a look back into our archives
10 YEARS AGO
On the week of June 10, 2011 the Cordell Pool announced that it would be open from 9am to noon from Tuesday through Saturday for water walkers.
A canute swimmer, Dillian Matthew Keith, age 17, drowned in foss lake on Friday, June 3, 2011. Kieth was attempting to swim from the sandy beach to the sandy beach island with three family members. Midway through the journey, Keith decided to turn back. Once his family members made it to the island they realized Keith was nowhere to be found. His body was recovered around nine hours later, 150 feet from the beach shoreline in 7 ½ feet of water.
Joel Stephen Brown, age 29 was pronounced dead on the scene of a one vehicle accident which occured at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2011.
Emergency grazing was approved for Washita County. This allowed cattle to graze on Conservation Reserve Program acreage.
The gravestone of a confederate soldier was dedicated. The stone belonged to Amos Anson, soldier of the Confederate States of America, Missouri MSG Artillery, and Bledsoe’s Battery.
20 YEARS AGO
On the week of May 30, 2001 storms ripped through Washita County. Heavy winds driving rain and small hail caused extended power outages and property damage, but no tornadoes were officially spotted in the area. Local residents claimed to have property damage consistent with that of tornadic activity, some residents were left with completely collapsed buildings and cars smashed with tree limbs. The storms even tipped over a semi-truck four miles east of Cordell.
Area Facilities prepared for wheat harvest. Wheeler Brothers Grain Co. put the finishing touches on their new facility at the 152/44 junction just in time for harvest.
Law enforcement officers issued a warning to citizens in the Cordell area to keep an eye out for two ongoing scams. One of the scams would charge residents $2,000 per minute for returning a phone call about a possibly deceased loved one.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol kicked off a seatbelt check on the memorial holiday weekend, setting up a checkpoint near the Gregory Sports Complex. Anyone who was correctly buckled up received a t-shirt to reward their behavior, while those without belts received tickets.
The Cordell Citizens looked forward to an upcoming town wide garage sale featuring over 60 garage sales.
40 YEARS AGO
On the week of June 3, 1981 the son of a former countian faced muder charges for the slaying of his father. Jerry Cocanougher was accused of beating his father Carl Cocanougher to death with a hammer.
Puckett’s food store was honored by the Cordell Chamber of Commerce as the business of the month. The store showcased a wooden plaque for the month of June and exchanged the plaque for a certificate once the new business of the month was chosen.
The price of wheat per bushel according to the Producer’s Grain Inc. of Cordell was $3.70. A three cent increase from the day before, but an eight cent decrease from the week prior.
A rural Bessie home was damaged by a fire on Saturday May 30 according to Bessie Fire Chief, Paul Nonast. The home damaged was a two story farmhouse owned by Alfred Stehr of Clinton. In the blaze only the living room was damaged by fire, the rest of the home was only damaged by smoke.
After 43 years of service, Ernest Morris retired from his position as treasurer. His 43 years of consistency was only interrupted once, when Morris was selected to serve in the US army during WWII.