by Judy Haught
Like many once-thriving communities in Western Oklahoma, Delhi displays the remnants of rural history. Sitting quietly along County Road E. 1270, Delhi, consisting of a vast cemetery, the remains of a beautiful school, and a handful of houses and other structures, bears witness to a vibrant way of life that no longer exists except in the hearts and minds of former residents.
Located in southern Beckham County, Delhi was once a part of Old Greer County, Texas, an area that encompassed present-day Greer, Harmon, and Jackson Counties along with part of Beckham County. Until a Supreme Court decision in 1896 that declared Greer County part of Oklahoma Territory, it operated under the de facto governance of the state of Texas, even seceding from the United States in the Civil War. The town of Delhi was founded in the late 1880s and became part of Beckham County in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state. A memorial marker in the Delhi Cemetery reads, “In 1888 Thomas and Millie Price were one of the first families to settle in this portion of Old Greer County. Price built a cotton gin 1/2 mile east of Delhi.”
Early on, education for Delhi’s children was a top priority for the new town, and the community established the one-room Delhi Academy in 1903. The April 29, 1910, edition of the Sayre Citizen reports on a school rally at Delhi to be held on May 7. Patrons and friends of Delhi Academy were invited to attend. The program consisted of several prominent local speakers, including the Beckham County superintendent A. Rufus Harris. The importance of educating the Delhi youth is evident in the titles of the speeches. One individual spoke on the “The Value of Our Boys and Girls,” and another entitled his speech “Is Our Present Day District School Producing Educated Men and Women?” School consolidation was also on the minds of citizens as evidenced by Superintendent Harris’s speech “Advantages and Disadvantages of Consolidating School Districts.” In fact, consolidation did occur in 1921 when a new three-story, red-brick school was erected to consolidate Delhi Academy, old Delhi, Agnes, Greenhorn, and Friendship districts.
During the early part of the twentieth century, Delhi was a bustling community with three general stores, a garage, two cotton gins, a post office, a café, a Baptist church, and a doctor. However, disaster struck in 1921. According to the October 27, 1921, edition of the Sayre Headlight Journal, a massive fire, which started from an electrical short in the Lowrance Garage, burned most of the town and severely injured two people. As a testament to the indomitable spirit of Delhi, the town rebuilt just west of the original town near the new Delhi Academy.
The student population grew at Delhi Academy until it reached over 500 enrollees in the 1930s. Because the citizens of Delhi were dedicated to providing an excellent education to all the children in the district, they voted 139 to 11 in favor of an $8,500 bond for construction of a new school building according to the May 9, 1939. edition of The Sayre Daily Headlight Journal. The building plan included 12 classrooms, a study hall, and an office. The construction was to be a cooperative project with the Works Progress Administration. The Beckham County Democrat reported on October 19, 1939, that “Delhi District C1, Beckham County, was yesterday assured of a handsome school building when Ron Stephens, state WPA administrator, gave final approval to the project, financed jointly by the Works Progress Administration and the school district. The building, including a gymnasium and auditorium, will cost $37,361.39 of which WPA will provide $25,911 or 69.3 percent and the school district $11,450.89 or 30.7 percent.” The newspaper also reported that the WPA would provide workers for eight months thus bringing an economic benefit to Beckham County.
The school was completed in time for the 1940-41 school year. The Sayre Daily Headlight Journal reported on August 5, 1940, that the opening of Delhi school would be delayed until August 12 in order to use the new school building, which was nearing completion. Along with the new building, new subjects were added to the high-school curriculum, including typing and bookkeeping. The complete list of subjects offered at Delhi High School also included mathematics, English, general science, vocational agriculture for boys, home economics for girls, modern European history, English literature, public speaking, and theory of music for a well-rounded education. Then on August 23, 1940, State WPA Administrator Ron Stephens said the construction of the auditorium and gymnasium would begin immediately. The entire school structures were built from Beckham County native stone known as dolomite. Then in the fall of 1940, the Delhi School District again sought help from the WPA to construct “a septic tank, disposal field, cellar entrance, sidewalks, masonry fence, truck shed, filters and pump house and cistern,” according to the November 26, 1940, edition of the paper.
Upon its completion, the new school became the centerpiece of the town, symbolizing both community spirit and its dedication to excellence in education. For photos of Delhi and school activities, go to https://westernoklahomahistoricalsociety.org/document-category/delhi-school/.
The 1940s and World War II brought more change to Delhi. The military built an airstrip just east of Delhi for bomber training. Bomber pilots would practice taking off and landing there and dropping fake bombs filled with an innocuous white powder. The powder would produce a cloud indicating where the bombs had landed. The airstrip is still in existence, and the city of Sayre uses it as a municipal airport. For several years after the war, bombs would turn up in a field near the airstrip. Some had never detonated and were still filled with white powder.
In addition to the airstrip, several young men from Delhi served in World War II. The Delhi cemetery is the final resting place for eight World War II veterans according to oklahomacemeteries.net. They include Kermit Weldon; Edward Everett; Roy Lee; Jack Dennis; John Buckner, Jr.; Jack Buren; John Edward; and Melville Prather.
The Delhi School yearbooks for the 1940s and 1950s paint a picture of a vibrant, thriving school, full of sports and activities and school spirit. However, as rural populations in Western Oklahoma began to wane, the school population also decreased. The last graduating class of Delhi High School received their diplomas in 1963. Then the high school consolidated with Erick and Sayre schools leaving the Delhi School open to 1st through 8th graders. Finally in 1968, the Delhi School, that beautiful centerpiece of a proud community, closed its doors forever.
The school building was sold to private citizens and eventually was converted into a beautiful home. Part of the home’s outside walls are the original school walls, and the gym/auditorium is almost totally intact and used as a barn and place to park RVs. The original WPA plaque is still there, a nostalgic reminder of a hopeful time when Delhi thrived and the school was the heart of the community.
