| MAY 11, 1811
Major George C. Sibley, Indian agent at
Fort Osage, Mo., accompanied by 11 Osages, interpreter and 2 servants, traveled
across area of present Grant County en route from Fort Osage to the Great Salt
Plain. |
|
| 1828 |
| Cherokee Outlet assigned Western Cherokees in a treaty
between the Western Cherokees and the United States. |
|
| May 1830 |
| Territory east of the 100th meridian boundaries to be
fixed later, was set aside for Indian occupation and was to be call the Indian
Territory, by an Act of Congress of May 28, 1830. |
|
| May 1843 |
| Captain Nathan Boone of the U. S. Dragoons, youngest
son of Daniel Boone, led a party of 90 men and 3 wagons on a trip from For Gibson,
I. T. into central Kansas, passing en route across the land of what is now Grant
County. |
|
| 1854 |
| The Kansas-Nebraska Bill, approved May 30, 1854,
designated the 37th parallel of latitude as the southern boundary line of Kansas. |
|
| May 1861 |
| Lt. Col. William H. Emory, 1st U. S. Cavalry, on orders
from Washington, D.C., evacuated troops and civilians from Forts Washita, Arbuckle
and Cobb on a march to Fort Leavenworth, Ks., passing through territory of present
Grant County. |
|
| 1866 |
| Trading station installed on the Chisholm Trail by
James R. Mead at Round Pond Creek. |
|
| 1867 |
| Texas cattle drives began on the Chisholm Trail, with
terminus at Abilene, Ks. |
|
| 1874 |
| Stagecoach service began, Caldwell, Ks., to Fort Reno,
I. T. |
|
| 1875-1880 |
| Kansas cattlemen began crossing Kansas border at will
to graze their herds in the Cherokee Outlet. |
|
| Apr. 1879 |
| Boomer movement took form under leadership of C. C.
Carpenter. |
|
| Nov. 1879 |
| Cherokee Indians collected first grazing fees from
cattlemen having herds in the Outlet. |
|
| 1883 |
| Cherokee Strip Livestock Association formed and Outlet
lands leased en bloc by the Association for its members. |
|
| 1884 |
| Texas cattle drives up Chisholm Trail virtually ceased. |
|
| Nov. 1884 |
| Capt. David L. Payne, Boomer leader, died Wellington,
Ks., Nov. 28. |
|
| Jan. 1885 |
| Boomers, numbering about 375, who had succeeded in
setting up camp below the state line, ran out of food, surrendered, were escorted
back to Kansas by Ninth Cavalry Troops. |
|
| Mar. 1885 |
| President authorized by Indian appropriation bill to
negotiate for complete cession of unoccupied lands held by Cherokees, Creeks, and
Seminoles. |
|
| Apr. 1887 |
| Pond Post Office, I. T., closed. |
|
| 1888-91 |
| The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska railway completed its
line from Caldwell to Pond Creek station on July 15, 1888. On April 30, 1891,
this line was acquired by Rock Island. |
|
| May 1890 |
| A Congressional act of May 2, 1890, provided for the
establishment of the western half of the Indian Territory as the Oklahoma Territory,
with the capital at Guthrie. |
|
| 1890 |
| The President forbade further grazing on Outlet lands
and ordered ranchers to remove their cattle. |
|
| 1890 |
| The Cherokees sold the entire Cherokee Outlet to the
United States for about $1.40 per acre, amounting to over $8,500,000. |
|
| Sept. 1893 |
| On September 16, 1893, claim-seekers raced from nine
stations to stake quarter section claims in Cherokee Strip. First post office
in L county established at Pond Creek on September 29. |
|
| 1893 |
| Other post offices opened at Medford on October 31, at
Wakita on November 14, at Lamont on December 15. |
|
| 1894 |
| Post offices opened at Jefferson on January 12, at
Nashville on February 14. |
|
| Nov. 1894 |
| First general election held November 6, 1894, county
named Grant. |
|
| Dec. 1896 |
| Courthouse in Pond Creek burned December 12, 1896. |
|
| 1897-98 |
| The Hutchinson & Southern railway line (sold to Santa
Fe in 1898) reached Medford in 1897, Blackwell in March 1898. |
|
| Jan. 1897 |
| Post office opened at Manchester January 25. |
|
| May 1901 |
| Deputy Sheriff George Smith shot and fatally wounded in
Pond Creek by Negro Mill Campbell, who was lynched. |
|
| 1902-03 |
| The Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern (BES) railway
line, under construction through Lamont and Salt Fork to Enid, was sold to the
Frisco railway in February 1902. Line completed in 1903. |
|
| June 1905 |
| The Denver, Enid and Gulf railway line, being extended
northwestward from Enid, reached Nashville June 1, 1905, and was further extended to
Belvidere, Kansas, sold to Santa Fe. First regular depot agent in Nashville,
Allen Williams. |
|
| Nov. 1907 |
| Upon authorization of Congress, the Indian and Oklahoma
Territories joined together to form the State of Oklahoma, which was admitted into
the Union on November 16, 1907, with C. N. Haskell as governor, the state capital at
Guthrie and the county seat of Grant County at Pond Creek. |
|
| May 1908 |
| Special election held May 27, 1908, to determine
permanent location of county seat. Results: Medford, 2010: Pond
Creek, 1036; Jefferson, 674. |
|
| June 1908 |
| On June 9, 1908 Governor C. N. Haskell formally
proclaimed Medford as county seat. |
|
| June 1911 |
| On June 25, 1911, fire destroyed most of Medford's
business section. |
|
| Apr. 1932 |
| First National Bank of Medford was robbed by Joe and
Willis Newton for over $4,000. The Newton's were apprehended and served time
in McAlester. |
|
| Jan. 1936 |
| The Oklahoma Department of Public Welfare opened a
county office in Medford on January 20, 1936. |
|
| 1941 |
| The two percent sales tax, levied by authority of The
Sales Tax Act of 1941, began to provide state revenue for support of blind,
dependent and aged persons who are destitute. |
|
| Nov. 1952 |
| Church burnings occurred in Pond Creek and Tonkawa. |
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