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An early day community of Logan County was established in 1890 at Tohee, 18 miles southeast of Guthrie, by George Ford and R. R. Carlin on 40 acres donated by H. S. Blackerby. Named for Chief Tohee, Iowa Indian Trible,t he twon showed great promise at first.
A telephone line from Guthrie was the first extension line in the Oklahoma. Here the telephone company built a two story building which served several purposes. In addition to housing the telephone company, the structure was the town hall, a school room and the home of R. R. Carlins and small son, Harry.
With C. A. Bryson as postmaster, the tiny town held a grocery and general store, a meat market and a cluster of homes. The ambitious stone bank building was never completed. Only water supply came from a large open well.
With the founding of Fallis, Carney and Cushing and the opening of the Sac and Fox country, Tohee was abandoned. Only a sunken spot in a cotton field marks its former location.
One of the most important buildings in the community was the Tohee Subscription School where Miss Ethel Phenis was the first teacher in September 1892. In this log building, she taught 27 pupils, ranging in age from 5 to 20.
So far as checking could be done, the only living members of the group are Josie Mount Branen, Ponca City, Aunt of Joe Branen, Marshall; and J. Wilbur Brown, 113 1/2 North Maple.
Other relatives of Mr. Branen in the school were his mother, Julia Mount Branen; his uncles, Clarence, Orad, Agra and Adar Branen; a cousin, Pembroke Lambert; and Monroe Branen.
Also answering roll call at Tohee School were Cordelia Taylor, mother of Harvey Donnell; Augusta LeGrande, Alpha Brown, Amy Brewer, Mattie Taylor, Theodore Brown, Clyde Brewer, James Taylor, Lee Burrows, Bertie Beaumont, Charlie Taylor, Wilburn Bryson, Jessie Bryson, Emory Brown, George Taylor, Tom LeGrande and Harry and Maggie Curl.
Despite the hardships of heating and cleaning the building, boys and girls tramped long distances and ate cold lunches in their effort to master the three R's - as many other rural areas laid the foundation for education in Oklahoma.
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