The Beginnings

Indian removal from the eastern United States began in earnest in the 1830's and continued until the 1870's. In the 1830's the Federal Government began moving the Indians, including the Five Civilized Tribes, to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. In 1854, many of these Indians were moved onto the plains of Oklahoma which were ideal for roaming buffalo herds. The Indians hunted the buffalo for food, clothing, shelter and fuel. With the introduction of white settlement into Indian Territory, the buffalo supply quickly became depleted.

From 1866 to 1889, Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory. In 1889 with the opening of the "Unassigned Lands to white settlement" the eastern half of Oklahoma remained Indian Territory and the western half was renamed Oklahoma Territory. In 1907 Oklahoma become a state joining Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory.

There is no indication that Indians lived in Edmond proper, however, there are accounts of Indians coming to Edmond to trade. According to a February 13, 1891, Edmond SUN article "The reservations that were located east of Edmond included: 10 miles to the Iowa Reservation, 10 miles to the Kickapoo Reservation, 15 miles to the Pottawatamie Reservation and 30 miles to the Sac and Fox Reservation."

At the time of the 1889 Land Run, Oklahoma consisted of a wilderness of prairie and forest lands that offered a new chance for American farmers. Edmond is located geographically near the Cross Timbers, an area about 40 miles in breadth stretching over a land of rolling hills and ravines, covered with tracts of post oak and blackjack trees as well as other scrubby underbrush. The Cross Timbers serve as a divide between the bluestem prairies of the east and the shortgrass plains of the west.

April 22, 1889, dawned bright and clear as the First great rush for free government lands in history was scheduled to begin promptly at 12 noon, "sun time". And so the Great Oklahoma Land Run(s) were begun. Several railroad workers were among the first to make their runs and stake out their claims. At 12:05 p.m., a crew of surveyors began laying out a town site.

The first "legal" settlers of Edmond were Colonel Eddy B. Townsend, Hardy C. Angelea and J. Wheeler Turner who arrived in Edmond at approximately 1:20 p.m. They had made the run from 15 miles east of Edmond at the west boundry line of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation. It was the determination of settlers like these three men, Nanitta A.H. Daisy and others who put their stamp on Edmond and helped shape its personality.

Just picture this, Miss Nanitta A.H. Daisy (later to be known as Kentucky Daisy, a reporter for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Gazette) coming to the Land Run on the press correspondent rail car. This petite woman was perched on the first of the special trains with one hand clutching the hand rail, a stake in the other and a gun strapped to her waist. At one point, less than a mile from Edmond station, she leapt from the train, dashed across a ditch, drove her spike into the ground, fell to her knees and fired a shot into the air claiming her land to the cheers of the other passengers. "Kentucky Daisy" then turned and caught the last car of the train riding it into Guthrie to legally file her claim.

Thus began a series of Edmond firsts in Oklahoma Territory.FIRST public school house.FIRST church.FIRST library.FIRST public institution of higher education. and so much more.