Ketch Ranch, Medicine Park

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS OK-66. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Medicine Park, Oklahoma, vicinity. The Ketch Ranch House is located on the U.S. Army's Fort Sill Military Reservation. It is situated in the eastern half of the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 28, Township 3N, Range 13W on the Mount Scott 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangle. The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates are Zone 14, 540080E. The Ketch Ranch House rests on the second stream bank terrace immediately east of Blue Beaver Creek at approximately above mean sea level. Major landforms near the ranch house include Thompson Hill one and a quarter miles to the northeast, Mount Sherman two miles to the southwest, and Ketch Lake one mile to the west. Medicine Park is located approximately six miles to the northeast.

The Ketch Ranch House is designated Building Fort Sill Military Reservation. The building and the subject of this study and its site have been incorporated by update into the site record for archaeological site 34- The updated site record form is available at the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey and is not provided here because of site confidentiality concerns. As updated in site comprises three activity loci in Sections 27, 28, and 29 of Township 3 North, Range 13 West. Locus 2 is the Ketch Ranch House that served as the main house for Frank and Ada May Ketch and is the subject of this documentation study. It is in the eastern half of the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 28, Township 3 North, Range 13 West, and was designated as Ketch Dwelling 2 by the U.S.

Army in Locus 1 is in the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 27, Township 3 North, Range 13 West. It is the originally recorded archaeological site that had a barn, house, smokehouse, springhouse, cellar and other features. It was identified as Ketch Dwelling 1 by the U.S. Army in Stone foundations of some of these buildings are extant. Locus 3 is the dam constructed by Frank Ketch and the resulting Ketch Lake. As updated in locus 3 of archaeological site is in Section 29, Township 3 North, Range 13 West. All three loci of site are associated historically with Frank and Ada May Ketch. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 2) Present Owner/ U.S. Army, Fort Sill Military Reservation. Occupant:

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS OK-66. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Ketch Ranch House is significant as the main house and only standing structure associated with the Ketch Ranch, a locally prominent ranch during the in Comanche County, Oklahoma. It also is significant as an example of the Wichita Mountains building tradition applied to a rustic Craftsmen bungalow working ranch residence/vacation home during the The use of the Wichita Mountains cobblestone tradition for the working ranch and vacation home of Frank and Ada May Ketch is significant for the association that it lent its owners to the social elite who frequented the nearby popular resort community of Medicine Park and the Wichita Mountains and refuge, both popular vacation locations of the period. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1.

Date of erection: The year is based on U.S. War Department real property accountability records that list as the year of construction for the house. May is the date of purchase of the ranch property by Ada May Ketch. 2. Architect: Not known. 3. Original and Subsequent Owners, Occupants, Uses: The Ketch Ranch was the working ranch and vacation home of Frank and Ada Ketch from to The Ketch Ranch House documented here was the main house where Mr. and Ketch resided during their ranch visits. In the U.S. government acquired the acreage and buildings of the Ketch Ranch via court order and eminent domain for a western expansion of the Fort Sill Military Reservation. Upon acquisition by the U.S.

government, the building became Building The house was renumbered at some point to become Building Following acquisition, the house was used as a non- commissioned officer's (NCO) club for several years. From approximately the to the late the Ketch Ranch House was used by the Girl Scouts of America as part of a summer campsite. Since the Girl Scout tenure, the house has been vacant. 1 "Ketch Ranch Building Cards," Fort Sill Museum, various dates. 2 "Land Record Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 3 Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch (grandson of Frank Ketch), in discussion with MarjorieNowick, September 6, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 3) 4. Builder, Contractor, Suppliers: Not known. 5.

Original Plans and Construction: No construction or design documents for any of the Ketch Ranch buildings exist. Historic photographs during the period of occupation by Frank Ketch show the house as it is today. There have been no substantial changes to the building or its landscaping. The historic photographs show the cobblestone house with wraparound porch, lawns, and cobblestone landscape features. 6. Alterations and Additions: There have been no substantial alterations or additions to the Ketch Ranch House. The U.S. Army accountability records document the building condition in The Army performed repairs and renovations in and the electrical generator was upgraded in B.

Historical Context: The Wichita Mountains Ketch Ranch is situated in the Wichita Mountain Range in southwestern Oklahoma. The range covers approximately square miles and includes parts of Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa, Jackson, Greer, and Tillman counties. The mountains get their name from the Wichita tribe that inhabited the area until the late eighteenth century, but humans have inhabited the mountains for many millennia. The Wichita Indians came to be closely associated with the Wichita Mountains. In their creation the Wichita people believe their ancestors were born from the mountains, which were given to them as part of their heritage by the Great Spirit. Over time, the mountains have become sacred to the Wichitas and other Plains Indian tribes. The U.S.

government recognized the Wichita Mountains as a unique resource in the early twentieth century. In President McKinley established a forest reserve in the southeastern mountains by excluding acres of land from settlement during the opening of the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation for homesteading. In President Theodore Roosevelt redesignated the forest reserve, converting it to a national game preserve by executive order. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge supports a variety of native plant and animal species, including pronghorn, bison, wild turkeys, elk, and white-tailed deer. Currently, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the refuge to showcase the natural habitat and fauna of the Wichita Mountains and southern Great Plains.

The Ketch Ranch bordered the wildlife refuge, but subsequent agreements blurred that border for the benefit of wildlife. In one year after Frank Ketch received one-half interest in Ada Ketch's 5,000-plus acre ranch, the Ketches leased all of the land in five sections and three partial sections to the Oklahoma Fish and Game Commission for use by the game refuge. The killing of animals was prohibited on Ketch land, and the Ketches were supposed to provide water and cultivate grain crops appropriate for wildlife.

4 Edward Charles Ellenbrook, Outdoor and Trail Guide to the Wichita Mountains, In-The-Valley-of-the-Wichitas House [publisher], 5 "Extension Agreement Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 4) As the U.S. became more urban and industrialized in the late nineteenth century, upper class Americans began to appreciate nature and recognized the need for outdoor recreation. As the century drew to a close, social movements focused on the benefits of physical well-being and the natural environment. An emerging middle class and an increase in travel for pleasure contributed to the construction of grand hotels and resort destinations across the country.

Areas noted for their therapeutic climates or natural resources, such as mineral springs, grew from sleepy settlements to health resorts and attracted visitors from across the nation. By more than 600 resort spas, lodges, and hotels had opened in the United States, many in the arid southwestern United States. It is in this context that southwestern Oklahoma became a regional destination for travelers seeking wilderness and therapeutic waters. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, with its abundance of wildlife and arid climate, became a popular destination for rustic leisure. The Medicine Park Resort Hotel opened in as a health resort and by the had evolved into a summer vacation resort drawing an elite clientele from nearby states.

Medicine Park was particularly popular with residents of Texas and Oklahoma. The nearby Ketch Ranch served as a private getaway for Frank and Ada Ketch and their business associates, much the same way Medicine Park served its elite clientele. Ketch Ranch, then, was essentially an extension of the Wichita Mountain resorts, particularly Medicine Park, showcasing Ketch's collection of horses and outdoor leisure shared with other members of the social elite. Ranching in Southwestern Oklahoma The end of the Civil War marked an upsurge in industrial growth in the northeastern United States and an accompanying need for agricultural output to support the increasing number of urban dwellers.

Texas cattlemen took advantage of the wild herds of cattle in Texas and the southern plains and drove cattle north through Oklahoma to railheads in Kansas. Both the Western Trail and the Chisholm Trail passed through western Oklahoma, not far from what became Comanche County, Oklahoma. The federal government established Fort Sill in to protect interests in the region. The open range lasted only a couple of decades, and by the ranching required only short cattle drives to railheads. Settlement had been restricted in Indian Territory, but with the passage of the Dawes Act in the federal government converted tribal lands into private allotments, opening up Indian Territory to settlement.

After the chaotic land runs of the late and early the territorial governor attempted a new method of settling Kiowa-Comanche-Apache lands. The land was divided into two districts and in the summer of officials held a lottery drawing for lands. The El Reno and Fort Sill land offices each drew names. Winners then claimed the land of their choice and filed the claim. The lottery spurred immediate development in southwestern Oklahoma and a dramatic growth of population in the Lawton area. 6 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, "Ardmore" (by Maxine Bamberg), (accessed 29 April 7 Peter J. McCormick, "River Rock Resort: Medicine Park's Landscape and Wichita Mountain Vernacular Architecture," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 75, no. 3 (Fall 8 W.

David Baird and Danney Goble, Oklahoma: A History, University of Oklahoma Press, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 5) Lawton was established as the seat of Comanche County in Settlement in Comanche County remained sparse for years. By Oklahoma split Comanche County, naming the southern half "Cotton" County. U.S. agricultural census records give only a limited view of Comanche County's ranch history. During the although the agricultural economy declined, the number of farms operated by managers increased. For the Ketch property, this trend manifested in acquiring a ranch and hiring a manager to run it.

By the number of farms with managers was half the number perhaps reflecting the economic decline of the The number of owner-operated farms also drastically declined, perhaps reflecting a consolidation of landholdings. This situation is demonstrated by the Ketch acquisition of several parcels, thus creating a large landholding. ' Although originally grazed by cattle, Ketch Ranch served another purpose during the Ketch family tenure. The use by the wildlife refuge and personal preference may have limited the ranch's use for cattle grazing. During the and cattle prices declined, and the Ketch family chose to use the ranch for recreation and entertainment.

Several earthen tanks, visible on historic quad maps (see figure 5), reflect the ranch's use for cattle grazing; however, there are no records that show how extensively cattle grazed Ketch ranch during the and Other wealthy businessmen of that era had ranches primarily for recreational purposes, including Frank Phillips of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Charles Bassett of El Paso, similarly acquired a ranch in the Tularosa Basin for recreational 1purposes, o but was similarly forced out by the U.S. military for an expansion of Fort Bliss. One southwestern Oklahoma ranch family, and Cronkhite of Watonga, similarly decided that their ranch offered much in the way of recreational opportunities and consequently turned their ranch into a resort, created a lake, and built cabins.

Although not common, the purchase and development of recreational ranches reflected an interest in recreation and the natural environment. Wichita Mountains Vernacular Style The Wichita Mountains Vernacular Style, alternatively known as Cannonball or River Rock Style by Meredith and others, originated in the early twentieth century in the vicinity of the Wichita Mountains just northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma. ' The building tradition is characterized by the architectural use of naturally eroded cobblestones of pink or reddish granite from the nearby Wichita range that are arranged predominantly in stack or grid courses. The cobblestones are generally 6 to 9 inches in diameter and rounded by natural 9 U.S.

Bureau of the Census, Fifteenth Census of the United States, Washington, United States Census Office. 10 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United States, Washington, United States Census Office. 11 Gale Morgan Kane, Franks's Fancy: Frank Phillips' Woolaroc, Oklahoma Heritage Association, 12 Sally Victor et al., Re-Evaluation of Selected Ranching Sites, Fort Bliss. Prepared for U.S. Army, Fort Bliss, TX. 13 Williamsen Horse and Cattle Company Bitter Creek Ranch History. htip:/7\vvvvv. (accessed 10 October 14 Howard L. Meredith et al., Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge: An Historic Conservation Survey, Oklahoma Historical Society, Summer 15 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, s. v. "Cannonball (River Rock) Architecture" (by Peter J.

McCormick), (accessed 29 April Meredith et al., Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 6) weathering. The cobblestone is used for load-bearing masonry exterior walls as well as for landscape features. Buildings in this style made use of resort-inspired cottage forms and functions and multi-story commercial functions, as well outbuildings. The style was limited geographically to the Wichita Mountains region, including Medicine Park, the wildlife refuge, Meer, and surrounding rural areas. This style is not found in Fort Sill or nearby Lawton despite their proximity, perhaps due to the problem of transporting the stones. The U.S. military architectural traditions of the U.S.

Quartermaster Corps largely dictated Fort Sill's architectural traditions. Limestone was used as a building material at Fort Sill, but generally not the granite cobblestone used in Wichita Mountains Vernacular architecture. Meredith applied the terms 1 Q "vernacular" and "vernacular style" to the Wichita Mountains cobblestone tradition. He noted that he was borrowing the term from cultural geographers and folklorists to designate the "adaptation, or innovation of styles and the use of proximate materials by cultural groups." No connotations about social status of the users of the style were intended by Meredith's use of the terms. Rather, the style sprang from the dictates of the local environment, where timber was expensive and scarce, and the stones distinctive and plentiful.

No information could be found on the evolution of the cobblestone stack or grid course. Possible reasons for the grid arrangement are the striking aesthetic and possible reduction in the weathering of stones and mortar in a built wall. Transport of cobblestones over distances seems to have posed a key limitation in the geographical extent of the style. The general architectural use of cobblestone during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries spread across the nation, but was limited to small areas where the weathered stones occur naturally, including near San Diego, California, parts of Wisconsin, New York, and Oklahoma.

The first use of the cobblestones as a building material in southwestern Oklahoma occurred at more than one location in the Wichita Mountain region at roughly the 91 same time. In a marker using the cobblestones was erected at Fort Sill, and the Boulder Cabin was constructed in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge with pink cobblestones. Buffalo Lodge was constructed in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in using structural cobblestone walls. The style remained popular at the refuge during the specifically for the Ferguson House which was constructed in and the Ingram House which was constructed in During the the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed nearly a dozen buildings in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge using the native stone and a standardized cottage form and style.

Local farmers and ranchers used cobblestones on a limited basis, constructing outbuildings and residences. In a few instances, builders used cobblestones for community structures, such 17 McCormick, "River Rock Resort." 18 Meredith et al., Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, p. 19 Meredith et al., Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. 20 Barbara E. Friedrich, "The Cobblestone Connection in San Diego's Architectural History," The Journal of San Diego History 35, no. 1. (Winter 21 McCormick, "River Rock Resort." 22 Ibid. 23 "Buffalo Lodge," National Park Service National Register of Historic Places nomination (prepared by Bill Peavler), 10 January 24 McCormick, "River Rock Resort." KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 7) as churches and schools.

Early buildings in the style were small, simple and had flat roofs. Later structures of the style were larger forms with gabled roofs and porches. The style drew design cues from the cottage form popular at the end of the nineteenth century and the dawn of the twentieth century. ' ' The prevailing cottage form had a simple floor plan, was relatively small, and featured large wraparound porches on two or three sides that often TO rivaled the interiors in terms of square footage. Prominent Oklahoma Senator Elmer Thomas and his partner Hal Lloyd, owners of the nearby resort town of Medicine Park, made use of the stacked cobblestone in their enlargement and renovation of the Medicine Park Resort Hotel in a year after the construction of Buffalo Lodge in the refuge.

They also used the stacked cobblestone in resort buildings, private cabins, and extensive landscaping of Medicine Park's Bath Lake and midway. With spas, casinos, and other tourist attractions, the town became known as a colorful magnet for celebrities such as Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Frank Phillips, Bob Wills, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Lil Hardin, Colonel Jack Abernathy, Les Brown, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans, particularly during Prohibition. Frank and Ada May Ketch and the Ketch Ranch The Ketch Ranch served as the working ranch/vacation home of Frank and Ada May Ketch from to at which time the U.S. government acquired the property for an expansion of Fort Sill.

The Ketch ranch location only six miles from the resort town of Medicine Park and the Ketches choice of the same Wichita Mountains cobblestone style as Medicine Park link the Ketch ranch to the social and historical context of the Wichita Mountains leisure resort frequented by the middle class and social elite. At a time when both business associates and social peers sought recreation at nearby Medicine Park, Frank and Ada Ketch entertained at their own ranch in similar style, but with more privacy. Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch, grandson of Frank and Ada Ketch, recalled that the ranch had cattle, but Ada Ketch's collection of prized horses were more significant and memorable.

Although Medicine Park offered proximity to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, the Ketch Ranch itself served as a wildlife refuge. The resort and Ketch Ranch focused on the healthful benefits of a rustic outdoor experience. When Ada May Ketch purchased the land that became Ketch Ranch, it had been owned by a number of different individuals or organizations for a variety of activities including grazing and land speculation. Different quarter sections of the land were bought and sold at different times, and the ranch as a whole did not exist until Frank and Ada Ketch consolidated the many sections. As a result, accounts of the buying and selling of Ketch Ranch may only indicate that parts of the larger ranch were bought and sold, not the entirety of the future Ketch Ranch.

This leads to multiple concurrent owners of the Ketch Ranch property and an uneven progression of who may have owned, bought, and sold lands later held by Ketch. Meredith et al., Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. 26 McCormick, "River Rock Resort." 27 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, s. v. "Cannonball (River Rock) Architecture." 28 McCormick, "River Rock Resort." 29 Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch (grandson of Frank Ketch), in discussion with MarjorieNowick, September 6, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 8) The earliest private owner of land to become the Ketch Ranch was James W. Hadley, four- term congressman and owner of the Lawton Grocery (also known as the Hadley Mercantile).

He owned the property beginning in according to homestead records of Comanche County. He built a two-story frame house on the land that burned in and apparently was not rebuilt. At that point, Hadley sold the land to his brother-in-law, Nelson, according to the recollection of Lura Hadley, daughter of James Hadley. It was at this time that James A. Adams leased some of the land for farming corn and raising cattle and hogs, according to the recollection of his daughter Juanita Adams. At this time, Frank and Ada Ketch were living at her parents' house in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and Frank was working as a salesman. By Frank and Ada had moved to 422 Third Street in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he was listed as being in real estate. On January 19, daughter Virginia was born to Frank and Ada Ketch.

Also in Frank became a councilman for the First Ward in Lawton. By November part of the land that would be Ketch Ranch was sold to William D. and Hattie A. Wesson. However they did not retain ownership long, and by January the Wessons sold the land to James M. Powers. Powers was president of the National Park Cattle Company and associated with a real estate and farm brokerage owned in part by Frank Ketch, who was still a city councilman at the time. Fulbright, Kennedy, and Fisher leased the mineral rights of the parcels. This is the first association of Frank and Ada Ketch with the Ketch Ranch land and probably the method by which they first became familiar with the land they would later buy and build on.

The full chain of title can be found at the end of this report, as figure 51 in the supplemental materials. By Frank and Ada Ketch had moved with their daughter to 212 Gore Avenue in Lawton, where Frank worked as a cashier at the Lawton State Bank. That same year, the U.S. General Land Office granted William F. Wesson a patent of some parcels within Section 28, including the area where the Ketch Ranch home would be situated. In tragedy struck the Ketch family. Virginia, the first child of Frank and Ada Ketch, contracted measles, and on May 9th she fell unconscious and died at the age of six.

She was 30 "Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Land Opening: Homestead Entry Listing," Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 31 George Crane, "The Crane Story." The Chronicles of Comanche County. Volume II, No. 1. Spring 32 Ibid. 33 "Pioneers of Comanche County, Juanita Adams Manuscript Collection." Oklahoma State Historical Society, Manuscripts Divison, Undated Box 1, Folder 1 34 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Twelfth Census of the United States, Washington, United States Census Office, 35 Lawton City Directory of RL. Polk and Company, 36 Obituary of Virginia Ketch, Lawton Daily News Republican (Lawton, OK), May 10, 37 Lawton City Directory of RL.

Polk and Company, 38 "Warranty Deed Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 39 Lawton City Directory of RL. Polk and Company, 40 "Warranty Deed Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 9) buried in Highland Cemetery in Lawton. Until at least Frank and Ada continued to live in the same residence in Lawton while Frank worked as a cashier at the bank. In the National Park Cattle Company entered into a lease with Mr. Charles O. Farrington of Dallas, Texas, for oil, gas, artesian well water, and "other valuable mineral substances for 25 years..." in parts of Section 28 (Ketch Ranch) and Section 29.

Eventually, Frank Ketch left the Lawton State Bank and again became involved in real estate. By Frank had begun working as a sales manager selling town lots in Ringling, Oklahoma, for Jake Hamon, a well known oil tycoon. Frank must have impressed Hamon with his adept business acumen because by his occupation listed on his World War I draft registration card was as Hamon's oil superintendent, a position critical to Hamon's wealth and business success. Ketch remained a close associate of Jake Hamon until Hamon's untimely and notorious death in In August of the National Park Cattle Company sold acres to Thornhill for including the quarter section where the Ketch Ranch House would be located. Because of events in Europe, agricultural land prices remained high in the U.S.

until but many farmers and ranchers lost land during the The land remained the property of Thornhill until when it was taken into receivership by the First National Bank of Lawton on April 18 and acquired by Ada Ketch less than three weeks later on May 8, for This initial transaction brought what would become Ketch Ranch land into the hands of the Ketch family. Frank Ketch's close association to Jake Hamon made national headlines in and because of the death of Jake Hamon and trial of the mistress who shot him. Historian Laton McCartney has written that Jake Hamon, chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party and a Republican National Committeeman, purchased delegate votes for Warren Harding as president during the Republican Convention.

In exchange, Jake Hamon was to be appointed Secretary of the Interior by Harding. Reportedly, the married Jake Hamon was breaking off his relationship with his young secretary and mistress Clara Smith Hamon (wife of Jake Hamon's nephew) to acquire respectability for his new political career. Under disputed circumstances, Clara Smith Hamon shot Jake Hamon at his hotel suite in Ardmore, and he died six days later. As Jake Hamon's spokesman and administrator of his estate, 41 Obituary of Virginia Ketch, Lawton Daily News Republican (Lawton, OK), May 10, 42 Lawton City Directory of RL.

Polk and Company, 43 "Lease Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 44 "Real Estate, Basis of All Values, Most Productive Where Boom Has Not Damaged By Inflation," The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), May 20, 45 Ancestry.com, "Frank L.

Ketch WWI Draft Registration Card," World War I Draft Registration Cards, database, www.ancestry.com, accessed July 46 "Warranty Deed Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 47 "Land Record Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 48 Laton McCartney, Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Buy the Country, Random House, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 10) Frank Ketch tried to provide respectable public explanations of the event to save Hamon's name, and assisted Clara Smith Hamon in her escape to Mexico.

Ketch was charged as "accomplice after the fact" for his role and was called to testify against Clara Smith Hamon at the trial. Ketch's role was revealed. Ultimately the court acquitted Clara Smith Hamon. The circumstances of the shooting of Jake Hamon, Clara Smith Hamon's escape to Mexico, and the trial of both Ketch and Clara Smith Hamon were chronicled daily in the headlines of national newspapers, with Ketch as the public spokesman for the Hamon family. The event was the equivalent of the O. J. Simpson trial. In an ironic twist, not long after the trial Frank Ketch and Clara Smith Hamon invested in a Hollywood film based on the incident. Clara Smith Hamon moved to Hollywood and played herself in the film.

In his recent book on the history of the influence of the oil industry, McCartney ties Hamon's dealings with Harding to both the wider influence on, if not purchase of, the Harding Presidency by the oil industry and the accompanying Teapot Dome scandal. Ketch's role as an associate of Jake Hamon can be seen as part of the overall national influence of the oil industry and Oklahoma's prominence in it. The oil boom began in northeastern Oklahoma in and in southern Oklahoma near Ardmore in By Oklahoma was producing a billion gallons per year. Two years after the trial of Clara Smith Hamon, Ada Ketch, wife of Frank Ketch, acquired acres of ranch land. Within a year in according to U.S.

Army building records, Frank and Ada Ketch built a number of ranch buildings, including a cobblestone house, a cobblestone smokehouse, a springhouse, a cellar, a barn, and a two-car garage in Section 27, and a house and a two-car garage in Section 28. A few years later, in Section 27, Ketch constructed a water control feature (dam) that resulted in the Ketch Lake, which is still extant today.51 By the Ketch Ranch encompassed acres, all in Ada's name. This was also the year that Frank Ketch reportedly moved to Oklahoma City to continue fostering business in the developing oil industry. Despite the move, the Ketches retained the ranch and continued to use it. On April 1, Ada Ketch sold half of her interest in the ranch to Frank.

The ranch encompassed acres, more than acres larger than its size. About this time, Frank Ketch built Ketch Lake. Although there were many earthen tanks on Ketch Ranch, built to contain water for livestock, the construction of the dam for the lake points to the recreational use of the land by the Ketch family. During the the booming years of the nearby Medicine Park resort area the ranch was something of a social spot even though it wasn't the primary residence of the Ketch family. The Ketches spent leisure time there as a family and entertained other prominent 49 Laton McCartney, Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Buy the Country, Random House, 50 Anne Hodges Morgan, and H. Wayne Morgan, eds, Oklahoma: New Views of the Forty-Sixth State.

University of Oklahoma Press, 51 "Ketch Ranch Building Cards," Fort Sill Museum, various dates. 52 "Warranty Deed Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 53 Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch (grandson of Frank Ketch), in discussion with MarjorieNowick, September 6, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 11) people from around Oklahoma and Texas. Their social gatherings were reported in local newspapers as well as The Oklahoman. Entertainment at the ranch included horseback riding, fishing (probably at Ketch Lake), boating, and other outdoor activities. In one news account, the ranch was named the "Circle K Ranch," a name not seen elsewhere.

During the years of the Frank and Ada Ketch purchased additional acreage and expanded the ranch. Other more prominent oil men in Oklahoma similarly built ranch getaways during the Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum, purchased land southwest of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and built a rustic lodge to entertain business associates, politicians, and other social elites. Phillips, one of the wealthiest men in Oklahoma, named his acre recreational ranch "Woolaroc," after the woods, lake, and rocks on the property. Still extant, Woolaroc now houses museum facilities as well as the lodge, and is open to the public. In Frank and Ada Ketch leased for one dollar several thousand acres of the ranch to the Oklahoma Fish and Game Commission for use by the nearby game refuge.

Under the terms of the lease, if the refuge became overpopulated, the game commission could place overpopulated animals on Ketch land. The agreement prohibited hunting on the ranch and required Ketch to provide water, cover, and appropriate crops for animals. The social extravagances of the were soon dampened by the Great Depression. The depression economy of the early appears to have affected Frank Ketch's fortunes. By the Ketches had organized another ranch company, called the Monte Vista Ranch, naming Frank as the president and son Lawrence as secretary. They sold Ketch Ranch to the Monte Vista Ranch enterprise, except for a mortgage held by the Business Men's Assurance Company of Kansas, a grazing lease, and atax penalty of dollars that was two years past due.

At this time, the ranch included an additional 440 acres, bringing the ranch total to acres. In financial problems persisted for the Ketches. The Monte Vista Ranch and Ketch family entered into an extension agreement and jointly agreed to pay instead of the mortgage by to keep the ranch.56 Despite financial problems, the Ketches retained the Monte Vista Ranch until the military buildup just before American entrance into World War II. In early Fort Sill expanded and the federal government acquired the Monte Vista Ranch through a Declaration of Taking on January 10, The government purchased acres, including all of the acres of the Monte Vista Ranch. It is not known how much money the Ketches received for their land, however, was eventually allotted to pay for expansion of the base.

From this point forward, there is no further record of Frank or Ada Ketch owning a ranch in Comanche County. Although Frank Ketch purchased and sold parcels of land (including city 54 and Ketch Have Guests at Ranch," The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), May 18, 55 "Extension Agreement Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK, 56 Ibid. 57 Acres SoughtNextto Fort Sill; VaughtNames Group to Appraise Land." The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), January 11, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 12) lots) throughout his career, it appears that Ketch Ranch served as the most significant Ketch landholding and certainly the longest in duration.

Frank Ketch continued to make Oklahoma City his permanent residence, where he pursued the independent oil business and land speculation. Five months after selling Monte Vista Ranch, Ada and Frank Ketch divorced. In when Frank Ketch died of a heart attack in Oklahoma City at age 70, his survivors included his son, Lawrence B. Ketch, and second wife, Quintina, an American Indian woman. ' PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement The Ketch Ranch House is a rectangular, single-story residence constructed in an architectural form and style drawing on the Craftsman bungalow. It is constructed of structural masonry, specifically local red granite cobblestone using masonry techniques known as the Wichita Mountains Vernacular Style.

Despite the relatively poor condition of the Ketch Ranch House, the historic integrity of its cobblestone exterior is intact and its building methods and materials remain readable. The Ketch Ranch grew from approximately acres when it was first acquired by the Ketches in to a 5,145-acre working ranch and second home for the Frank and Ada Ketch family during the years to The ranch included the main house and detached garage were located above Blue Beaver Creek in Section 28, and a second house, barn, root cellar, smokehouse, and springhouse located to the southeast in Section 27. Ketch Lake lies to the west in the northwest quarter of Section 29. A stone dam constructed by Frank Ketch restricts Blue Beaver Creek creating the Ketch Lake.

The only standing structures remaining from the original Ketch Ranch are the Ketch Ranch House (described here) and the Ketch Lake dam (only discussed in general terms in the historical context); only the foundations of the other Ketch Ranch structures are extant and reported as archaeological features of site 34- B. Description of Exterior The Ketch Ranch House is a single-story structure that measures x 34'-0"of structural masonry in the Wichita Mountains cobblestone tradition of stacked course. The house has a side-gabled roof, and rests longitudinally on a terrace above the Blue Beaver Creek. It sits high overlooking the creek with a clear view of Mount Sherman and the rest of the Ketch Ranch property.

A prominent feature of its exterior is its 10'-0"-wide screened porch wrapping around the eastern three-quarters of its south facade and the southern half of its east facade. The house rests on a poured concrete foundation with supporting piers through the middle of the house. The structural walls of the house are of load-bearing stone utilizing a local red granite cobblestone, roughly spherical in shape, and coursed in a stack bond. These 58 Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch (grandson of Frank Ketch), in discussion with MarjorieNowick, September 6, 59 "Frank Ketch, State Oilman, Dies in Hospital." The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), 29 April KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 13) cobblestones are approximate 9" in diameter and are set in plain concrete.

This cobblestone masonry technique is visible at other locations in the area, most notably at the resort community of Medicine Park, Oklahoma. The foundation and walls are in good condition, although the house is in generally poor condition. The gable ends on the east and west facades are clad in vertical wood board where the cobblestones stop at the roof sill. The gable ends also have attic vents and exposed plate and beam ends. A porch wraps around the eastern three-quarters of the south facade and the southern half of the east facade. A sunroom is at the northeast corner of the building and connected to the rear (north) bedroom.

The sunroom is constructed of double-hung sash windows above a cobblestone half wall that continues the line of the wraparound porch on the east facade and vertical board, wood-framed half walls to the south and north. Along the east facade, the porch and sunroom are recessed under the gable end of the main structure. The south facade of the porch has a shed roof along its full length. At the corners of the porch and also at the corners of the gable end are stucco piers. A separate shed roof porch also sits at the northwest corner of the main structure and shelters the entry into the kitchen. The ceiling of the porch is plaster over lath; the majority has deteriorated due to water infiltration. The screen of the porch is no longer intact, but the upper wall wood framing remains.

The ranch house has two chimneys: one internal chimney on the ridge of the roof centered between the two gable ends and one external chimney on the west facade. Both chimneys are faced with the cobblestones and have metal flashing at the roofline. The exterior chimney is capped with concrete, while the interior one is not capped. The primary entrance is on the south facade beneath the shed roof porch. The front door has a single light with dentil details below, drawing design cues from Craftsman style. It is flanked on either side by paired windows with a triple set of windows at the southwest corner outside of the screened porch. Windows and doors have plain concrete lintels throughout, and windows have similar plain concrete sills that contrast sharply with the red cobblestone exterior.

The east facade is subsumed beneath the screened porch, and from the southeast corner moving north there is a set of paired windows and a single window. The porch is split at the midpoint along the east facade by a wall, which encloses the northern portion into a sunroom. The sunroom has double-hung sash windows along the porch half wall in a four- over-one-light configuration, oriented vertically as is common in the Craftsman style. Along the south wall of the sunroom is a pair of double-hung sash windows with a five-over-one- light configuration again with the upper lights oriented vertically. The north exterior wall of the sunroom has one double-hung sash five-over-one-light window on the west end and an opening for a door with a sidelight at the northeast corner.

Along the north facade of the ranch house, from east to west, is a tripartite window with a fixed middle window and double-hung, one-over-one-light windows to either side, another design feature common to Craftsman style. A single, double-hung, one-over-one-light window is to the west of the tripartite window. The east wall of the rear shed porch (at the northwest corner of the building) begins just to the west of this single window. Beneath the porch is a single door entrance into the kitchen flanked on either side by single, double-hung, one-over-one-light KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 14) windows.

Along the west facade, from north to south, are two paired windows, each double- hung with four-over-one lights with the upper lights exhibiting the Craftsman-style vertical orientation. Square single-light windows flank the chimney to either side at the southern end of the west facade. Some windows are missing panes and some are missing entire sashes. However, each facade has some intact windows. The roof is a side gable with a relatively low pitch. As is common in Craftsman bungalows, plates and beams are exposed on the gable ends and rafter tails are exposed along the eaves. The roof is covered with composite shingles in a diamond or scale pattern over wood decking. The roof ridge is capped with barrel tiles.

The roof has almost completely collapsed on the western half of the house, between the west facade and the center of the house, exposing the interior to the elements. The rear porch roof has also collapsed. C. Description of Interior The floor plan of the Ketch Ranch House comprises six rooms: a living room, kitchen, and dining room on the west half of the house, and two bedrooms (with a bathroom between them) and a small sunroom on the east half of the house.

There are four doors from the outside into the house: the main, front entrance via the porch on the south facade; an entrance at the northwest corner of the house into the kitchen via the small shed-roofed porch; at the northeast corner of the house into the sunroom, which leads to the northern bedroom; and from the side of the wraparound porch on the east facade of the building. The primary entrance on the south facade opens into the living room. Three doors lead from the living room: the first door leads into the small dining room, the second door leads into the northern bedroom, and the third door leads to the southern bedroom at the southeast corner of the house.

The east half of the house is occupied by the two bedrooms, a bathroom between them, and a small sunroom at the northeast corner of the house off the northern bedroom. The flooring throughout the house is pine board. Baseboards are smooth pine boards that are 12" tall. Due to exposure from the collapsed western half of the roof, several places of the floor structure in the western half of the house have rotted and collapsed. The interior treatment of the facade (exterior) walls is paint over thin layer of concrete, and the interior walls and ceilings are plaster over lath. In the bathroom, the interior walls are scored to simulate tile. The living room is the most ornate in interior and decorative treatment.

The primary entrance opens into the living room, which accesses the dining room, north bedroom, and south bedroom. The living room chimney fireplace along the west wall is a prominent feature. It is faced with dressed red granite blocks. Alternating blocks of rough and smooth face create patterns in the stonework: a diamond pattern above the firebox, a course of smooth capped by a course of rough on the mantel, and smooth center blocks in alternating courses along the two pilasters flanking the firebox. The fireplace is flanked by two built-in benches or wood boxes with a single pane window above each. Interior window and door moldings are simple, smooth-planed pine surrounds. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo.

OK-66 (Page 15) The kitchen opens to the dining room and to the porch on the northwest corner of the house. The kitchen has built-in cabinets and a double sink surrounding two paired windows on the west wall. There are no kitchen appliances. An open stove vent is on the south wall of the kitchen. The interior walls have been scored to simulate tile, just as in the bathroom. The bathroom has only a sink remaining. Layers of linoleum flooring obscure any evidence of a bathtub or toilet. D. Site The Ketch Ranch House is sited to take advantage of the views of the Ketch Ranch and surrounding area. The house sits on a stream terrace midway up a hill north of Blue Beaver Creek. From this high point, the house has a commanding view of Blue Beaver Creek and Mount Sherman.

The front lawn south of the house features mature oak trees. A walkway extends south from the primary entrance of the house across the driveway to a concrete stairway leading down the terraced yard, across the road, and to the low-water crossing of the creek. Blue Beaver Creek bisects the original Ketch Ranch property and the other ranch structures. A second house, barn, smokehouse, springhouse, and root cellar were located south of the creek, approximately mile southeast and approximately 80' below the Ketch Ranch House. None of these other structures are extant, although their foundations are present. These are designated as loci. The use of the regional cobblestone materials on the house extends out into the grounds and landscaping.

Paired cobblestone piers that are 2' square at base mark the entrances to the property from the main road to the east. There is a corresponding pair of cobblestone piers on the west edge of the hill. The driveway, lined with cobblestone edging and curb, ran across the front of the house to the west end of the property where a cobblestone garage is documented to have stood. Leading off from the east side of the driveway, a cobblestone retaining wall frames the east and north (rear) lawns that surround the house. The retaining wall stands 32" high and 10" wide, and consists of four courses of cobblestones capped in concrete.

Cobblestone edging also curved from the driveway west of the house to a concrete walkway leading from the back porch and kitchen door at the northwest corner of the house. Off the northeast corner of the house is a low, circular, concave feature that is in diameter and 18" tall, constructed of two courses of cobblestone, and capped in concrete. This feature may have served as a decorative planter. The hill north (behind) of the house ascends beyond the cobblestone retaining wall to an approximate elevation of above mean sea level, or another 50' above the house. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 16) PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Interviews: Dr. Lawrence L. Ketch, (grandson of Frank Ketch). September 6, S. Kingston Ct, Englewood, Co. B.

Bibliography 1. Primary and unpublished sources: Ancestry.com Frank L. Ketch WWI Draft Registration Card. Accessed online July at http://search.ancestry.com. Comanche County Records (Comanche County Clerk's Office unless otherwise specified): Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Land Opening: Homestead Entry Listing, Lawton District, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Land Record, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Warranty Deed, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Lease Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK.

Warranty Deed, Warranty Deed Correction Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Land Record, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Warranty Deed, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Extension Agreement, Comanche County Land Records, Comanche County Clerk's Office, County Courthouse, Lawton, OK. Fort Sill Museum Ketch Ranch Building Cards. Various dates. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 17) Ketch, Dr. Lawrence L. Collection, Series of historic photos of the Ketch Ranch House, Ada and Frank Ketch, Lawrence B. Ketch (son of Frank Ketch), and an unidentified house. Dates ca.1925-1993.

Map of Ketch Ranch lands drawn by Frank Ketch, date unknown. Lawton Daily News Republican (Lawton, Oklahoma) Obituary for Virginia Ketch. May 10, Page 1. Lawton Public Library, Hugh Corwin Collection James W. Hadley Family File by George Crane. Oklahoman, The (Oklahoma City) Real Estate, Basis of All Values, Most Productive Where Boom Has Not Damaged By Inflation. 20 March Clara Goes on Trial Today; Widow Fears Jury Leniency; Ketch May Reverse Version. 10 March Hamon to Speak Through His Former Business Manager on Facts Surrounding His Death, is Belief. 10 March Ketch to Quit as Manager of Hamon Estate. 4 February Woman Tried for Killing Parts From Man She Met in West. 24 June Mr. and Ketch Have Guests at Ranch. 18 May Fort Sill to Get Acres More; US Agents Purchase Land West of Camp.

28 September Acres Sought Next to Fort Sill; Vaught Names Group to Appraise Land. 11 January Jury to Decide on Value of Land for Fort Sill Expansion; Owners Demand Trial In Effort to Get Better Price from Government. 9 February US Departments Interchange Land in Fort Sill Area. 16 February Fort Sill Gets Acre Tract. 14 April Frank Ketch, State Oilman, Dies in Hospital. 29 April KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo.

OK-66 (Page 18) Oklahoma State Historical Society, Manuscripts Division Undated Box 1, Folder 1 in "Pioneers of Comanche County, Juanita Adams Manuscript Collection." Accessed in July Polk, and Company Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of Polk and Company, Lawton City Directory of US Census Bureau Twelfth Census of the United States.

Fifteenth Census of the United States. Sixteenth Census of the United States. 2. Secondary and published sources: Baird, W. David and Danney Goble Oklahoma: A History. University of Oklahoma Press. Crane, George "The Crane Story." The Chronicles of Comanche County. Volume II, No. 1. Spring Ellenbrook, Edward Charles Outdoor and Trail Guide to the Wichita Mountains. In-The-Valley-of-the- Wichitas House (publisher). Seventh printing. Lawton, Oklahoma. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Electronic database of the Oklahoma Historic Society. (accessed 29 April "Ardmore" (by Maxine Bamberg) "Cannonball (River Rock) Architecture" (by Peter J. McCormick) "Healdton Field" (by James R. DeJarnett) "Petroleum" (by Kenny A.

Franks) KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 19) Friedrich, Barbara E. "The Cobblestone Connection in San Diego's Architectural History." The Journal of San Diego History. Volume 35, No. 1. Winter Kane, Gale Morgan. Franks's Fancy: Frank Phillips' Woolaroc. Oklahoma Heritage Association. McCartney, Laton. Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Buy the Country. Random House, McCormick, Peter J. "River Rock Resort: Medicine Park's Landscape and Wichita Mountain Vernacular Architecture." The Chronicles of Oklahoma. Volume No. 3. Fall pp. Meredith, Howard L., Bill Peavler, Melvena Thruman, and Richard Drass. "Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge: An Historic Conservation Survey." Oklahoma Historical Society.

Summer Morgan, Anne Hodges and H. Wayne Morgan, eds. Oklahoma: New Views of the Forty-Sixth State. University of Oklahoma Press. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Nominations 1978a Buffalo Lodge (Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge), 10 January Prepared by Bill Peavler, AIA. On file at Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. Ingram House (Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge), 21 June Prepared by Melvena Thurman. On file at Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. Ferguson House (Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge), 21 December Prepared by Bill Peavler, AIA. On file at Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. Medicine Park Hotel, September Prepared by Kent Ruth. On file at Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office.

Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory "Ketch Ranch" query. Accessed online March 13, at Victor, Sally, Melissa Wiedenfeld, and Martha Doty Freeman Re-Evaluation of Selected Ranching Sites, Fort Bliss. Prepared for U.S. Army, Fort Bliss, Texas. KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 20) Williamsen Horse and Cattle Company Bitter Creek Ranch History, (accessed 10 October C. Supplemental Material: Supplemental Materials include historical and descriptive data, historical photographs, and black and white photographs. PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION This project was conducted by engineering-environmental Management, Inc. (e2M) for the U. S.

Army, Fort Sill Military Reservation at the request of Tegan Swain and Kevin Christopher, Cultural Resources Managers. Ken Shingleton, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District served as the contract officer's technical representative. Historical research and architectural documentation were completed by Marjorie Nowick and Daniel Hart of e2M. Photography was completed by Timothy McGrath, principal of Image West, Colorado as subcontractor to e2M. Fieldwork was conducted on 26 June and on 8 April Large-format photography was completed by Mr. McGrath on 8 April KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 21) Supplemental Material Historical and Descriptive Data Historical Photographs KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No.

OK-66 (Page 22) Table of Contents Figure 1. Ketch Ranch House location map 23 Figure 2. Aerial photograph labeled with Ketch Ranch House location features 24 Figure 3. Ketch Ranch property sketch map 25 Figure 4. Sketch floor plan of Ketch Ranch House 26 Figure 5. Ketch Ranch ownership map from the Lawrence L. Ketch, Collection 27 Figure 6. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 28 Figure 7. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 29 Figure 8. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 30 Figure 9. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 31 Figure 10. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 32 Figure 11. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 33 Figure 12.

Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum 34 Figure 13. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory (online version), Ketch Ranch entry, from the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (page 1) 35 Figure 14. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory (online version), Ketch Ranch entry, from the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (page 2) 36 Figure 15. Obituary of Virginia Ketch 37 Figure 16. Advertisement for auction of lots in original town site of Ringling to be administered by Frank Ketch...38 Figure 17. Clara Smith Hamon trial article 39 Figure 18. Clara Smith Hamon trial article (second page) 40 Figure 19. Clara Smith Hamon trial article 41 Figure 20. Clara Smith Hamon trial article 42 Figure 21. Clara Smith Hamon trial article 43 Figure 22. Interview notes with Lawrence L.

Ketch, (grandson of Frank Ketch) 44 Figure 23. Portrait of Frank Ketch, date unknown 45 Figure 24. Ada May Ketch horseback riding at ranch, date unknown 46 Figure 25. Ada May Ketch horseback riding in driveway at ranch, date unknown 46 Figure 26. Ada May Ketch with horse, date unknown 47 Figure 27. Ketch Ranch House, south and west facades, date unknown 48 Figure 28. Unknown house, date unknown 49 Figure 29. Lawrence B. Ketch, in backyard at ranch brushing his teeth, date unknown 50 Figure 30. Lawrence B. Ketch, in backyard at ranch, date unknown 51 Figure 31. Ketch Ranch Chain of Title 52 Fiaure 32. Ketch Ranch Field Records 53 KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 23) : \v i :> i i i ill'-"id !l .: k:i{.il. il-: (> li !

S t I Mount Scott 7.5-minute USGS quadrangle Figure 1. Ketch Ranch House location map KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 24) ?#. ... -Y- . St ^ v w " j*v "T. .. Vh. I.."v v "IHUfci, "* VI* .. % (. ..,Sffl|iB..SK ,^ . . . . ^ A .., KfiBSIIIi^v i?.- * WXKixSs-M. -- ftfe*- T* ' \ 'V i A TOP* ,. " ! ... $ta " ' SvS|ij|||jp'J'_ " JA W"iY..^ _^_ v / " . A\ "> * .. " : * ' " .. iHaj.. 'S- . ' $ * "*. "._ fll2*it" Va" s .iii TCf-afimiiiiSJF- _ _ "T " M IP^ . .s . i\ "-. . ' " > .yS ^ "W ST" ' fTi"-if?" % Tt " W '" ' ^ * w/ " Figure 2. Aerial photograph labeled with Ketch Ranch House location features KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No.

OK-66 (Page 25) 4 32 ft 10 m o currant riiftr c: cobble retaining wail planter low co Bfeie edging j | corugated metai outhouse cotable piiiai ilagpole \ Figure 3. Ketch Ranch property sketch map KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 26) Ketch Ranch House PlanView ^HEEE3i Porch S3, V f Dining ROOT> n-m hen Sun Room Bathroom rr Living Room II i r\ f D Porch N 'Notedu^to unsafe interior structural conditions interior nieaswe*nents, and interior doorway piacenients.af^appfQjjmste fi replace nl mdows roof ridgeline Key window \ interior wall concrete stairs Scale screened window over cobblestone wall stucco corner pier 0 5ft Figure 4. Sketch floor plan of Ketch Ranch House KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No.

OK-66 (Page 27) Figure 5. Ketch Ranch ownership map from the Lawrence L. Ketch, Collection Drawn by Frank Ketch, KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 28) Figure 6. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 29) Figure 7. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 30) Figure 8. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABSNo. OK-66 (Page 31) Figure 9. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No.

OK-66 (Page 32) Figure 10. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 33) ^ cd ^ Figure 11. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 34) Figure 12. Ketch Ranch building card, courtesy of Fort Sill Museum KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 35) querynoiimember Page 1 of 2 State Historic Preservation Office KETCH RANC1 SAME" No Data 4. City FORT SILL 5. Vicinity Wo Data 6. County Comanche !7. Lot No Data 8. Block No Data 9. Plat Name No Data 10. Section No Data 11. Township No Data 12. Range No Data 13a, Latitude Longitude Eastings 15.

Resource Type building 16. Historic Function lAGKlCULTURE/SUBSlSTENCE 17. Current Function Defense i. Area of significance, Primary ARCHITECTURE 19, Area of significance, Secondary Historic - E-fon-Aboriemal THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL ORB SMELTER 20. Description of Significance LOCATED fN THE WTCH1TA MOUNTAINS WAS MADE IN OCTOBER, ON LAND LATER KNOWN AS THE KETCH RANCH. 24. Date of Preparation 25- Photographs Yes Year; No 26. Architect/Builder No Data itlp://www2 .ocgi -ok state 59? Figure 13. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory (online version), Ketch Ranch entry, from the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (page 1) KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 36) query ncmmem bet- Page 2 of 2 27. Year Built 2g, Original Site Yeg_.

Date Moved: No Data From Where No Data 29. Accessible Yes 30. Architectural Style Art Deco 31. Foundation Material 'UNCOLLECTED 32, Roof Type 33, Rotrf Material 34, Wall Material (Primary) 35- Wall Material {Secondary) 1 36. Window Type UNCOLLECTED 37. Window Material UNCOLLECTED 38, Door Type 99 UNCOLLECTED 39. Door Material UNCOLLECTED >, Exterior Features THE BUILDINGS ARE MADE OP

Wichita Mountains Cobblestone

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( Hit in t lUiM ^ JUJU in. i Jt 5 ;,, ! t t it i t t ii.* it i i i 1 C wrn JVerH in l il i fMinl i | f t . Mi Is r.t 1 V 17 II s , I' i i t i '/.-ii ' tj ! 1 11 ,lt It 1 f ' t'lin rt i JM " A iif i , ; , I'll it i li t in., ^ t,- v ^ v i A ' rak ciifti^iiK' SAX v M * il at II m' I'll till i tji.i br ^t ii, f i i,MP n,.i ' ' iott if, ion l n I r ( i,u =; ] (! "f i.1, I if> til' . T . ^ ^ M Lint ton Daily \e\\ sRepublican, May 10, Figure 15. Obituary of Virginia Ketch KETCH RANCH HOUSE (Fort Sill Military Reservation, Building HABS No. OK-66 (Page 38) ration.

The OkfeiWRan; Dstetiaio Apr 2C; See.'k>i:K:>rte; Page f*inB!r 3 The wealth of all Nations is based upon their -teatty values, and even MONEY itself is nothing more than a representative of Real Estate an a is used as a circulating medium merely for conveni- ence* Great fortunes have been made out of Keal Bstate Heal Estate investments are today and always have been trie safest and surest investment that can be made. Town lots In a well located and growing town ; .V * '" make a good investment and always will. I consider lots in Singling the best investment that a man can make. I own both business anci residence property in Binglmg, and the average NET return on my investment in rents the past year has "been Where else can you go and equal this investment?

Yon are taking no chances whatever-m buying lote in Ringing:, as the town k established and values actually exist Ringling is not a boom town, and this is not an addition sale, but a sale of the original townsite, and you will be offered inside property with -im- _~ __ ^_ proved property adjoining at your own price. I nave Jived m Ringling for the past two yearn, and have sold practically every Sot that has been sol d m the town todate, and every tot today is worth more money that it sold tor, and'the lots that will be offered at this sale are as good and as well located as any lots on the townsite. Personal]y I regret mry much that Mr. Hamon, the owner of the townsite, has seen i'it to sacrifice these beautiful lots at auction. - I have had charge of