HENRYETTA, Okla. – He was a pretty smart fella.
Hugh Henry took his allotment from the Creek Nation in Okmulgee County and noticed right away his land had two things on it that would attract railroads.
“He knew the trains would be coming through there, because there was coal and water,” said local historian Mike Doak.
Doak said Henry was a rancher then, an experienced drover from the old trail days.
Hugh knew a town would spring up with a railroad stop, so he swapped his allotment with one next to his and watched Henryetta become a town.
“And, so, that’s what happened,” Doak said.
Two wives and 12 kids later, Hugh built himself a suitable home for a town founder at the top of a hill, overlooking the new Henryetta.
He built a stone wall around it too and servant’s quarters off to the side.
Doak always wanted to see inside growing up and finally got his chance to see the big upstairs just a few years ago.
“I can’t remember if it’s one or two rooms up there, but it’s just like a bunk house,” he said.
Doak said there were Henry descendants still living in the big house through the World War II years, but they moved west.
One of Hugh’s sons got work as a movie cowboy.
The house went through several owners.
The last one was afraid to stay here alone.
Too many ghost stories, she said.
So a For Sale sign went up earlier this year.
The grandest house in Henryetta, the founder’s house, the wall, the guest house, the ghosts too have a contract pending on the sale to new owners at last report.
The town Henry built and the house Henry built are still here with or without living Henrys.
Old Hugh is buried out back, still watching over his namesake.
The pictures and information for this story come from the Henryetta Territorial Museum.
For more information, go to www.territorialmuseum.net.
