Yes its true !
A saloon proprietor’s dream evolved in the middle of the South Canadian River in the late 1800s, but the dream had its ups and downs.
“High Times and Low Lifes at the Sand Bar Town Saloons” is a novel written by the great-grandson of a sand bar saloon owner.
Scott Weeden makes good reading of the life on the river between Purcell, Indian Territory and Lexington, Oklahoma Territory, in the late 19th century.
Some of the writing is fictitious, including the names, but some of the read comes from old family stories.
Weeden’s great-grandfather D.W. (Dave) Weeden and his brother, Lafe, are portrayed throughout the book as two ornery men trying to make a living in the new territories.
The railroad was being built and settlers were coming in droves to the new land. On the Lexington side, saloons numbered many, while in Purcell, the dry side, didn’t have so many.
Dave decided to get a partner for one of the most farfetched ideas he had ever had. A moonshiner himself, he already supplied many of the saloons with his potent brew.
The idea came to him while sitting on Red Hill overlooking the mass of railroad building and growth of the town.
The moonshiner got a partner and the show started. His partner, a card shark, so to speak, would handle that side of the business, while Weeden made his mark behind the bar.
They also brought in a woman partner that took care of the upstairs of the new saloon.
Building a saloon right in the middle of the river was the key to a prosperous undertaking.
This would bring business from both sides of the river, plus the sand bar saloon would provide drink for those going to Lexington for their spirits.
Rains and flooding were two obstacles the two didn’t think too much about until they hit. The first saloon washed away and crumbled under the frantic waters of the roaring South Canadian River.
Weeden had an idea then to build a barge-type saloon. A boat builder did that for the men which was an overnight success.
A wooden walkway was built to the barge so customers wouldn’t get their feet wet coming back and forth.
The floating saloon and gambling hall proved itself even after a flood took it down river and buried the boat in a sandbar.
It took some digging and maneuvering to get the boat back up stream. The idea of making all that money quickly saw the boat back at its place on the river.
Not only did Weeden and his partner have their floating saloon, so did a few others. All of the men prospered and made themselves a good living.
Excerpts from The Purcell Register top each chapter, and the author did his background work for excerpts to match the contents.
The short novel is interesting and funny. It gives a look at how things used to be in the area.
In the spring of 1889, the population of Purcell was listed at 7,000 to 8,000 people. A lot of interesting facts are portrayed in the book.
The author lives in Denver, Colorado. This is his first novel, but he told The Purcell Register he had a few more in the works.
Scott Weeden grew up in the Washington area. He graduated high school there in 1966.
His late father was Lewis Eugene Weeden and his mother, is Marion, who lives in Norman. His sister, Lynne Holkan also resides in Norman. Weeden’s grandfather was Lewis Ernest. He came to the Purcell area .
