Oklahoma was admitted to Statehood in 1907 and Rogers County
dedicated her first Court House March 17, 1941. That is 34 years
after statehood.
During that 34 years, Rogers County officers had their offices in
rooms on the second floor above business buildings. Finally they
decided to buy a two story, long brick building that a citizen had built for an Athletic Building. On an election date. bonds were added to vote on this building for a Court House. When the votes were all counted, they lacked 25 yes votes and Claremore still didn’t get a courthouse.
The Chamber of Commerce quickly came to life and said
NOW is the time to put the bond over and they got busy at once and called a special bond election for just a few days later, or just as soon as the law would permit the second election. The editor of the Claremore Progress was in charge and every day in each daily paper he told the readers and voters in the county how the Chamber of Commerce was going to help Claremore build a Court House. Once again the “Yes” votes were far short and the bond failed to carry for a second time.
A group of local merchants met at the Will Rogers Hotel and came up with a new plan that they presented to the Commissioners. The plan named a Farmer, a Merchant and a Professional Man in each of the three districts to a committee. They sent speakers out all over the county. The next election came and the Bond passed by a margin of 87% of yes votes.
