Thomas Slick
The town of Slick has an exciting beginning.
After reading several accounts of its founding days, they seem to agree on only one point. It was named after Thomas B. Slick (The King of the Wildcatters) on April 28, 1920.
To properly tell the story of the history of the town of Slick we have first to tell some of the stories about its founder, Thomas B. Slick.
Thomas Slick was hired by Alexander Massey in 1904.Massey was already a successful oil wildcatter with 25 wells in the Kansas area.His agreement with Thomas was to pay him 25% of the proceeds from leases Thomas obtained.Following the agreement, the two traveled to Tyron, Oklahoma to begin drilling operations. Working as a team, Massey supervised the drilling operations and Thomas bought up leases on properties for other drilling operations.
Alexander Massey hired Thomas Slick in 1904. Massey was already a successful oil wildcatter with 25 wells in the Kansas area. His agreement with Thomas was to pay him 25% of the proceeds from leases Thomas obtained.Following the agreement, the two traveled to Tyron, Oklahoma to begin drilling operations. Massey supervised the drilling operations as a team, and Thomas bought up leases on properties for other drilling operations.
Their relationship faltered after Massey's first well was dry at 2800 feet, and he ran out of money to continue. It was later determined that the oil in that area was 1000 feet deeper. After their breakup, Thomas moved to Chicago. Thomas was quickly hired by another company (Shaffer & Smathers Company) to obtain leases for drilling. He was sent to Kentucky and other locations until he ended up back in Oklahoma. Thomas got his first nickname during this time, "Dry Hole Slick."
After arriving back in Oklahoma, things started to change. Shaffer & Smathers started drilling wells about 4 miles apart, starting in Creek Country around 1907. Thomas was sent out in advance of the drilling teams purchasing leases on properties. He would purchase leases for the company and would skip specific properties. He would return to these properties when he had the needed money and buy the leases for himself. Over the next few years, the partnership continued some drilling operations as joint ventures. Unfortunately, they continued to fail in producing a commercial oil well. By 1911 Thomas couldn't find any local companies or people to invest in his drilling operations. In desperation and in need of $8,000 to drill the wildcat well Thomas returned to Chicago and met with Shaffer. When he left, he had talked Shaffer into a loan for the $8,000. By this time, the relationship with Shaffer & Smathers was already over.
Returning to Oklahoma, Thomas started drilling operations on the Wheeler property near Drumright. A couple of stories have been rumored about the lease, but records show that B.B. Jones recorded the lease for the Wheeler property in December 1910. Thomas and Jones began the operation together, with Thomas Slick financing the drilling.This drilling operation became a chess game, with Thomas Slick being the grandmaster.
When the well reached 1,400 feet, they found oil, but not in commercial quantities. The Cushing Independent wrote about the oil found at 1,400 feet, and people started getting interested. The chess game began when fences were built around the drilling rig, armed security people were hired, workers were instructed to keep quiet about the operation, and drilling logs were kept secret. On March 17, the Wheeler well came in as a gusher. Everyone was instructed to keep quiet about the gusher, and the riggers were instructed to stem the flow of the gusher to keep it secret. Thomas Slick, being the grandmaster, started his final moves of the chess game. Waking up the Wheeler family, Thomas rushed in and cut the phone line.
Knowing the discovery of the gusher would start a feeding frenzy to obtain adjoining leases, Thomas Slick put his plan into operation. News of the oil well coming in only took a few days to reach speculators everywhere. Operators immediately began heading to Cushing to obtain leases. The grandmaster had already anticipated their move and had blocked them. Thomas Slick was already purchasing the best leases, had hired every means of transportation in the area, and had hired every notary to prevent anyone from getting to Drumright and securing a lease. The grandmaster, now well on his way to becoming known as "The King of the Wildcatters", had just brought in the most significant oil well in Oklahoma history at that time. This was to be known as the Cushing Drumright oil boom, named Wheeler No. 1, and still operates today.
This was 8 years before the town of Slick was founded and is the oil well discovery so often incorrectly associated with the founding of the town. By 1929 Thomas Slick's nickname of "Dry Hole Slick" had changed to "The King of the Wildcatters", and he was considered one of the largest independent oil operators in the nation with a reported net worth estimated at between $35 and $100 million.
What happened over the next few years can be found in a book entitled "The King of the Wildcatters" by Ray Miles.
Another excellent book is "Tales of Our Town", written by George W. Krumme, which can be purchased at the Bristow Museum located in the old train depot.
THE TOWN OF SLICK
Always the opportunist, Thomas Slick began associations with the Oklahoma Southwestern Railway to take advantage of the oil boom that had operations spreading over the territory.
The plan was to build a railway from Bristow to the town of Slick financed by Thomas Slick. In 1920 Thomas Slick teamed up with the Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway to build a new line between Bristow and Nuyaka.
The Slick Townsite Company opened up a temporary office in Bristow and advertised in the Bristow Record that on March 15, the newest town in Oklahoma would open.
Paperwork for the company was filed with the State in April of 1920.
The first section of the railway, extending the line to Slick, was completed in July. In 1921 the railway completed the next leg and connected Nuyaka to Bristow via the town of Slick.
Nuyaka was the second town said to have been founded as part of the Slick Townsite Company. Accounts of this town are confusing, at best. Statements from some sources state that the Slick Townsite Company founded the town of Nuyaka on August 19, 1920. Other records show that there was a mission in that area named Nuyaka, and a township called Hance was founded near the mission in 1882 by Alice Robertson. A post office was opened in that township, renamed Nuyaka in 1912, and remained operational until 1954.
As promised, the town of Slick opened at 9 am on March 15, 1920, with a celebration and flag-raising ceremony. With red, white, and blue banners adorning the lots still available for purchase, the buying frenzy began, and over 100 lots were sold that first day. Of noteworthy mention is that the streets of the town are named after famous generals, including Pershing, Foch, and Funston. The avenues, named after universities, include Yale, Princeton, Harvard, and Cornell.
The Early Years Of Slick
The first months of Slick saw massive growth in population, buildings, and businesses. In the first two weeks alone, enough lots had been sold to accommodate over 4,000 residents. Lumber yards, hardware stores, and dry goods stores were all busy and becoming profitable. With the OSWR (Oklahoma Southwest Railway) leg to Slick almost completed, preparations were already underway for a new depot and freight office. Things were looking up until, in June, the town of Slick had its first major setback when a fire destroyed part of the business district. Damage was estimated at $25,000. The town quickly recovered with the arrival of OSWR in July, and the town continued its growth as the depot was completed, and the freight office was opened.
Unlike so many other boomtowns of that era, Slick existed on two planes. During the daytime, the town operated as a hub for the growing oil operations in the area and had grown as a hub for cotton gin operations. Slick had become a town with a thriving business district, schools, and churches. As darkness fell, each day, the town changed and took on a new life. One filled with crime, prostitution, gambling, murders, and gang leaders seeking to run things. By the end of its first year, the town of Slick had gotten bad. During the Christmas celebration, a group had gotten drunk and started shooting up the town. This drinking binge lasted into that Monday, and the local law enforcement officers were overwhelmed and intimidated. After almost two days of drunken fights, shooting up businesses, and at least two robberies, the town residents contacted the county commissioner, who sent in additional officers to quell the disturbance and bring order to the town.
The town had two newspapers. The first one was the Slick Spectator, with its first publication put to publication on October 1, 1920. The headlines from the one edition found touted the town's progress after its first six months and celebrated that the streets of Slick would appear in "moving pictures" and be shown at the local theatre. It also recorded that the train depot was under construction for $25,000. After the railways closed the line into Slick in 1929-30, the depot was converted into a Baptist Church. It has now been refurbished and is the town hall.
The second newspaper was the Slick Times, with one publication dated August 19, 1921. One of the leading articles was about the new school being opened with 11 teachers. It reported that the new school had not been finished, and construction had not even started. The school district was going to make arrangements.
Banks In Slick
The First State Bank opened its doors in the early days and persuaded Thomas Slick to become a stockholder so that his name would be associated with the bank. In 1923 the bank was converted to a national charter and became First National Bank of Slick. This bank was acquired by Slick National Bank and underwent voluntary liquidation on August 3, 1925. Here are the dates from the banking records.
Date Closed | Name | Reason |
06/04/1923 | Firs State Bank | Converted to national charter |
02/21/1925 | First National Bank of Slick | Acquired by Slick National Bank |
08/03/1925 | Slick National Bank | Voluntary Liquidation |
All of the depositors lost their money during the liquidation in 1925. Thomas Slick stepped up and used his own money to pay back all of the depositors.
Oklahoma Southwest Railway
Thomas Slick delved into many types of business dealings during his time in Oklahoma. One venture included starting the Oklahoma Southwest Railway company with his father-in-law J.A. Frates. Thomas Slick provided the financial backing, and Frates provided the knowledge and expertise to run the railway.
The same month the town of Slick was opened (March 1920), the OSWR began constructing the railway to connect Bristow and Okmulgee. Using, for the first time in Oklahoma, 90-pound steel, the workers started construction of the new railway. The company crew members had developed a new machine for laying down the track that quickened construction. By July 1920, the line had been completed to the town of Slick.
Sometime along the way, Thomas Slick and Frates reassessed the costs associated with extending the line to Okmulgee and decided to cut back and extend the line as far as Nuyaka. This leg of the OSWR was completed the following year.
Once completed, the railway provided service twice daily between Bristow and Slick and once daily between Slick and Nuyaka.
By 1929 the population and commerce possibilities in the area had declined to the point where OSWR petitioned Division 4 Commissioners to abandon the rail lines between Bristow and Nuyaka. The petition was granted on December 21, 1929, and the rail system was abandoned in 1930.
Schools In Slick
By 1929 the population and commerce possibilities in the area had declined to the point where OSWR petitioned Division 4 Commissioners to abandon the rail lines between Bristow and Nuyaka. The petition was granted on December 21, 1929, and the rail system was abandoned in 1930.
By the time the town of Slick was opened on March 15, 1920, a new school had been planned, and a small log cabin was constructed on Main Street. A small two-room building quickly replaced this.
Within a couple of months of the town opening, the number of students needing school had outgrown the building. The town's population tried to come up with the required money.
In 1921, after voting for bonds to cover costs, the construction of the Slick High School was started thanks to the efforts of N.S. Kutch, A.P. Burger, and Fred Eghinger. With the help of the citizens providing free labor and additional donations school was opened with Dan Baker voted in as Superintendent with 14 teachers in attendance. Starting with 2 teachers and a small school, Slicks population grew every day, and with this growth came new students almost daily. The Daily Oklahoman reported that on opening day, the school had 19 teachers, and 14 classrooms, was now offering a 4-year course in studies and was the largest campus in the county.
Within two years, the population had grown to the point that the black community was able to open a school in the Rose Hill area. In a Voice Of Oklahoma digital interview with Jeanne Eason Phillips (Witness to the Civil Rights Era), she reflects on her early childhood going to grade school near Slick, referring to the school as L'Ouverture.
Nathan Hare, born April 9, 1933, to sharecroppers in Slick, was one of the most recognized students attending L'Ouverture. Hare began making his mark in history when, in ninth grade, he won first place in the statewide "Interscholastic Meet." He continued to win over the coming years. In 1968 he was the first person selected to coordinate a Black Studies in the United States.
“During the school year 1955-1956, there was an exchange of classes with the Slick High School and the L’Ouverture High School at Slick, Oklahoma. During the school year 1956-1957, the two schools were totally integrated. New courses were added to the curriculum, among them Psychology, Industrial Arts, Geometry, and Home Economics.” ~ August 1960 Graduate Thesis by Sylvester Lawrence Combs OSU study submitted concerning the development of storage facilities in Slick.
Corruption In Slick
In March of 1926, the school elections in Slick were faced with election fraud as N.S. Kutch took possession of the lone ballot box and held it until August. At that time, the ballots were counted in the court by Judge Hepburn and verified by Kutch and Bray. A third person, Cannon, was also voted for but had pulled out and was not part of the court case.
On August 19, 1926, Judge Hepburn made his ruling in the case. The judge found that there was a conspiracy regarding the election.
His count of the votes from the election was:
Bray – 160 votes
Kutch – 115 votes
Cannon – 45 votes.
He found no issues with Kutch keeping the ballot box since he had custodial authority. Based on Baker's testimony, where he stated that he had possession of the ballot box for two days, the judge found evidence to support the conspiracy.
One hundred sixty-six residents of Slick met before the court reporter and swore under oath that they had voted for Bray.
Some of the witnesses that were put on the stand had mentioned they had heard rumors that things would get violent if Bray did not win. The judge dismissed the rumors and commented that the way the election was conducted was enough to "incite hard feelings."
Ensuring that he, the judge, had the final word and showed that he was in control of the court, he did one last thing. When, as he was announcing the adjournment, several members of the audience rose to leave, he instructed them all to sit back down and not be in such a hurry. "I'll have to teach you Creek county folk a few things. You're too wild. Just wait a minute,"
After all of the spectators and witnesses had sat back down, he had the bailiff adjourn the court properly and allowed the spectators and witnesses to leave finally.
The End Of The Schools
After the oil boom started dissipating, the population around Slick began declining. By 1969 the people could no longer support the schools, and they were decertified and closed.
Once, it was the largest school building in the county. The Slick High School is now in ruins, with most buildings and wings collapsed and decaying.
Residents have tried over the years to get funding to save the building with no success.
The L'Ouverture Public School did not fare well and is now home to cattle. The construction is very similar to the WPA workmanship, and the front façade may last many more years.
The Decline Of Slick
The actual population of Slick during the first decade has been said to be between 1,500 and 3,000. Other estimates have the population at more than 5,000, and one publication put the population at over 20,000. Since the first census was not done until 1930, these counts are speculation at best.
The population was, at one time, very large in number. The local papers did not seem to exist for long, and most articles about Slick are found in either the Bristow newspaper or the Black Dispatch, with a few appearing in the Tulsa World.
Probably the most devastating event in the early days of Slick was the second fire that destroyed much of the business district.
The fire had broken out at 5:30 am in the Columbia Hotel which was located near the OSWR depot. The paper stated that the origin of the fire was unknown, and no accounts of the fire have been found that include what started the fire.
The opening of Slick in 1920 opened up possibilities for new wells and the possibility of keeping the oil boom going. The oil discovery in Drumright (Wheeler No. 1) began one of the oil booms in Oklahoma. By 1919, seven years later, oil production had started declining. The decline of oil production over the early years resulted in the population quickly falling. 1929 brought the closing of the rail system, which essentially ended the growth of Slick.
The first census of Slick was done in 1930, following the closing of OSWR, and showed that the population of Slick had been reduced to 422. This declined to 300 in 1940, and in 1950 the population was 151. The population of the town has stayed fairly constant since that time, and the 2020 census had the population at 151 again.
Slick Today
The town's core still conforms to the plat map submitted to the Creek County Records Office on April 9, 1920, almost a month after the town opened.
The town was planned based on a 240-acre township, showing hundreds of plots. These were bought up in groups by business owners and residents in the early days.
Much of the land in the Northwest area of the town was not developed since it is a flood plain, and even today, water will rise to within feet of the old train depot (now the Town Hall).
The map shown here shows the current areas that are considered part of the town of Slick.
The first thing you will notice is that town appears to be vastly more extensive and covers a much greater area than the 240 acres on the original plat map.
How did this happen?
This part of Slick's history will be saved for another day and by a different author. Let’s just say Bristow got schooled about annexations and Slick knows how to keep a secret and take advantage of holes in fences.
The original bank in Slick is now converted into a home.You can still see the outline of where the lettering was for First State Bank.
You can still see the handrails that led to the entrance of the Slick Post Office, now converted to a personal residence.
One of the two gas stations that had been located in town. This one has been converted into a personal residence. The property owner tore down the other gas station.
The remains of one of the cotton gins that was located in town.
At the corner of: Columbia (University) and Pershing (General) The streets are named after generals, and avenues are named after universities.
This is the current water tank for the town. The original tank was located about a ½ mile closer to town and was torn down after this one was constructed.
The Mayor regularly visits to manually turn the fill valve on and off.
References
Ghost Towns Of Oklahoma – John W. Morris – 1978 King Of The Wildcatters – Ray Miles – 1996 Tales Of Our Town – George W. Krumme – 2021 Creek County Records Office Newspaper.com publications from Bristow, Slick, Tulsa World and OKC papers Interviews Randy Wood – Mayor of Slick 2023 George W.Krumme – Resident of Bristow and author.