Historically, the land upon which the Town of Drummond was built was a hunting ground for the Wichita, Osage, and Kiowa Tribes. After the first Europeans visited the region, the occupation of what is now Oklahoma began. The United States purchased a vast track of land from France in 1803 which included what is now Oklahoma. Through a series of wars and treaties, Oklahoma was ceded to five southeastern tribes and it, along with unsettled lands in west Kansas and Nebraska, was referred to as Indian Territory. By 1854, the Native Americans living in Kansas and Nebraska ceded their land to the U.S. Government and were all eventually forced to move south to reservations in what is now Oklahoma {1}.

Oklahoma is the name made of the Choctaw Indian words “okla” meaning people and “humma” meaning red. After the Civil War, Native American tribes who fought alongside the Confederacy lost additional land and were forced to move further south. Thus, two separate territories were formed; Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. What would become the town of Drummond was a part of Oklahoma Territory. In 1889, two million acres in central Oklahoma was opened up for settlement through the process of a land run. “Under the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers could claim 160 acres of public land and receive title to the property after five years if they lived on and improved the plot” {2}.

Then in 1893, the largest and final land run was held. The Land Run itself began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads on what had formerly been Cherokee grazing land {3}.

This was the land run from which the town of Drummond would begin. A postal designation was given in July 1901 with Rodman F. Bennett as Postmaster. According to Oklahoma Place Names, Drummond was named for Harry Drummond, an official of the Blackwell, Enid, and Southwestern Railroad. In the microfilm from the National Archives, there were four names that were submitted for approval. The names submitted were Drummond, Prattcenter, Dodson and Cary. There is no record why Drummond was chosen over the other three. The following pictures and documents provide a glimpse into the beginning of Drummond as a town.

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Throughout the history of Drummond, people have overcome adversity to maintain what our ancestors had worked so hard to secure. Did the townspeople of Drummond endure more adversity than other people in small towns? I do not know the answer to that question but upon reading the oral histories of many townspeople, listening to stories from my own grandparents, and reading newspaper accounts, it is clear that the calamities that befell the small town of Drummond only served to strengthen that aspect of character that persists when the odds aren’t in your favor. Exhibit 2 provides a glimpse into the adversity encountered and the hard work and individual will that persevered to allow the town to develop.

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This exhibit came about after piecing together bits of information about bank robberies gone wrong, Bonnie and Clyde tales and rumors of Pretty Boy Floyd. Drummond, like many small communities, experienced some petty crimes. However, the town as a whole was a safe rural community. The big tales of bank robbers and gangs are not typical of daily life in Drummond but they are an interesting part of Drummond Lore. This exhibit explores what actually happened as we trace the history of Drummond as a part of Indian Territory through the March 1967 bank robbery attempt. Considering the powder kegs of the land run and the relocation of the Native Americans from their hunting grounds, Drummond emerged as a peaceful place to settle.

As with many of the small rural towns in Oklahoma, the railroad was the impetus for the town’s development. The Frisco Town Company, owned by Frisco Railroad and represented by Ed Peckham, purchased 100 acres in 1893 and then filed a plat in 1901 and began selling lots. Simultaneously, Frisco built the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railroad (BES) “a line from Blackwell in Kay County through Enid and Drummond to Darrow in Blaine County in 1900-1901."

The first businesses in town were built by the railroad in order to provide services that the railroad needed. The only bank in Drummond was first organized by employees of the Frisco Railroad. A postal designation was given in July 1901 with Rodman F. Bennett as Postmaster. According to Oklahoma Place Names, Drummond was named for Harry Drummond, an official of the Blackwell, Enid, and Southwestern Railroad. In the microfilm from the National Archives, four names were submitted for approval. The names submitted were Drummond, Prattcenter, Dodson and Cary. There is no record why Drummond was chosen over the other three.  However, early newspaper records provide a hint.  In June 26, 1902 The Enid Eagle published a paragraph which identified H. I. Drummond from St. Louis as the first president of Drummond’s first bank.

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The story of Nicu De Barcsy is perhaps one of the most interesting in the history of Drummond.  Finding information about “Little Nick”, the nickname given by the people of Drummond, was not difficult.  The Drummond Museum had many articles and personal artifacts of Nick.  Most everyone you talk to knows someone who had a story about Little Nick.  And while it is hard for many of us to imagine life as a little person or life in a circus, Captain Nicu De Barcsy lived it and stands as one remarkable man and a survivor in every sense of the word.

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This exhibit shows the transformation of the Drummond Museum with funding from the Lowe's Hometown Grant.