Judge Horace Ellsworth Greely Putman

Hundreds of pioneers gathered at Guymon, Oklahoma, Wednesday afternoon to pay their last respects to another one of those rapidly thinning ranks of “old timers” who had answered the call of the Grim Reaper. This time it was Judge H. E. G. PUTMAN, who for almost fifty years had been a leader in the development of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles from a cattle range to a prosperous agricultural empire.

       Horace Ellsworth Greely PUTMAN was born January 15, 1859 in Jasper county, Iowa, and died Sunday, January 6, 6:30 p. m.  At the age of 7, his family moved to Arkansas where he grew to young manhood and received what was considered a good education.  At the age of 17, he went to Kansas and started teaching school, serving as an educator for 6 years in Ellsworth, Rice and Pratt counties.  During the period 1882-1888, he engaged in the mercantile and abstract business.

       Then in 188, after seeing the rapid development in Kansas, he visioned such a period for the Texas Panhandle, so he came to the old town of Hansford, where he established a newspaper, but the Panhandle did not settle up with farmers at that time and the paper was a financial failure and the plant was later scattered to the four winds when a cyclone leveled the town.

       He served as treasurer of Beaver county, Oklahoma in the nineties when Beaver embraced the territory now included in Beaver, Texas and Cimarron counties.  Shortly after the newspaper venture at Hansford, the deceased became a resident of the Oklahoma Panhandle near Hardesty.  In 1899, he was married to Miss Electra ALLISON.  For many years he engaged in the cattle business but was always interested in public affairs. In 1909, he was appointed and served for 7 years as a state examiner in Oklahoma, traveling over the state auditing the books of county officials.

       He was admitted to the bar in 1914 and for a number of years was associated in law practice with John L. GLEASON and later with Ross RIZLEY at Guymon.  In 1924, he was elected as county judge of Texas county.

       Judge PUTMAN was a descendant of the PUTMAN family who were prominent in the days of the American Revolution.  His great grandfather was Daniel PUTMAN.

       Surviving close relatives are the widow; two sisters, Mrs. Frank KEITH and Mrs. H. C. EUBANKS, Canjilon, N. M.; niece, Mrs. Van W. STEWART, Perryton; and a nephew, Dave KETTELL, Canjilon, N. M.

       Pall bearers at the funeral were Judge F.  Hiner DALE, W. T. QUINN, Will EWING, Senator Wallace HUGHES, Henry HITCH, and Dave CHENAULT.

Ochiltree County Herald (Perryton, TX)-January 10, 1935* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 1 2023, 21:35:22 UTC