The town of Blair started out as "Dot", named after the first Postmaster, B.B. Zinn's daughter. In the early days the Postmaster was paid by the number of 1 cent stamps he sold.

As the town grew, area citizens realized Dot was not in a good location for expansion because of a nearby stream. After several meetings a new location was decided on from locations suggested by a Railroad official named Mr. Blair.

The official beginning of the town of Blair was

August 26, 1901

The first hotel in Blair was built by John B. Marble. $2.00 per night included the evening meal.

A cyclone destroyed the old hotel in 1928.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devil's Canyon   

The Winters Legacy

Early settlers Lee and Mamie Winters left quite a legacy in history to their family and Southwest Oklahoma.

Devil's Canyon is State Property but is inclosed by private Property

Lee Winters' brother Tom, homesteaded 160 acres in the heart of Devil's Canyon, about seven miles northeast of Blair, much of it bordering the North Fork of  the Red River. Lee wanted very much to homestead a place, but he was too young. When he became twenty-one years of age, he traded his brother fifty head of white face cattle for 160 acres of land.

Lee acquired his property, well known as Devil's Canyon, about 1901. Within the area is a place called Walnut Grove, with a fresh running stream, and small clear ponds, the bottoms of which are covered with gravel washed down from the nearby mountains. In one section there was an Indian campground. When the Indians left, Lee plowed the area, It was here that the Winters family found peace pipes, tomahawks, arrowheads, buttons, and colored beads used for dress. In one area of Walnut Grove, there is evidence of a Catholic mission, built by the Spanish. The foundation ruins are still there.

LUGERT...The town of Lugert was established in 1901 soon after Frank Lugert filed his claim. It nestled at the foot of the Wichita’s along the North Fork of the Red River. Frank had come to this country as an immigrant lad of 12. He taught himself English and proceeded to make a place for himself in his new country. Like other 1901'ers he could tell fascinating tales of hunting wild boar in Russia, of a trip across the Atlantic as a small boy, logging in Wisconsin and the run into the Cherokee Strip. There were not many dull moments in his life and but for a trick of fate a large town today might bare his name. The town of Lugert thrived. There were general stores, a brick bank building, restaurants, and a population of 400-500. The general store supplied everything needed. Saloons were there but were voted out in 1905. There was a feed store, pool hall that served as a dance hall, meat market, lumberyard, blacksmith shop, Hotel, Gin, drug store, and 2 dry goods stores. But that was before the twister of 1912. It was about noon when the twister moved in from the southwest and when it was gone, most of the town was swept away. The town never did build back, the post office closed in 1950 and now Lugert is under the waters of Lake Altus, although locals still call it Lugert Lake.