Teddy Roosevelt Visits Territory For Wolf Hunting
Oklahoma Territory was visited in the spring of 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt who came for a wolf hunt in the "big pasture" country near Frederick. John R. "Catch 'Em Alive" Abernathy of Guthrie was largely instrumental in bringing the president to Oklahoma.
Governor Thomas B. Ferguson went from Guthrie, territorial capital, to join the president's party, and Abernathy demonstrated his prowess by capturing one or more wolves alive. Several others were taken by dogs used in the hunt.
Abernathy, who lived at about 802 E. Harrison, had two young sons who gained much publicity by making a horseback ride from Oklahoma to Washington, D. C.
This John R. Abernathy is not to be confused with the well-known minister, John R. Abernathy moderator of the WKY-TV program, "Your Bible." "Brother John," as he is affectionately known, also lived at Guthrie where he spent a number of years as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and was a pioneer in Boy Scout work.
The church was located on the southwest corner at Broad and Vilas, and later a new building was constructed on the northwest corner at Oklahoma and Oak.
Some years after the termination of his pastorate here the South church congregation merged with the Guthrie First Methodist church on November 16, 1924. The building thus vacated was used as the American Legion but for about 25 years, and is now again a church houseing the Guthrie Gospel Chapel.
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