(The late Nancy S. Kirkpatrick, a life-long rodeo devotee, wrote the following article that appeared in the Eufaula Indian Journal on July 17, 1997, and in the Roundup Club’s rodeo program that year.)

Since all the rodeos are starting up in different areas, I was asked to write down some things that went on around Eufaula in the 1940s and later.

The biggest event besides football was rodeos. This was the start of the new Eufaula Roundup Club.

We had plenty of people wanting to join, so they joined and they built a fine arena, which was built on the east side of town where Gary Moore’s and Bob Chandler’s houses are now.

The arena ran north and south. We didn’t have bleachers, so the visitors parked on both sides of the arena.

The rodeo was for three days, the parade on Saturday. There was always a big parade, clubs from other towns, also some floats and bands.

The arena didn’t have lights so everything had to be finished before dark.

Saturday night after the rodeo was over, we all looked forward to the big dance at the community hall.

Big county western bands from Tulsa came to play. Gosh! Could those cowboys dance! Two-step, Round and Square and Shotish, no line dancing, but some Oklahoma swing.

Everybody had lots of fun, hardly ever any fights, really not much meanness going on. Except at Halloween time, but that’s another story.

The club bought their roping calves but had to contract the bucking and dogging animals. Sure had some good bucking horses and bulls, but some good cowboys came to contest them.

Eufaula had two rodeos per year, 4th of July and Labor Day.

The people would park their trucks and trailers in the woods near the arena.

I was later elected to feed the calves. I think I got maybe $15 or $20 per month. No, I didn’t get rich, but I went to the arena everyday anyway to practice the poles so it wasn’t any trouble to check the feeders and keep them full.

Some of our club members and some men that came from other arenas for the rodeo and Jackpot ropings on Sunday when no rodeos were going on were The Brightman Brothers (Monroe and Poogie), C.R. Ainqell, Pete Pettus, Dub Hammett, Ruben Turner, Jack Lowe, John Connors, Pop Guess, Broad Overman, The Combs brothers and Guy and Dean Vincent from Onapa and Checotah; the Mood Brothers, J.D. Fulton, Nate Murdaugh from the Canadian area. Probably more, but these are the ones I remember most.

There was a movie state that came over to the arena before the rodeo started one Saturday, maybe the Fourth of July. It was Chill Wills. Gosh, he was really a big man, tall and well built. He and some more stars were filming something in the state, I think the movie was “Tulsa,” about the oil boom.

I didn’t get to meet him personally, but I did get to see him in person and that was a thrill for me.

I was asked to write another little piece to tell the exciting news that went on back when we, the rodeo buffs, were young and probably more daring!

Those were the days, and some of the older folks that are still around will remember the Sunday afternoon Goat Ropings that took place on Front Street one block east of Main Street.

Had some pretty good ropings until the goats got smart and started running into the crowds that formed a human fence on both sides of the street. Then, the goat ropings on Sundays stopped!

Gosh! Couldn’t do anything on Sundays on Front Street anymore, not even horse races.

So, that’s when probably the men all got together to form the Eufaula Roundup Club.

Of course, there were a few women and girls too. Like I wrote earlier, everybody pitched in to build the arena – it really was a nice one, too.

We had some good rodeos there. On Sundays sometimes they would have jackpot rodeos including everything.

Ruben Turner would sometimes bring in some of his unbroken mules to buck out. Don’t think very many were rode the full time.

How many of you folks remember a rodeo arena where Posey Park is now?

Yes, there was a good one there too. Of course, they couldn’t charge any gate fee because it was all open. People gave donations.

All-in-all, I’d say Eufaula was a good rodeo town in its day!