History of the Con. 8 School and Community of Southwest Oklahoma 
Previous Owner: Jack W. Culvahouse 1929 - 2006
Host: Jeff Culvahouse: Email: jculvahouse@kc.rr.com
Corrections, Additions, Suggestions, Help all Very Welcome.
The 2005 Con. 8 Reunion Was Again, A Great Success!
Note that the Link To the Electricity Comes To Con. 8 is not working.
INDEX PAGE REVISED. On 8/12/05 the link to the collection of pictures and stories about Con. 8 1911-1929 was moved from New Items to second item in the Specialty Siminars below. If your last visit was several years or more ago, read this:
All is here but the name may be slightly different. The Update Course will allow viewing some major items added since 2001. Otherwise the Main Course is just an updated version of the old Notes on Facts and Suppositions.
What This Site is About
This site, a work in progress, is dedicated to the collection and distribution of information about Consolidated No. 8 school and Community about 20 miles south of Hobart in Kiowa Co., OK. The land was opened for Homesteading in 1901 and in the first half of the last century a rural consolidated school developed to embrace most of eight original rural districts. In the process the school defined a diverse community bounded on the West and South by a bend in the North Fork of Red River, extending north to Camelsback Mountain, and east to include the Twin Mountains.
The material is of most interest perhaps to those with Kiowa County roots for whom the names and places are to some extent familiar. Perhaps in a more general way, it will be appreciated as a sketch of the rapid transition of American rural life in the last century. In this example, from Homesteading to Highways, Zip Codes, and Television in little more than 50 years!
This links to a road map of SW OK showing the location and boundaries of the Old School District.
Until July 28, 02, this was called Notes on Facts and Suppositions.
year by year History of the school. Information there is taken from interviews, student newspapers, a few year books, a few documents, but mostly from memories, pictures, and keepsakes of those who loved the place over many years. Links within the page take one to most of the material on the site within the context of the overall history.
This links to a list of the major new items (since 9/1/01) now in the Main Course with direct links to that material. The older links are still here in the next category.
A Pictorial Study of the Old Brick Building and Grounds from 1929 to 1957 (5/12/2000)
A Pictorial Revew of the old Con. 8 Buildings, Grounds, Classes 1911-1929 (8/12/05)
Features newly found pictures of early Con. 8 including a nice view from the Top of Old Con. 8. The new pictures are coordinated with the previous pictures of that era in a story with links to most of site material for that period.
A Pictorial Story of the Development of the Con. 8 Historical Marker Site 1999-2001 (8/1/01)
A Preview of the Historical Marker Site 2 Days Before its Dedicaton (8/1/01)
The 2001 Con. 8 Reunion and the Dedication of the Historical Site (8/1/01)
The 2003 Reunion was a great success once again. Picture Story (7/29/03)
CON. 8 Churhes and Sunday Schools; Friends Community Church (7/30/03-8/23/03)
Map Seminars
Click Here for Map with Locations of 8 Schools and Notes about their merging with Con. 8 in the first half of the last century. (11/14/99).
Click Here for a 1913 map of Southwest Kiowa County with supplementary annotation about schools by JWC. (7/24/02)
Click Here for a 1902-1903 Plat of Con. 8 area with Names of Lessees and Claim Holders --Helpful for family history research (7/24/02)
Click Here for 1913 map showing Lessees and Owners of the Con. 8 at about the time Con. 8 was formed also useful for family history (7/24/02)
Links to Related Sites
The Kiowa County Homepage
If you did not come by way of that site or happen not to have seen it be sure to check out Ethyl Taylor's really great page on Kiowa County. Con. 8 materials are there but it covers the whole county and has tools for those doing genealogy work related to the County or more far ranging. Opportunity there to make connections with persons with varied associations with and interests in Kiowa County as well as old friends perhaps out of touch for years.
Roosevelt A to Z
Like Cold Springs and Mt. Park, Roosevelt was one of the surrounding communities that overlapped extensively with Con. 8. And of course, in 1957 the Con. 8 School district became a part of the Roosevelt. So you will find a lot at this site hosted by Wanda Jackson's. As well as history, she has current news from all over the greater Roosevelt area that includes Con. 8 and Cold Springs as well as Cooperton Valley.
Go To Roosevelt A to Z