers.

The dinner and performance will be held on the beautiful museum grounds east of the townsite’s red barn. Ticketholders should bring their own lawn chairs.

Tickets to the dinner are $15 for adults and $7 for children 10 and under. All proceeds will be used for operations of the Pioneer Townsite Museum.

Tickets will be sold through Friday, June 6, at the Pioneer Townsite Museum’s general store.

Tickets are also available at the following Frederick businesses: Frederick ACE Hardware, KC’s Gift Shop, BancFirst, First National Bank of Altus (Frederick branch), and Tillco Supply.

The tickets may also be purchased at the Frederick Chamber of Commerce, 580-335-2126.

The Abernathy Day event, held annually in Frederick on the first Saturday of June, celebrates the 1905 visit of President Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick for a hunting expedition with famous wolf hunter Jack “Catch ‘em Alive” Abernathy. It also celebrates the remarkable exploits just a few years later of Jack and Jessie Pearl Abernathy’s young sons Bud and Temple, including the boy’s 1910 trip from Frederick to New York City and their return trip to Oklahoma driving a Brush automobile.

Abernathy Day Held in Frederick

Jake Schreiner (left) and Kolt Walker (right) play the roles of Temple and Bud Abernathy during June 1, 2013, activities at the Tillman County Courthouse Square. The boys sit in an early Brush Runabout that is owned by Feltz Terrill of deLeon, Texas. Behind them, "looking on", is a statue that depicts the Abernathy boys in 1910.

 
Boys remembered at June 1 event

   In April 1910, Bud and Temple Abernathy rode horses from the family ranch west of Frederick to New York City to greet former President Theodore Roosevelt. The boys were six and 10. The fact that two little boys could make such a long trip, by themselves, was amazing even for those days. That's why the two "little cowboys from Oklahoma" became famous. Newspapers wrote about their accomplishments, they had many adventures along the way, and they met many famous people.

   Their dad, U.S. Marshal Jack Abernathy, was waiting for them on their arrival in New York City. Crowds of admirers were also waiting.

   In New York City they were given a position of honor in the ticker-tape parade that celebrated Roosevelt's arrival from a long trip abroad. The two Oklahoma boys rode their horses in the parade – ahead of Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

   For the return trip to Oklahoma, the boys shipped their horses home on the train and drove home in a new 1910 Brush Runabout. No driver's license was needed in those days and the boys learned to drive by practicing on the streets of New York City. There were few paved streets or roadways in 1905. The motor trip home to Oklahoma was a great adventure – different but no less daring or amazing than their long journey on horseback.

   Frederick hasn't forgotten.

   Frederick, Oklahoma, the boys' hometown, remembers the Abernathy boys. A statue of the Bud and Temple stands at the Tillman County Courthouse Square and an Abernathy exhibit at the Pioneer Townsite Museum features their photos, personal artifacts, and an authentic 1910 Brush Runabout just like the one that they drove in 1910.

Abernathy Day 2013

   For many years Frederick has held celebrations to honor the Abernathys – not only the two boys, but also their dad, wolf hunter and Roosevelt friend Jack "Catch 'em Alive" Abernathy.

   For the June 1, 2013 Abernathy Day, the people of Frederick celebrated the boys' adventurous automobile expedition of 1910. Owners of antique automobiles, including Brushes, were invited to park their cars on the Tillman County Courthouse lawn near the Abernathy statue. For one day, the courthouse square and adjacent Pioneer Townsite Museum harkened back to the days of early automobiles and the frontier spirit of adventure.

   Owners of vintage automobiles (pre-1940) came to Frederick to show off their vehicles.

   Ted Davis, owner of Oklahoma City's Packard Twin Six Company and restorer of the Pioneer Townsite Museum's 1910 Brush, spoke about auto restoration during an afternoon program at Frederick's historic Ramona Theatre.

   He also showed and answered questions about his latest project – a 1933 Miller Indy race car.

   A large crowd of folks gathered at the Pioneer Townsite museum during the evening for a barbeque dinner and entertainment that included a performance by storytellers Jaye McLaughlin and Fred Peters playing the parts of Bud and Temple's parents, Jack and Jessie Pearl Abernathy.

   It was a wonderful, fun day in Frederick!

Feltz Terrill (center in brown shirt) explains the mechanical features of his 1909 Brush Runabout to interested visitors to the Abernathy Day vintage car show. Terrill traveled from deLeon, Texas to attend the event.

J.W. Dollahan (center) brought his 1910 Brush Runabout from Lawrenceville, Illinois, to attend the Frederick event. Vic Fritch (left) accompanied him from Lawrenceville. They show the Brush to Gary Tyler, a member of the Tillman County Historical Society's board of directors.

Among the vintage cars on display were a 1927 Essex, a Model A Ford coupe, and a 1914 Model T Ford.

Kent Smith (right), Tillman County commissioner and member of the historical society's board, helps Ted Davis (left) maneuver Davis' Miller Race Car into position on the courthouse lawn.

Ted Davis of Oklahoma City (fourth from left) explains features of his Miller Race Car to interested automobile enthusiasts. The car is a 1933 Henry Miller designed Indianapolis race car. The engine is a V16 displacing 183 cubic inches attached to a front wheel drive gearbox. It is a supercharged engine, with a roots-style blower attached to the rear of the engine. Davis also spoke during the afternoon at the Ramona Theatre about his restoration in 2007 of the Pioneer Townsite Museum's 1910 Brush Runabout and answered many questions about auto restoration from fascinated members of the audience.

A trio of vintage Fords graced the lawn south of the county courthouse.

Owners and admirers of early automobiles spent the day talking about cars.

Abernathy boys stand-ins Jake Schreiner (left) and Kolt Walker (right) try the Pioneer Townsite Museum's restored 1910 Brush out for size in the museum's Abernathy exhibit. The car that the real Bud and Temple drove in 1910 was bright red in color, just like this one.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Model A Fords like these were the most popular cars sold.

J.W. Dollahan, right, arrived in Frederick from his home in Lawrenceville, Illinois two days before Abernathy Day and tooled around town in his 1910 Brush. Above, he gives an automobile ride to Virginia Walker, a member of the historical society's board.

The Crawford Collection, the Crawford family's private collection of trophy mount animals, was open on Friday evening at a welcome reception for vintage car owners, and again on Saturday for the general public. Vic Fritch and J.W. Dollahan are pictured with a trio of bears.

Late Saturday afternoon several vintage car owners made an automobile excursion to headquarters of the World War II Airborne Demonstration Team southeast of Frederick. The hangar was part of Frederick Army Air Field in the 1940s and today serves as home of the WW II ADT.

In the old Frederick Army Air Field hangar, car owners admired the WW II ADT's C-47, "Boogie Baby". The plane was manufactured in Oklahoma City in the early 1940s and used during WW II. Today the ADT uses the plane for jump exercises in which they parachute from the plane using WW II-type gear. The ADT honors the paratroopers of World War II and remembers their bravery and sacrifice. A visit to the hangar is a step back in time.

A group of more than 150 people gathered at 6:00 p.m. on the shady east lawn of the Pioneer Townsite Museum's red barn for a barbeque dinner, Abernathy program, and entertainment.

Fred Peters addressed the crowd as Jack Abernathy.

Tipi storytellers Jaye McLaughlin (left) as Jessie Pearl Abernathy and Fred Peters (right) as Jack Abernathy pose with Jake Schreiner (center) as Temple Abernathy, sitting in a 1910 Brush Runabout owned by J.W. Dollahan.

A beautiful June Tillman County evening ended with a concert by the Southwest Oklahoma Country Singers. The group's performance was the first of this summer's Saturday evening Concerts in the Park sponsored by the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council.

Abernathy Day Thanks!

   It takes many members of the community, working together, to create a successful event like Abernathy Day.

   Thank you to the many individuals and groups whose participation in and support of Abernathy Day activities on June 1 made the event a great success!
   Special thanks go to the following businesses and individuals whose sponsorship contributions made the day possible:

 

Cattlemen Level Sponsors

Bill and Carol Crawford

Southwest Rural Electric Association

Ryan Farms

Walker Land and Cattle Company

Wynn Farms

Trail Drive Level Sponsors

Benson Law Firm

Drover Level Sponsors

Crawford Abstract Company

Jackson Funeral Home

Subway of Frederick

   Thanks also to Glenda Lorah for making a beautiful quilt for raffle at the Abernathy dinner, and Thank You to volunteers who staffed museum exhibits on Saturday.

   Appreciation goes to the Frederick businesses that sold tickets for the Abernathy dinner, to those groups and businesses that set up noon food booths at the courthouse square, and to Patti Stapp for streaming music throughout the day.

   Thanks also to the Frederick Chamber of Commerce and to the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council for support in hosting this special day.

Tillman County Historical Society

Early Cars and Motorcycles on Display...

Friday, April 26, 2013

Click the Card Image above to See Larger

Abernathy Day will Focus

On Early Transportation

     In the early 1900s, travelling by automobile was an adventure and riding early motorcycles was a bold undertaking.

     Tillman County boys Bud and Temple Abernathy achieved fame during that time for boldly doing both.

     In 1910 the boys, then 6 and 10, rode their horses, alone, from Frederick to New York City. They then shipped their horses home on the train and drove back to Oklahoma in a 1910 Brush Runabout automobile. It was a remarkable adventure, even for that time.

     Three years later, in 1913 at the “advanced” ages of 9 and 13, the adventurous brothers again traveled from Oklahoma to New York City – this time riding an Indian motorcycle!

     On Saturday, June 1, 2013, the Tillman County Historical Society will remember these legendary adventures of Bud and Temple Abernathy by hosting a unique daylong celebration in Frederick, the boys’ hometown.

     On that day, owners of vintage automobiles and motorcycles are invited to come to Frederick to show off their vehicles and recreate the spirit of adventure that marked the Abernathy era. The celebration will focus on cars and motorcycles from the early 1900s through the 1930s. Owners of all vehicles from the era are encouraged to participate in the fun, one-of-a-kind celebration. Special attractions that day will be Brush Automobiles and early Indian Motorcycles.

     The vintage cars and cycles will be displayed on the lawn and parking area of the Tillman County Courthouse Square. The event will be non-competition, and will allow car and motorcycle enthusiasts to view wonderful vehicles up-close and visit with their owners.

     The car display will begin at 10:00 a.m. and run through late afternoon, with a special barbeque dinner, program and entertainment planned for that evening at the adjacent Pioneer Townsite Museum.

     The Frederick Chamber of Commerce and the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council will partner with the Tillman County Historical Society to host the day’s special events.

     Attractions, movies and programs that focus on early transportation, restoration of vintage vehicles, and adventures of the Abernathy Boys will be held during the day at the museum and the historic Ramona Theatre in downtown Frederick.

     Entertainment will perform throughout the day at the courthouse square, in addition to the evening’s dinner event on the museum grounds.

     Owners of all vintage pre-1940 vehicles are invited and are asked to sign up in advance for participation in the day’s activities. Information about the day and free sign-up for vehicle owners is available at the historical society’s website (www.tillmanokhistory.org).

Abernathy feats remembered

Bud and Temple Abernathy, headed home to Oklahoma in their Brush, 1910

More information at www.tillmanokhistory.org

Abernathy Day Set for June 1

   Every community of any age has stories to tell from its history.

   In Frederick one of the stories that we tell with pride is the unique story of the Abernathy boys – Bud and Temple.

   Theirs was an amazing story in its time, and it seems even more amazing by today's standards.

   In 1910 when the boys were ages six and 10, they rode their horses alone from the family ranch west of Frederick to New York City to greet a former President. Along the way the "little cowboys from Oklahoma" (as news media of the day called them) met many important people of the time, including President William Howard Taft, his Cabinet officials, and one of the Wright brothers. Their father, U.S. Marshal John "Jack" Abernathy, was in New York City to meet them on their arrival, having travelled there by train.

   In New York City they were part of a giant celebration and ticker-tape parade that welcomed former President Theodore Roosevelt back to the United States after a long trip abroad, and they were treated like celebrities in the big city.

   When it came time for the trip back to Oklahoma, though, they convinced their father to abandon their plan to travel home on the train. They shipped their faithful horses home by train. The boys drove home – in a brand new bright red 1910 Brush Runabout.

   That story and many more of the boys' adventures are detailed in the book Bud and Me, written by the late Alta Abernathy, Temple's wife.

   Among those other adventures was a 1913 Indian motorcycle trip from Oklahoma to New York City when the boys had reached the advanced ages of nine and 13.

   For years the Tillman County Historical Society celebrated the stories of the Abernathy Boys and their famous wolf hunter dad Jack "Catch 'em Alive" Abernathy with an annual Abernathy Day Celebration. The event was not held in 2012 because Frederick hosted Free Wheel bicycle visitors for a giant event during June, but the Abernathy Day celebration IS back on for 2013. It will be held at its traditional time – the first Saturday in June. This year that will be on June 1.

   And... Early planning for the event promises to make this a special and unique Abernathy Day, different from ones that have been held before.  That's because this year, to commemorate the boys' trips in their Brush Automobile and on the Indian motorcycle, the historical society is inviting owners of vintage (pre-1940) cars and motorcycles to come to Frederick that day to show off their wonderful cars and bikes.

   Hopefully, a significant number of vintage vehicles will come to Frederick that day. Perhaps the most special guests, though, will be current-day owners of Brush Automobiles and early Indian motorcycles!

   Numerous special programs and events are in the planning stages, there will be wonderful entertainment throughout the day and evening, and the historical society will sell tickets for a wonderful dinner on the grounds that evening at  Pioneer Townsite Museum.

   It promises to be a special, fun day!

   If you own a vintage car or motorcycle, plan to attend! Or... If you know someone who does own such a vehicle, pass the word!

   Detailed plans for Abernathy Day will be posted to the Tillman County Historical Society website (www.tillmanokhistory.org) as they develop.