A rainy spring caused many lakes in Oklahoma and Kansas to flood. However, the late summer dry weather made it possible for Corps of Engineers to reopen some campgrounds including Kaw Lake’s Bear Creek, just east of Newkirk. This was the site for the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club September campout the second weekend of the month.
Members from Ponca City and Bartlesville arrived Thursday setting up their rigs and glad to finally be able to camp at a Corps lake.
Thursday members from Bartlesville and Ponca City arrived and that evening many of them ate dinner together at the Native Lights Casino’s Buffalo Grill north of Newkirk.
Friday members learned about the history of Newkirk from local historian Karen Dye. In a power point presentation she told about the run to the Cherokee Outlet and some of the people who made the run. Through pictures of various buildings she described the people who built them and the early day businesses with many of the original buildings still in use today. She then told the story of Charlie Adams, the local drug store owner after whom their annual celebration is named.
Friday evening the group ate at Newkirk’s Stagecoach BBQ feasting on barbecue, chicken fried steak, fried catfish and finished the meal with the complimentary ice cream and cake. The evening ended with a campfire and lots of conversation at the Bear Creek campground.
Saturday morning members drove back in to Newkirk at various times for the Charlie Adams Day activities. They enjoyed the old-time “shootout” by the Main Street Mavericks and true stories of early day Newkirk residents told by various area storytellers. These included stories about Lucy Davis who made the Lane Run with her baby and another woman, Agnes Wanko, one of two WAVES from Newkirk World War II, and Dr. H.O. Goway.
Some members purchased tasting kits to sample barbecue from various competitors and delicious Dutch oven cobblers and cakes. Others checked out the various crafts and booths including a flint napper and another man making horseshoes.
Saturday evening the group gathered in the campground for a hamburger cookout hosted by campout hosts Jon and Kathy Tippin. The meal included salads and desserts prepared by Wheeler Dealers members. Afterwards some members went to the outdoor concert by Grand Funk Railroad at the Kaw South Wind Casino.
The monthly campout concluded Sunday morning with a pot luck breakfast and business meeting with discussion on the October ...
