While education was the largest budget category for Ferguson’s 1903 Legislative session ($1,459,623), he did question the need for seven territorial institutions of higher education. He had inherited University of Oklahoma in Norman (1892); Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater (1890); Central State Normal School in Edmond (1890); Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Langston (1897); Northwestern State Normal School in Alva (1897); Southwestern Normal School in Weatherford (1901); University and Preparatory School in Tonkawa created in March 1901.
Funding for elementary, secondary and higher education
Some funding for schools came from the lease or sale of land in Sections 16 and 36 of each township for elementary education. Beginning in 1893 with the opening of the Cherokee Outlet, Normal Schools (Edmond, Alva and Weatherford) benefitted from 1/3 of funds from section Thirteen of each township, and Langston received 1/10 following it’s founding 1897. Section 33 funds were set aside for public buildings. Territorial School Funding * See map of “School Land”
Small School consolidation; Territorial Library and Oklahoma Historical Society
“An important contribution to the quality of secondary education was the bill passed by the territorial legislature in 1905 allowing small rural school districts to consolidate. Other areas of education supported by Governor Ferguson were the territorial library and the Oklahoma Historical Societyâ€. In both territorial legislatures (1903 and 1905), funding for these educational adjuncts was increased. Jerry L. Gill Chron Ok 53:109-127, 1975
Humane care of convicts, juvenile offenders and mentally ill
Governor Ferguson’s humanitarian concerns included increased financial support for the care of Oklahoma convicts kept in the Kansas penitentiary (see Ferguson Features on Conrad Maas (Oct. 23, 2024) who was interned in the Watonga/Blaine County jail and transferred to Kansas). His strong stand on rehabilitation of juvenile offenders lead to the 1903 bill allow judges to give youths a suspended sentence until a reformatory could be constructed. A 1905 bill authorized the territory to contract with a primate company to provide a reformatory. The Fort Supply military reservation was acquired from the federal government to be used for the care of the insane. The legislature provided for a warden until the facility could be used Jerry L. Gill Chron Ok 53:109-127, 1975.
Advancement of Agriculture
For Farmers, Ferguson passed legislation to protect farmer’s crops from livestock, and in 1902 helped organize the Board of Agriculture (now the State Board of Agriculture). See Ferguson Features in March 22, 2023 and Aug. 22, 2023 in The Watonga Republican about the importance of this board.
*Watonga Public Schools receive about $130,000 per year from Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office from Sections 16 and 36. Canton Public Schools receive about $56,000, Okeene $50-65,000 and Geary about $50-70,000 per year. State Colleges such SWOSU receives about one million dollars per year from sections Thirteen. OU and OSU receive by far the largest payments.
