Helped Build Ponca Post Office

Submitted by Dale Ramsey Thanks Dale!

As written by Lester Young:

MY NAME IS LESTER G. YOUNG
I was Barned in Newton County, Ark. on a farm now known as the old Clifton Place in SectIon 3O-16-22. My Birth was on May 28, 1882. My Father's name was Elex Young. My Mother name was Cynthia A. Villines
In Oct. 1887 my Father Died. Left my mother a widdow so I was the oldest child and Mother moved over on the other side of the mountatn on little Rockey Farm on sec.8-16-22. Nothing on the Farm But Rocks Blackberry Brarers and Rat tel Snakes. So when I was 9 years old, Mother Bought an old Ballfaced one eyed horse for me to plow. So I plowed Barfooted In the Rocks and thornes and tryed to make a living. And I Did make what I called, a Get By. So I went on year after year until the spring of 1901 then planted a crop and It Dryed up. So It hapened that an old miner came along and said to me, I'll give you 50 cents a day If you will stay wIth me at the mines. And only help me pull the men out of the shaft. So that sounded like a million Dollars to me and I was on the Job. the next morning So after I had Done this'little. Job for a weak, the old man (Mr. Wyman) said to me if you to Be matching timber for the Shaft, you can work at that all the time and I will give you l.00 per Day. S0 I knew I was a Rich Boy then, and I said sure Mr. Wyman I will Do that. And In about a weak I had all the timber fIxed that he wanted. So then he said Lester, If you think you can Single Jack I will Raise your wages to $1.25 Per Day. So I Did Not Know what he ment By the word Single Jack, so I Said what Is single Jacking, he said take that Small Drill and hold It against the Rock with one hand and take a J no. hammer and strike It' So I tryed It, It was Pretty hard for a while until I got on to the Job. But I soon Learned to take advantage and make It Easyer.
Now this Job helped us all along. I took this money and Bought grocerys for the famley and work did not hurt me at that tIme. I was helthy and stout. So I worked for this old man Pretty steady until 1903 then the mining changed hands But when the old man quit the Job he was Paying me a good wage 2.50 or 3.00 Per Day. I stayed at home with the Folks until this change of Bosses and By this time My Bro. Was about Grown so he took charge of the Farm and I went to staying at the Boarding house at Ponca, at this time It was not Ponca Just an old mining camp. Soon after we establashed the Camp we made aperecation for a Post offfce and asked the name to Be Ponca, as the most of the Mining Co. was from Ponca City, Okla. So I stayed In Ponca helped Build the Postofffce and a lot of other Buildings and in the fall of 1904 I got marrted and settled down at Ponca, and started life's Battel and on Jan. 25,1906 Death Seperated me and my wife., And I wandered arone for a while then I found another Girl I loved. So I got maryed agin and Continued on Down lifes Battel, through Sickness and trubel.
In June 1909 1 took charge of the Postoffice at Ponca, as a assiatant. And the Old Postmaster moved out on the account of his health, and on Sept. 15, 19O9 I Borrowed 50.00 from Mr. Thomas Baker and Started a Grocery store In connection wrth the Postofflce, and on the 22 Day of Sept. 1909 I was apointed Postmaster. My Commission was Signed By Willtam H. Taft President. When I was appointed Postmaster I Delivered 7 Penchan checks to the old Sivial War Pencheners, and to Day they are all Dead But one. And as of this Date It has been 28 year. and 4 day. sense I was appointed postmaster.

This history was given to me by Thomas House who is the grandson of Thomas Baker, the man who loaned Lester the $50 to start his store in this history.

(The story says he was appointed postmaster 22 day of Sept. 1909. And down below it says, 'At this date it has been 28 years and 4 days since I was appointed postmaster.' This would make the date of this writing Sept. 26, 1937.)

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