The history of Marshall County is full of stories about families who played a major role in its development. Families like the Taliaferro family, the Willis family, the Buck family and more. In most cases, these familiesbuilt towns, communities and businesses. And, in most instances, these families stayed in Marshall County for multiple generations.
However, there was one family who moved to Marshall County well after all the towns and communities were well established. And while they only stayed about seven years, the impact they had and the legacy they left may be as important to the people of Marshall County and the citizens of Oklahoma as any family who spawned generations of Marshall Countians. Because of this family, generations of young people have been blessed and thousands of lives have been changed for the better.
Christopher “Chris” Stevens wasbornonMay6,1871, in Cole County, Missouri. His parentswereJacobClarkand Catherine J. Stevens. Chris was raised in Moreau Township in central Missouri just southwest of Jefferson City.
On December 27, 1896, Chris Stevens married Eva Wyrick in Russellville, Cole County, Missouri. Eva was born on January 2, 1874, in Missouri.
Chris and Eva had three sons. The first was Golder Edmond Stevens, born July 2, 1898, in Moniteau County, Missouri. The second was Harry Odis Stevens, born November 20, 1900, in Moniteau County,Missouri.Sadly, Harry died as a toddler on March 45, 1903. The third son was Paul J. Stevens, born March 17, 1905, in Moniteau County, Missouri. Sometime between 1895 and 1905, Christopher Stevens attended medical school and became a medical doctor.
In 1906, shortly after the birth of Paul, the family moved to the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory for Dr. Stevens to practice medicine. ThefamilysettledinCornish, Pickens County, Indian Territory. Cornishwasjustsouth of Ringling in present-day JeffersonCounty,Oklahoma, just across the Carter/Jefferson County line.
In Cornish, Dr. Stevens opened a medical practice, specializing in surgery and diseases of women and children. Over the next several years, Dr. Stevens had offices in Cornish, Ringling, Hewitt and Wilson.
In 1915, Dr. Stevens joined two other physicians in opening and operating the Ringling Sanitarium (hospital) above the Gem Theatre in Ringling. Dr. Stevens practiced in the Cornish, Ringling, Wilson, and Hewitt areas from 1906 to about 1921.
While the family was living in the Ringling/Cornish area, Golder opened a real estate and insurance business above Dr. Steven’s medical office.
Sometime between 1921 and 1922, the Stevens family moved to Madill and by August of 1922, Dr. Stevens had an office on the square, one door west of the Madill Record. According to display ads in the Madill Record, Dr. Stevens specialized in women's diseases. Essentially, what is now known as a gynecologist.
Golder Stevens graduated from Ringling High School in 1917, and then on December 3, 1919, married Ethyle Copeland of Ardmore. Paul graduated from Madill High School in 1923. He married Fay Zelma Ivy of Madill in February of 1926. Fay was the daughter of John and Lillie Ivy, and the niece of Juanita Hatfield.
In 1921, Golder Stevens opened the Madill Variety Store on the northeast corner of the square. Golder’s store was in the same location as Sharpe’s Department Store today. Sometime around 1922, Paul joined Golder in the operation of the store. The store sold everything from clothing to household goods, toys, tools and furniture.
In 1921, the store was heavily damaged by a fire. Golder and Paul were able to salvage some merchandise and reopened at a new location on the east side of the square. They operated the store until 1924.
On April 20, 1923, Golder and Ethyle Stevens welcomed a son, Edmond Earl Stevens. Sadly,Edmondonly lived about eight months and eighteen days before passing away. In January of 1924, Edmond became seriously ill and died within about three hours of showing signs of an illness. It was determined he died of a severe intestinal issue. Edmond was buried in the Woodbury Forest Cemetery in Madill where he remains today. Then in 1926, Golder and Ethyle welcomed their second son, Golder Edmond Stevens, Jr.
Dr. Chris Stevens practiced in Madill until January 1927, when he and Eva moved to Seminole, Oklahoma, tocontinuehismedical practice. Dr. Chris Stevens died in Oklahoma City on May 16, 1957. His wife Eva had previously died in 1944.
Golder and Paul would bothleaveMadillby1928and enter chiropractic school to become chiropractic doctors, with each graduating and becoming a chiropractic doctor. Golder and Ethyle moved to south Texas, where Golder set up his practice, and Paul and Fay eventually moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he opened his practice.
While living in south Texas, tragedy once again struckGolderandEthyle. On December 23, 1938, Golder Jr. was in a car with two friends when the driver lost control of the car, rolling it four times. Golder Jr. was killed in the accident. The loss of Edmond and then Golder Jr. would eventually provetoomuchforGolderand Ethyle as they would divorce a few months later.
After this accident, Golder returned to his parents’ home in Seminole, Oklahoma. There he tried to practice chiropractic medicine, but he began drinking heavily and would eventually be arrested and charged with driving under the influence. After his arrest, Golder stopped drinking and turned his life around and again found happiness.
Golder married Vernal Flowers of Sherman, Texas on April 29, 1940. Miss Flowers waswidowedandhadone sonnamedMarshallwhowas eight years of age at the time of their marriage. After their marriage, Golder and Vernal moved to Pharr, Texas, just north of the United States-Mexico border. Golder would open a practice there. In addition to practicing chiropractic medicine, Golder opened a building material business.
Sadly, Golder could not escape tragedy, for in February 1949, Golder’s stepson, Marshall Flowers, was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 17 years. Marshall was ridinghismotorcyclehomeon a dirt road when he collided head-on with a pickup truck. He died en route to the hospital. Shortly after this event, Golder and Vernal moved back to Vernal’s hometown of Sherman, Texas. Golder died on July 2, 1958, with no surviving children, and Vernal died several years later. They are both buried inCedarlawnMemorialPark CemeteryinSherman,Texas.
After leaving Madill in 1927, Paul and Fay moved to Chicago for Paul to attend chiropractic school. After a few years, the couple moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where Paul opened his practice in the fall of 1936. After about twelve years, Paul moved his practice and worked in Tucumcari, Portales, and Hobbs, New Mexico, before returning to Albuquerque again in about 1952.
Paul and Fay had two sons, Paul Jr. and Billy Joe Stevens, and four grandchildren. Sadly, Paul died unexpectedly on August 19, 1958, just 48 days after his older brother Golder.
It is sad to think that Dr. Stevens and both his sons died within a period of about 15 months.
Some may ask, why is this part of the story of Pettijohn Springs? Others may ask, what do Dr. Stevens and his two sons, Golder and Paul, have to do with Pettijohn Springs?
Well, in 1924, Dr. Stevens and his sons went together and bought 70 acres of land from Nannie Pettijohn. Nannie had put much of her allotment land up for sale because of financial issues, so Dr. Stevens and his sons bought half of her allotment. That half just happened to be the half where the springs bearing Nannie’s name gushed forth from the land.
You see, the Stevens family bought, Pettijohn Springs.
And with their purchase, came a plan and a promise. A promise to the citizens of Marshall County, and all southern Oklahoma. A plan for fun and amusement. And a plan that changed the lives of thousands of children. A plan that is still changing lives today.