History Page 1

I have been asked and told that the city of Ardmore, Oklahome had a choice of a college or an old soldiers home but as you will see none of these stories are true.
In spite of the fact that Confederate veterans who came to Indian Territory after the Civil War dispersed across the region, they became and remained a vital and united force in the development of Indian Territory, Oklahoma Territory, and eventually the state of Oklahoma. A strong Confederate veteran organization, the Oklahoma Division of the United Confederate Veterans, deserves much of the credit for this phenomenon. This group, along with the Oklahoma Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, wielded considerable political power at the state level. Through the efforts of these groups, many benefit were granted to Confederate veterans living in Oklahoma that bested the efforts of most states in the deep south. The best example of these benefits was the Oklahoma Confederate Home.
Oklahoma women of Southern background had much to do with the unusually good provisions that the state made for its Confederate veterans. The United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1906 began a temporary establishment to house indigent veterans, their wives and their widows; the MacAlester home was merely to serve until a permanent plant could be built. Credits for the Oklahoma veteran facilities to Mrs Serena Carter of Ardmore. Mrs. Carter and her husband, Judge Benjamin Carter, were native born Oklahomans, and the judge was a Confederate veteran. While Mrs. Carter worked diligently to rally public support for such a home, both she and her husband died before actual work began.
Definite action began on Feb. 20, 1909, when eight Confederate veterans met in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to form a private corporation , �The Confederate Veterans Home Association of Oklahoma.� The group was granted a charter by the Oklahoma Secretary of State. Association members included John Treadgill, A.P. Watson, R.A. Sneed, J.R. Pulliam, J.M. Hall, D.M. Hailey and Buck Rogers. On March 20, 1909, the group met and directed by William Cross, the Oklahoma commander of the United Confederated Veterans, and became the first board of trustees of the Oklahoma Confederate Home. They appointed William Cross, chairman; A.P. Watson, secretary; and J.J. Mcalester, treasurer. W.F. Gilmer of Ardmore was selected as the financial agent in charge of soliciting and receiving funds for the project.
There was much rivalry among Oklahoma cities for the location of the home. The board met on June 30, 1909, and selected a committee to examine several proposed sites. Vinita, Claremore, Muskogee, Oklahoma City, Sulphur, and Ardmore all made propositions for the home but the spokesmen for Ardmore proposed forty acres of land in two different locations, $7,500.00 cash and free water, gas, and electricity for five years. After careful investigation, the committee selected Ardmore as the most suitable site.
On August 3, 1909, the board met and appointed D.M. Hailey, R.A. Sneed and J.R. Pulliam to choose several building sites offered by Ardmore. The three men accepted a twenty-three and three-fifths acre plot from Mrs. Lutie Hailey Walcott of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The Walcott addition was one-quarter mile south of Ardmore city limits. Although Ardmore gave the home free water for twenty years, the promise of cash, free gas and free electricity was never carried out.
On June 24, 1910, Ardmore Masons laid the corner stone, and actual construction began. Before it had proceeded far, it was clear that the cost of completion, estimated at $25,000.00 would be at least $10,000.00 short. The board of trustees had already taken out personal notes amounting to about $3,000.00 so the construction could continue. As collections for the home had amounted to only $15,697, something had to be done to cover the additional expenses. Then, a petition was sent to Governor Lee Cruce that $10,000.00 out if the maintenance fund granted by the Oklahoma Legislature be set aside to meet additional construction costs. Permission was granted under the conditions that the corporation convey the deed of the Ardmore plant to the state of Oklahoma. On March 6, 1911, the deed was registered, and the governor appointed the following board of trustees for the Oklahomaa Confederate Home: D.M. Hailey, John Threadgill, George H. Bruce, J.W. Blanton and R.A. Sneed , all Confederate Veterans. Also serving on the board of trustees were N.F. Handcock and Mrs. W.R. Clements of the sons and daughters associations of the United Confederate Veterans. Hailey was elected president; Threadgill became vice-president; Bruce was chosen treasurer; and Sneed was selected as secretary.

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