Towns

Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo

The Pioneer Days Celebration has its roots in the Depression era of the early 30's, when Guymon was the epicenter of the "Dust Bowl."

City fathers were looking for a way to bring folks to town, and a reason to celebrate in the midst of hard times. They chose the anniversary of the Organic Act, which on May 2, 1890 made "No Mans Land" a part of the territory of Oklahoma.

The first weekend of May was designated as Pioneer Days, and has been since 1933.

The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo is the 5th Largest Outdoor Rodeo and the 10th Largest Rodeo in Prize Money in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Originally, the rodeo was held adjacent to the Grain Elevator downtown, with a temporary arena held up by cars and pickups that parked around the outside. Later, the rodeo moved to the newly constructed high school football stadium. A temporary arena was erected on the field, and the rodeo was held on the grass. As one might imagine, this was not very good for the grass, and some rodeo mementos could still be found on the field come the start of football practice.

Finally in the late sixties, the Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena was constructed on city land along Sunset Lane. Situated in a natural draw, the arena provides a unique setting for Oklahoma's richest rodeo.

The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has experienced unprecedented growth in the last five years. Invited to be a part of the first year of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour in 2000, it has been a part of the Pro Tour ever since. The very top contestants in the PRCA come to Guymon for their last chance to qualify for the Winter Tour Finale, which will be held this year at the Orleans in Las Vegas the third weekend in May. In 2003, the rodeo was the 8th largest regular season rodeo in the PRCA, and the 4th largest outdoor rodeo in the PRCA, with a total payoff of $344,562.00. And, in 2002 Guymon was voted by the top 100 contestants in each event as the Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year.

Population of Guymon

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,472 people, 3,651 households, and 2,632 families residing in the city.

Education in Guymon

Guymon School District

Guymon residents are served by the Guymon School District. The city has eight elementary schools (Academy, Academy "C", Carrier, Homer Long, Northeast, North Park, Prarie, and Salyer), one junior high school (Guymon Central Junior High School) and one high school (Guymon High School), whose team mascot is the Tiger.

Economy

Guymon serves as a trade center for a wide wheat, livestock, and dairy area. A United States soil conservation station sits nearby. The city has oil and gas wells. Manufacturers include agricultural tillage tools, pressure tanks, printing, and formula feeds. The hamlet of Goodwell, Oklahoma, home of Oklahoma Panhandle State University, lies 11 miles (18 km) to the southwest. The city once had scheduled air service.

The city's largest employer, a pork processing plant, processes 16,000 hogs daily, and its 2,300 employees make up about 20% of the entire city's population.

Radio and Print

Guymon has two radio stations and one newspaper:

KGYN RadioAM 1210 News, Weather and Sports
KGYN AM 1210 Radio
PO Box 130
Guymon, Oklahoma 73942
(phone) 1-580-338-8255
Email: kgyn@ptsi.net

KKBS Radio The Boss 92.7
KKBS 92.7 100.5 The Boss
3001 N Highway 64
Guymon, OK 73942
(phone) 1-580-338-5493
marsha@kkbs.com

Guymon Daily Herald Newspaper printed since 1891

Guymon Daily Herald
515 Ellison Street
PO Box 19
Guymon, OK 73942
(phone) 1-580-338-3355
publisher@guymondailyherald.com

About The Guymon Daily Herald
Friday, 08 September 2006

Our History

The Guymon Daily Herald traces its roots back to 1886 when R.B. Quinn founded the town of Hardesty and became publisher of the Hardesty Herald which was the second newspaper to be started in No Man's Land. Quinn apparently moved the paper to Guymon since the first Herald appeared in Guymon in 1891. The weekly publication was published by Quinn until 1907. Even though the local population was only 300, Quinn claimed 951 readers. An ancient Ramage wooden press was used to produce the newspaper. Warren Zimmerman acquired the Herald from Quinn in 1907.

Zimmerman as born in Kansas in 1880 and moved to Oklahoma in 1905. By 1916, J.Q. Denny had become the editor-publisher. Giles E. Miller took over in 1919-1920 and returned the founding date to 1890 for the weekly newspaper that was serving the community that had grown to 1,800. Around 1925, the name was changed to the Panhandle Herald. Although various editors were listed, Miller remained the publisher for many years. He was aided by editors Peyton Reavis, B.R. Hays, John W. Dexter and others.

In 1931, the Texas County News was established with E.H. Lunch as editor of the weekly independent paper. Roscoe Belcher and A. Fields were in charge by 1933-1934 with Belcher as publisher for the next several years.

Others associated with the News included Chester Johnson, Arthur O. Acenbom, W.H. Wells and B.R. Hays. Early in the 1940s, the Panhandle News-Herald, an independent weekly was listed. In the 1950s, the name Daily Herald appeared with Raymond H. Fields actiing as publisher of the paper along with another publication, the Observer.

Fields acquired the Observer in September 1952 from Don DeWolfe, Dwight Davis and Don Dale. In 1966, Donrey Media Group acquired the Herald. Shortly after that acquisition, plans were completed for a new offset plant and, in 1967, opening ceremonies were held at the newspaper's present location, in a 5,577 square foot building at 515 N. Ellison.

Churches of Guymon, OK

Baptist
CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-8998, 1620 NORTH ACADEMY STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-8595, 2201 N LELIA STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
FIRST MEXICAN BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-2252, 601 NORTH ACADEMY STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-3161, 1738 NORTH OKLAHOMA STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
GRACE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-2159, 115 NW 10TH STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
SUNSET LANE BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-6667, 1515 NORTH SUNSET LANE, GUYMON OK 73942
TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH, 580-338-1718, 709 NORTH ELLISON STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Catholic
SAINT PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 580-338-7212, 1220 NORTH QUINN STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Christian
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 580-338-6603, 802 NORTH QUINN STREET, GUYMON OK 73942
STRAIGHT CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 580-652-2644, RURAL ROUTE 1, GUYMON OK 73942

Church of Christ
CHURCH OF CHRIST, 580-338-6110, 404 NORTH ACADEMY STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Church of God
CHURCH OF GOD FIRST, 580-338-6237, 401 NORTH PRACHT, GUYMON OK 73942

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LDS, 580-338-5501, MEMORY LANE, GUYMON OK 73942

Episcopal
SAINT STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 580-338-8747, 1803 NORTH LELIA STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Foursquare Gospel
FOURSQUARE CHURCH, 580-338-3904, 621 NORTH QUINN STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Lutheran
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 580-338-3820, 1212 NORTH CRUMLEY STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Methodist
VICTORY MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 580-338-6501, 6TH & ROOSEVELT, GUYMON OK 73942.
Website: http://www.victorymemorial.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=29154
E-mail: vmumc@ptsi.net

Nazarene
NAZARENE CHURCH, 580-338-3553, 2214 NORTH SUNSET LANE, GUYMON OK 73942.
Website: http://www.guymonnazarene.org/
E-mail: office@guymonnazarene.org

Non-Denominational
LIVING WORD FELLOWSHIP, 580-338-1112, 802 NORTH ROOSEVELT, GUYMON, OK 73942.

Presbyterian
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 580-338-6222, 310 NW 7TH STREET, GUYMON OK 73942.
Website: http://www.ptci.net/bishop/
E-mail: presby@ptsi.net

Seventh-Day Adventist
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH, 580-338-5093, 1710 NORTH EAST STREET, GUYMON OK 73942

Guymon Public Library

Location: 206 NW 5th St.
(580) 338-7330
Fax-(580) 338-2659
Toll Free-(866)-821-4258
email us at guymonpublib@guymon.lib.ok.us

Library Hours
Monday - Thursday: 9:30 am to 7:00 pm
Friday: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday: 9:30 am to 2:00 pm

-----------

Histories Available From Olive Warner Memorial Library in Hooker, OK

Hooker, Oklahoma, Land of Opportunity (book in file cabinet).
Hooker History Book, volumes 1, 2 and 3.
Hooker Cemeteries.

-------------

Materials Not Indexed:
Hooker Advance From February 2, 1904 to Current.
Hardesty Herald From June 8, 1893.
Tyrone Observer From Octover 1904 to December 1910.
Hooker Republic (1 issue) September 14, 1906.
Optima Observer, From September, 1909 to November 1918.
Farmer's voice (2 Issues), 1-6-1909 and 7-28-1909.

History available from No Man's Land Museum, Box 278, Goodwell, OK 73939, (580)349-2670

A Brief History of the No Man's Land Historical Society.
Funeral Eulogy Orville Nash.
Texas County Pictorial History (pictures only).

City of Guymon, OK

History of Guymon

The Louisiana Purchase first established the eastern boundary of the Oklahoma Panhandle in 1803. The northern boundary of Texas (southern boundary of No Man's Land), when it entered the United States, was set by the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and extended for Texas (Texas wanted to enter as a slave state and the Compromise forbade any slave state north of the parallel). Texas ceded the territory north of 36°30' to the Union, settling the southern boundary.

Kansas claimed the 37th parallel as its southern boundary in 1861, becoming the northern boundary of No Man's Land. In 1863, New Mexico was given its present boundaries upon the formation of the Arizona Territory (the western border of No Man's Land).

The area not claimed by Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas became known as No Man's Land, The Strip, and The Neutral Strip. In 1890, the Organic Act was signed and No Man's Land was joined with Indian Territory to form Oklahoma Territory

Edward T. "E.T." Guymon was born in Illinois in 1859. In his early 20s, he came west to McPherson, Kansas, where he worked as a grocery store clerk. Eventually, Mr. Guymon acquired an interest in the store.

The Rock Island Railroad began pushing southwest in the spring of 1888 and reached Liberal, Kansas. Mr. Guymon established the Star Grocery Company in Liberal.

In the 1890s Mr. Guymon speculated the next town to come up along the future railroad would be west of the Beaver River. He purchased a section of land, which eventually became the original town of Guymon.

First named Sanford, the railroad changed the name to avoid confusion with the city of Stratford further down the line. The Rock Island officials telegraphed Guymon and asked his permission to name the town Guymon.

E.T. Guymon established the Star Mercantile on the site now occupied by Stanfield Printing. He was the largest stockholder and first president of the City National Bank.

Guymon today

Today, Guymon has a population of an estimated 14,000 people. It is in the center of what was once called "No Man's Land". This area started out with ranching and continues so today.

Farming grew rapidly after the discovery of the Ogalala Aquifer and the natural gas reserves. The abundance of wheat, corn, and milo prompted the development of the feedlots and then the beef processing plants.

Today Guymon has added pork production to it’s many agriculture pursuits. Guymon is home to a pork processing plant, which processes 16,000 hogs per day. The past 10 years has seen very rapid growth in the business community, with the addition of this plant and other businesses. Change often is what signals growth, and Guymon has both growth and change. But what you see today is a healthy town with a very young population (according to the last census Texas County has the largest percentage of population in the state of preschool children). The future is bright for this town and its citizens, both those who have been here for many generations and for those who are putting down new roots in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

As the largest town in the 6,000 square mile Oklahoma Panhandle, Guymon is the hub and, often, the place to shop. Because of the large customer area, the town boasts a nice selection of retail businesses.