Time capsule to be opened at 11 a.m. event

MANGUM — The current Greer County Courthouse was completed in 1906 at the cost of $125,000. It was built by L. F. Lee and O. F. Campbell from Oklahoma City. The plans were prepared by S. A. Layton from El Reno. The bond election to build the courthouse failed in 1903 because there were questions about the division of the county.

Legar, or Altus wanted to be in the center of a new county and be named a county seat and have a court house of its own. At this time Old Greer County was not yet completely divided into the three and one-half counties we now know as Greer, Harmon, Jackson and the south half of Beckham. Oklahoma was not yet a state, either, which further complicated matters.

The Mangum voters voted for the bond issue almost unanimously, but the outlying areas voted against it. Without a bond the building proceeded anyway with a rent to own plan devised by Territorial Judge Irwin for a term of twenty years. The building did not belong to the current Greer County until 1926.

When the Greer County Courthouse cornerstone was laid on April 7, 1906, a grand ceremony was held on the square by the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma and Indian Territory according to the Masonic manual. The Masons held their meeting at the Masonic Hall before being led to the courthouse square by Honorable D.D. Hoag of Anadarko.

According to the April 12, 1906 edition of the Mangum Sun-Monitor a small vault had been made under the stone for the little tin box which contained relics pertaining to the times for Greer County.

On June 27, at 11 a.m., the Oklahoma Grand Lodge Grand Master, will lead the Greer County Masons in similar proceedings according to the Masonic manual and in conjunction with the current Greer County Commissioners in a ceremony to open the vault of the cornerstone revealing the contents of the capsule placed there in 1906.

A new capsule of 2007 memorabilia will be placed back in the vault for future generations. A new facing stone will be placed above the original cornerstone listing the current Oklahoma and Greer County Masonic officers with an adjacent stone listing the Greer County Commissioners and the current dedication date.

Everyone in Oklahoma along with Federal, State, County, City, schools and other officials are invited to attend the cornerstone ceremonies. Lunch will be served free to all attending by members of the Greer County Genealogical and Historical Society and the Old Greer County Museum & Hall of Fame.

This will be a once in 102 years chance to witness an event of this kind..

The renovation of the Greer County Courthouse will begin shortly as a result of a vote by the voters in Greer County so it will be a beautiful safe structure for at least another one hundred years.