WHERE WAS IT?

 

The original Greer County, Texas, covered the current Oklahoma counties of Greer, Harmon, Jackson, and part of Beckham; it also included parts of Texas counties Childress, Collingsworth, Hemphill, Lipscomb, and Wheeler.

 

WHY WAS IT FORMED?

 

The Old Greer County Western Heritage Association was formed to promote and support the western heritage of the area once known as Old Greer County, Texas.  The promotion and support consists of tourism, education of young people and sponsoring events relating to the western heritage of Old Greer County.

 

HISTORY OF OLD GREER COUNTY WESTERN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

After discussion by several people interested in preserving the heritage of the area once known as Greer County, Texas, they decided to have a barbecue on the grounds of the Greer County Museum, Mangum, Oklahoma, to see if there was any interest in forming an association for the purpose of preservation of the heritage.  At the barbecue the consensus was that an association should be formed.  At a following meeting in the fall of 2004 it was decided that representatives from all areas of Old Greer County should hold office.  On January 17, 2005, the by-laws were approved and a Board of Directors was elected. of Old Greer County should hold office.  On January 17, 2005, the by-laws were approved and a Board of Directors was elected.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Beckham County:  Purcy Walker Jackson County:  Ruth Durall Harmon County:  Dub Sherrill Greer: John Jackson, Directors at large are Kathy Tebow, Doc Cobb, Dennis Tebow, Advsiory director Erick Houck.  Officers are: President John Jackson, Vice President: Eric Houck, Sec/Treasurer: Kathy Tebow.

Contact us at:   580-782-9230; 580-782-2685; 580-782-2891; 580-683-4271 or greercowesternheritage.com or P.O. Box 277 Mangum, Ok. 73554.

 

HISTORY OF OLD GREER COUNTY

 

Greer County, created by the Texas legislature on February 8, 1860 (and named for John Alexander Greer, Lieutenant Governor of Texas), was land claimed by both Texas and the United States.

When Oklahoma became the 46th U.S. state (November 16, 1907), old "Greer County" was divided into the Oklahoma counties of Greer, Harmon, Jackson, and part of Beckham.

ORIGIN OF THE DISPUTE

The dispute arose from a map submitted with the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819.  The treaty stated that the boundary between the French claims on the north and the Spanish claims on the south was Rio Roxo de Natchitoches (Red River) until it reached the 100th meridian as noted on John Melish's map published in 1818.  The problem was that the 100th meridian on the Melish map was some 90 miles east of the true 100th meridian and the Red River forked about 50 miles east of the 100th meridian.  Texas claimed the land south of the North Fork and the United States claimed the land north of the South Fork (later called the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River).

 

The dispute resulted in a lawsuit, which, eventually wound up before the Supreme Court -- no lower court having jurisdiction.  The Court's opinion, in United States v. State of Texas 162 U.S. 1 (1896), issued on March 16, held that the land of some 1.5 million acres belonged to the United States.  Following that ruling, on May 4, 1896, the land was officially assigned by Congress to Oklahoma Territory.  The Greer County Homestead Law, passed just afterwards, gave the Texas settlers the 160 acres they were living on and the option to purchase an additional 160 acres for $1.00 per acre.

 

THE REST OF THE STORY  When Oklahoma became the 46th U.S. state (November 16, 1907), old "Greer County" was divided into the Oklahoma counties of Greer, Harmon, Jackson, and part of Beckham.

 

 

 

 

MAP OF OLD GREER COUNTY