The town of Drummond was started by the Friso Railroad in 1901.  Many people came to Drummond on the train in the hopes of starting a new life. Drummond businesses sprung up and the train was instrumental in bringing in goods that were sold in the businesses. There was a passenger train called the “Doodle Bug” that went through Drummond in the morning on its way to Enid. People could ride the train to Enid in the morning and then ride it back in the afternoon.

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On March 30, 1905, a train wreck was recorded in The Drummond Herald.

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Many fires plagued the new town of Drummond.  The first recorded mishap with fire was recorded in the August 3, 1905 edition of The Drummond Herald.

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On May 28, 1908 The Drummond Messenger recorded “Major Rainfall” in Drummond.

The rain wasn’t finished and by June 11, 1908, The Drummond Messenger was reporting flooding in the area.

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The extreme weather wasn’t over yet for Drummond.  On June 17, 1908 The Drummond Messenger reported damaging winds.

The weather would continue to be an issue for the townspeople of Drummond.  But in addition to the weather, the town would be continually impacted by fire.  The first major fire was recorded in 1911.  

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The next three pictures show the Drummond Mill before the fire, a picture of the mill actually burning, and finally a picture of the mill after the fire.

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In 1915, Drummond again experienced storms and rain as captured by The Drummond Messenger.

The writer used humor to describe the rainfall in Drummond.  

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Then in 1918 the first Cyclone was reported.  The first article was in The Enid Events.  The second article was published in The Drummond Messenger. The cyclone hit on July 4.

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More fires plagued the town in the 1920s.

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These smaller fires were a harbinger of what was to come.  In the June 18, 1925 edition of the Drummond Times, the “East side fire” was covered.  None of the destroyed buildings were going to be replaced.  

Fires continued to be an issue for Drummond throughout the rest of the decade.

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The Drummond Times, July 10, 1925.

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Then in August of 1932, Turkey Creek flooded again as captured in the August 25, 1932 edition of The Enid Events.

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The early 30’s brought more flooding then the rains stopped and Drummond experienced a prolonged drought which affected most of the Great Plains.  Dust storms occurred with great frequency.  One of the worst dust storms occurred on April 14, 1935.

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The decade of the 1930’s were particularly hard because of the depression and the drop in the price of wheat as well as the drought.  In addition, fires continued to be an issue for Drummond.  The August 29, 1935 edition of The Enid Events, documented the elevator fire where almost 11,000 bushels of wheat were destroyed.

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For a little over ten years Drummond did not experience any large fires.  Businesses had rebuilt after the 1930’s fire.  Then in 1949, the Enid Fire Department was again called to Drummond to put out a fire.

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Just as the 1930’s were difficult years for Drummond, so was the early 1970’s.  In April 1970, a Tornado hit the town of Drummond.

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A little more than a week after the tornado hit Drummond, there was an explosion at the Drummond elevator.

The rain in Enid actually fell in about 12 hours, with 75 percent of it falling in 4 hours. The severe flash flooding that resulted from the rainfall in Enid destroyed or severely damaged 300 homes and 40 businesses. The rainfall also contributed to nine deaths. In Garfield County alone, property damages were estimated at 8 million dollars, with damages to crops and land that climbed to some 13 million.

Ten years later, Turkey Creek floods again.

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Then in 1992, Drummond School Gym burns.

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Strong winds returned toDrummond in 1994.  For those of us who were in Drummond at the time, it was quite harrowing.  Many of us had never heard of an “inland hurricane” before but that is a term that we will never forget.

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While snow and ice were not new to Drummond over the decades, the biggest ice storm by far hit Drummond in 2002.

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Drummond has endured fires, explosions and every imaginable kind of weather.  For a small rural community, it seems the phase “never a dull moment” is applicable.

I have lived in a few different places in my life but my fascination with weather has never changed. My friends often wondered why I always watched the weather or talked about it.  If you are from Drummond, Oklahoma, then it is easy to understand why.

This exhibit shows the hardships that the citizens of Drummond endured.  The community always banded together to rebuild and help a neighbor in need.  

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