Jett Washbench Featured at Museum

The following "Tillman County Chronicles" column about a Jett family artifact from Tillman County's history, was printed in The Frederick Press and The Frederick Leader in March 2009.

TCHS board member Virginia Walker examines the Jett family washbench at the Pioneer Townsite.

Sent to The Frederick Leader and The Frederick Press, March 2, 2009 

Early wash bench displayed at Pioneer Townsite

Every item in Frederick’s Pioneer Townsite Museum has a history and story. Most items were donated or loaned to the Tillman County Historical Society for exhibit.

In the Townsite’s small Nill House, there is a worn bench with many scars from years of use. It’s an item that is easy for visitors to miss, but it has a definite story.

The late Millie Jett Harmon, born in 1907, was raised on a farm in the North Deep Red community in northeast Tillman County. As a young wife and mother, she lived in Manitou, but spent most of her life in the Snyder community where her husband Ray Harmon was a grocer.

She died in January 2000 at age 92.

In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Mrs. Harmon wrote a column for the Kiowa County Democrat, reflecting on many memories of her early life in southwest Oklahoma.

In an August 1989, she wrote about the bench that would later come for exhibit at the Frederick museum. The following are her words:

“I sit on my porch in the cool of the morning looking at Mama’s wash bench remembering many happy times since its existence. It was built for Mama in the mid-teens by her first son-in-law who accumulated scrap lumber for the purpose.

“The bench measured about three feet in length and 18 inches high. It was made to support two washtubs – one to hold the rub board and soap, and the other contained the rinse water. It was never painted and never will be for it was splattered with many colors of paint during its use. It even showed scars from the teeth of a saw when it was used to support a board being cut.

“The bench served the family in many ways, such as sitting on while churning, pealing peaches, stringing beans, scraping potatoes, etc. It was perfect to hold the cream cans while separating the milk and to support the pressure cooker while it cooled during canning season.

“It made a good table for the little ones to place their plates on while they stood on their knees and ate dinner at Grandma’s house.

“When neighbors dropped in on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon to sing, seating space was scarce, so Mama’s wash bench was carried into the front room, covered with a white sheet and placed near the old pedal organ for three people to sit on while they blended their voices with others and made music that would cause ‘the Angels’ to envy.

“When Mama’s little chickens died they were due proper respect so the bench served as the mortuary as the little creatures lay in state in their tiny little caskets made from match boxes padded with cotton. A eulogy was delivered and the choir provided proper music. One cousin usually elected himself to be preacher and later grew up to become one and told me he was often called upon for funerals. The deceased were gently carried to the burial ground and laid to rest. Pretty rocks and wild flowers marked their graves.

“At other times some ambitious young circus performer did her hand stand to entertain the crowd. There was always an audience for Mama had a big family and kin and friends came over daily to play. Luckily there were no broken bones from falling off the stage.

“Mama and Papa left the farm in 1943 and moved to Manitou so the wash bench had a new home.

“After Papa’s death in 1946 Mama broke up housekeeping and went to live with her youngest daughter whose husband was section foreman for the Frisco Railroad. At that time, they lived in Manitou. The custom of the Frisco was seniority was gained for years of service and the senior employee could bump when a vacancy arose. Therefore, the next move was to Vernon, Texas.

“It was then that Mama decided to divide her time with her other eight daughters. The wash bench stayed with that family and found a home in a number of towns along the Frisco line from Vernon, Texas to Blackwell, Oklahoma. It was used mostly as a workbench, for automatic washers had replaced the washboard.

“That daughter passed away in 1988. After the heirs had divided her personal property and discarded the junk, they remembered there was an old bench in the cellar they had failed to haul off. After a little thought I asked, ‘Could that be Mama’s wash bench?’ It was! It had served as a seat in the cellar for neighbors who came seeking shelter from a storm.

“It is now in my possession.

“When the family gathers here it is a solid bench to hold the coffee and tea urns. Otherwise it displays my houseplants.

“So, I sit on my porch in the cool of the morning and see visions of Mama’s wash bench.”

Harmon recalled early phone lines

 Sent to The Frederick Leader and The Frederick Press, October 4, 2011
 

Early telephone switchboard operator   (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Telephone was connection for farm families

Early telephones were an important connection for farm families, giving them a link to neighbors, as well as access to nearby towns and beyond.

Past “Tillman County Chronicles” have addressed the topic of early telephone lines that were built and maintained by farm families. In April 1992, the late Millie Jett Harmon wrote about her family’s early telephone in a column for the Kiowa County Democrat.

Mrs. Harmon, born in 1907, was raised on a farm in the North Deep Red community in northeast Tillman County. She was one of nine Jett children, all girls. 

Early crank telephone at Frederick
Piioneer Townsite Museum

As a young wife and mother, she lived in Manitou, but spent most of her life in the Snyder community where her husband Ray Harmon was a grocer.

She died in January 2000 at age 92.

In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Mrs. Harmon wrote a weekly column for the Kiowa County Democrat, reflecting on many memories of her early life in southwest Oklahoma.

In the April 9, 1992 edition of the Snyder newspaper, she wrote the following:

- - -

“I read in The Lawton Constitution and Morning Press that Indiahoma and a number of neighboring towns would have toll-free telephone service to Lawton after April 6, 1992.

“It put me to thinking of the day the rural telephone line reached the North Deep Red Community.

“The Emery Harpers owned and operated the Manitou telephone exchange which was eight miles from our home. The farmers formed an organization for Line #8; bought wire and little insulators that looked like white spools. They nailed 2x4s to fence posts to string the wire on and were responsible for the upkeep and service of the line. Mr. Harper’s wife and daughters Nellie and Myrtle operated the switchboard in their home and gave twenty-four hour service. I think the fee for our service was $1.00 per month – maybe $2.00.

“In dry weather we would have to pour water on the ground wire to keep it working and in the rainy season it would drown out.

“We were so proud of that little battery operated box that hung on the wall with a horn-like transmitter and two little bells and a receiver hanging on a long cord. We could turn the crank and be connected with kin or friend.

“If an electric storm blew up the contraption was disconnected til the weather cleared.

“It was learned that the telephone was not a toy or to be used foolishly. A few times on April 1, someone would give the general ring – a string of long rings – and when all the telephone receivers dropped they would call ‘April Fool’. Then on Christmas the general ring was given to wish everyone a ‘Merry Christmas’.

“I remember one time we kids got home from school and Mama was not in the house. We got bored pretty quick. We gave the general ring and all gathered around the telephone and sang in loud off-key voices “Go Tell Aunt Rhody”,“She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain”, and other songs. It didn’t take the neighbors long to learn where the noise was coming from and get the word to Papa who scared the voice out of us and we found other ways to entertain ourselves when Mama wasn’t around.

“The general ring was used when people needed help, or to report a fire, death, party, literary, singing or revival in the community. People used the telephone to make business calls. One time Al Summers called Papa and sold him our first Ford touring car.”

“Some of the patrons on line #8 were Omer Watson, Peck Wilson, Akes, Guthrie, Patterson, Dillingham, A. Thompson, Garner, Bill Thompson, Fant, Hayward Ranch, W.W. Dorsey, D.C. Fryer, Bauch, Pigler Hall, Jim Bynrm, E.A. Jett, W.J. Jett, Will Jett, Pink Ellis, Jim Brennen, A.L. Summers, W.H. Gepford and J.C. Brown.

“Our ring was two longs and the Akers’ was two shorts. When a conversation was finished, one rang off with one short. If both parties rang off it made two shorts. This was confusing for the Akes. Dorsey’s ring was four shorts. Gepford’s was one long, one short, one long, and two shorts.

“Mr. Brown who lived about two and a half miles west of us operated a switch board which connected with both the Manitou and Snyder telephone lines.

“One line ran out of Manitou east along the base line giving service to the Arnolds, Simons, Wm. Stoll, P.K. Stoll, Shusters, Wood, Alexander, Woodmore, Dick Thompson and others.

“Another line ran southeast of Manitou to the South Deep Red community with such patrons as Whorton, Phelps, Burba, Fisher, Butcher, Wilburn, Givens, Smith, Watson, Clinkenbeard and Moore.”