The Frederick Arts ‘N Action Festival was a culminating experience for people who dedicated many hours to various projects at the vicinity of the Pioneer Heritage Townsite/Tillman County Courthouse area. The highlight of the festival was the statue dedication of the Abernathy brothers on the lawn of the Tillman County Courthouse.
The projects completed give notoriety to the historical importance of various aspects of Tillman County history. The focal piece of the multiple projects is the Abernathy brothers statue. Representative Don Armes shared “I believe this is an important celebration due to the fact that the Abernathy brothers statue is such a centerpiece. Frederick's location makes it a stand alone community. It is important to have something that showcases that community. Hopefully throughout the day there will be a lot of people that visit this community and hear the colorful stories of the Abernathy brothers. This is a great way to showcase and promote this area with this story of these brothers as the centerpiece.”
Greg Howard explained some of the visions of the local chamber of commerce/centennial committee and how they are now a thriving reality. He smiled and said humorously “I almost lost my job in the chamber because of this street project and everything involved in closing it. It turned out great.” Howard, along with other chamber members, was dedicated and determined to make the centennial project a reality. Chamber of commerce members including strong supporters such as Dana Greer and the late Larry Greer, were responsible for beginning a campaign that would reap results of the Abernathy statue complimented by displays of other historical artifacts at the townsite including an authentic airbrush automobile complimentary to the automobile which the young brothers used for traveling to New York City where they met family friend President Theodore Roosevelt. “This is an amazing story about these brothers and it is so amazing because it is all true. This exhibit as a whole is more grand than our wildest dreams could have ever imagined what it would become,” said Howard nostalgically.
There were a significant amount of people who attended the dedication ceremony. Among those people was Loyd Benson, Judy Benson, Oklahoma state senator Tom Ivester and Oklahoma House of Representatives member Don Armes. Loyd recognized the members of the Abernathy family who were in attendance at the dedication ceremony. Judy Benson is a member of the community who has dedicated a significant amount of her time to the efforts of the centennial commission. She possesses a very important supporting role in obtaining grants for many of the projects that were completed at the centennial site. Loyd Benson shared with the attending audience “The folks that are certainly important to what has transpired in Tillman County the last few years is the Abernathy family.” He gave some historical references to President Theodore Roosevelt visiting Frederick, hunting with Jack ‘Catch ‘Em Alive' Abernathy, and how the young sons of the famous wolf hunter traveled to New York City to visit President Roosevelt. “Teddy Roosevelt might not of sponsored Oklahoma becoming a state, but he kept a promise he made at the railroad station in Frederick during 1905. The fact that all of the stories of the Abernathy family truly did happen, it makes today all that more meaningful.”
Two Frederick citizens who possess important supporting roles in the acquisition of an original restored airbrush automobile, which was on display at the centennial event, are Ray Walker and Bill Crawford.
The red barn at the townsite brings to life a colorful history of Tillman County. The displays tell a colorful story that every person can appreciate. Most notably the interactive video in the school house adds a personalized and modern touch to the townsite. This video was available for viewing to every person who attended the centennial celebration.
Tillman County is rich with stories from every person. In the case of the Abernathy family it was a story of the genuine friendship with a man who happened to be a U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Evidence of the lasting impact the Abernathy family left on this community is still present to this very day and a sincere interest from people visiting the community continues promoting the growing and ageless popularity of the Abernathy family.
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