FROM THE EDITOR Happy Birthday, America!
FROM THE EDITOR Happy Birthday, America!
Summer is in full swing and this year, the summer time honors a huge milestone: America’ s
250th birthday.
Grilling out, traveling and making the most of the summertime is on the menu. It’ s sure to come with a big bang as many celebrate the nation’ s Semiquincentennial.
While kicking around ideas of how to honor America’ s birthday, staff at The Duncan Banner decided to take a local angle on our coverage. That’ s why this entire magazine is about Stephens County and its history and how we impacted American history in our own way.
We start by recognizing and honoring some of the people who paved the way. People like Gilbert‘ Choc’ Charleston, who fought at the Battle of the Bulge, and Opal Wilson, who dedicated her years of service to Halliburton, a company that started its roots right here in Duncan. Then there’ s Jimmy Cooper, who helped come up with the idea of the Duncan Bypass. These people actually paved the way for Stephens County residents today as we know it.
Celebrating the people who settled this area, the Founder’ s Day Queen and King Crowning this year will celebrate America’ s birthday as well as adding new names to the history rolls and crowning those who have made an impact in the area.
After touching on some of the more historical names in Stephens County, we wanted to take a trip down memory lane. Did you know you can learn about all of our history and much of America’ s history at the Stephens County Historical Museum? Behind the big red doors of the museum at Fuqua Park are thousands of
CHARLENE BELEW stories waiting to be told.
But that’ s not the only museum we have. The Chisholm Trail Heritage Center teaches all things about the historical Chisholm Trail and the people who traveled it.
There’ s plenty more history to go around in Stephens County if you know where to look. The Banner staff had an idea to bring our own version of a scavenger hunt your way. Toni Hopper did a package on monuments, markers and murals in Stephens County, and Tamara Gregor added the cherry on top by adding in two other sites – and activities – to see. Those are Kiddieland Park and The Rock Island 905 Railroad Museum. Both of them have their own important history to Duncan and Stephens County. In fact, the train outside of the Railroad Museum is the first passenger train to ever bring people to Duncan. It now rests at the museum where people can take a look at what it was like inside the historical train.
Moving on, we wanted to fit in our local veterans groups, so we talk about services the AMVETS Post 11 provides while also highlighting Robert Hall, the new commander of the AMVETS Post 11. It wouldn’ t be America’ s Birthday without the brave sacrifices of the men and women in uniform, so we thought it was imperative to feature them in this magazine.
As you move through the pages, you’ ll also find the story of how the monument in Memorial Park came to be. We got a chance to meet the Eagle Scout behind it years after its establishment and he’ s still just as proud as the day they revealed it.
Lastly, what could be more American than steak? Staff got a chance to try some yummy bites at 81 Stakeout in Comanche and talk to owners about their newly dreamed up restaurant that will open sometime in the future. The move to the new building comes after a tornado struck the old one, removing the roof. That didn’ t stop the owners from their dream though and boy, is their food something to drool about.
There’ s plenty more in this book that we thought would be a perfect way to celebrate the impact Duncan and Stephens County has had on American history. Catch some of the recipes or events in the back and settle in, because fireworks are right around the corner to celebrate our great nation.
Happy Birthday America!