351. Frederick, Tillman County (OK01)

Once again, some of you are probably thinking “Hey, Atreides? Can you actually finish a state before starting a new one?” And, as before, my answer is something along the lines of “I go where opportunity takes me!” That said, on a certain level, I felt a bit disappointed that no wind was sweepin’ down the plain. Of course, I’m not in that part of the state. That’s the Panhandle, or as I lovingly refer to it, Occupied North Texas. Side note: Oklahomans do not like any part of Oklahoma being referred to as “Occupied North Texas” or “Texas’ Hat,” but that’s not important right now. A little part of me had been hoping that this courthouse would be illuminated. If it was, it would have made the day a little bit easier, but that’s no big deal in the greater scheme of things. I arrived the night before and got several hours sleep so I was able to do photography in the predawn and then get on the road before the sun was fully up.

As for the courthouse itself, I like it. The rounded facade above is a feature I don’t remember seeing on many, if any, courthouses up to the point. Definitely makes for a different entrance way. Oddly enough, though, the flag, which is usually in the front, is on a different side. That’s strange as layouts go. I especially wanted to give the county kudos for having electric charging stations here. That is definitely something you don’t see anywhere. I don’t know what inspired Tillman County to aspire to offer this option for electric vehicle owners (I honestly wouldn’t have thought there’d be enough in the county to even justify needing them), but I thank them for contributing to a cleaner future for its residents and, quite frankly, anyone who breathes.

The cache was a keybox attached to the back of the plaque (pictured in the gallery above) with this statue dedicated to the Abernathy Boys. You talk about the past being a foreign country! At their ages, I don’t think I had even let my children cross the street alone. When I was that age, in a different time, I’m sure I walked blocks away to do something, but never that far. Of course, we’ve heard the stories about kids a couple of generations back before that who would leave home and go who knows where all day, their only strictures being to stay out of trouble and to return home by dinner time. But from here to Santa Fe? And from there to New York City? At that age? Holy crap! Kids that age do that today and they’ll get famous, too. They’ll be on every milk carton in the country! Of course, they don’t do that anymore so I guess my point here (and I do have one) is that I’m old. But I got a cache and began Oklahoma in earnest, and that’s the bit that matters. And once my business here was done, I started driving away from the sunrise and met the true dawn in…