Historic Homesteads

Historic Homesteads. . , This home and the Earl Ingram Homestead east of here were both built out of the round granite core stones that cover the hillsides of the refuge, and both were acquired during the 1901 land lottery held at Fort Sill. They reflect the hard work, ingenuity, and craftsmanship of earlier generations. , In 1942, the U.S. Army used the right of eminent domain to acquire the Ferguson and Ingram Homesteads to expand the artillery range of the adjacent Fort Sill. Fifteen years later, the planned expansion had been scrapped, and the Homesteads became part of the refuge., The Benjamin Ferguson Homestead bears silent witness to our regional pioneer history. , Captions: , This sectional map was used as an ad to entice settlers to come to the Wichita Mountains region for the 1901 land lottery. , Courtesy of Oklahoma State University Libraries, McCasland Maps Collection, Completed in 1927, the Fergusons lived in this house until 1942. It was listed on the National Historic Register for Historic Places in 1981 as "an excellent example of local architecture using locally available materials." , Courtesy USWS, The Earl Ingram house sits back from the road in a grove of trees about half a mile east of the Ferguson Homestead. , Courtesy USWS, The Ingram Homestead included the "Midway" gas station, located about a quarter mile east of the house. , Courtesy Museum of the Great Plains