Help Ditch Valley: Fire Relief Fund

After the worst wildfire in Oklahoma/Kansas history, Ditch Valley wants to work together on a new project; a Water Storage Facility. We don’t have a Ditch Valley Volunteer Fire Department but our men serve on either the Rosston (OK) or Englewood (KS) VFDs. In the Starbuck Fire of March 6 and 7, neither department could come to Ditch Valley’s immediate aide because both (and all other small town VFDs that usually band and firefight together) were desperately trying to save their own towns and homes.



Ditch Valley has a single firetruck, a 1964 1 ton, that stayed in the Valley to try and protect homes. That truck, when empty had to fill up with garden hoses or drive 10 miles South to Rosston. Any other time they could’ve gone 7 miles North to Englewood, but in this fire, Englewood itself was burning up and lost its electricity therefore its ability to pump water. So we see a GREAT need to have our own water filling place.

$10,000 will buy the supplies needed to build the Facility. A tanker truck has been given to Ditch Valley, but needs a new transmission. That’s another $5000. When the tanker is fixed it will be donated it to Rosston Fire Department (they have room to park it in a building) Any extra will go to help fund a like Facility being started on the East end of the Valley at Terry Mundell’s.
Ditch Valley is use to taking care of itself, but several families were hit hard by this fire and we could use some help. Please consider us and if you are ever in our part of Oklahoma, take a drive down our road and see our little piece of Red Hills Heaven. Thank You!


HISTORY OF DITCH VALLEY

Ditch Valley never had a post office. Its one room school closed in 1944. It has none of the usual organizations that hold a community together, but it has two things that make its community strong.

In 1895 when the first homesteaders moved into this area on the border of the Cherokee Strip and No Man’s Land in Indian Territory, they found remains of Prehistoric irrigation canals. It gave them an idea. Starting in 1903, using horses, mules and slip buckets the community worked 3 years and built The Big Ditch. It wanders 16 miles down the Cimarron River Valley providing a spring irrigation season that sustains crops the rest of the growing season. Every spring the ditch must be cleaned out and weeds burned then a temporary sand dam is built across the Cimarron – again a community effort of tractors and front end loaders, to divert river water onto the fields.

Ditch Valley Club began in the 1920s, an Extension club that met in homes, but when Star Valley School closed the club moved it’s meetings there. For 5 generations quilting bees, pitch parties, bridal and baby showers made strong community bonds. Today a monthly community meal, with men hanging around outside while the ladies put their potluck dinner on the table, still brings neighbors together.


PICTURES:

Wall of smoke 60 mph


20-40 ft flames behind the smoke




Miss Thing had a calf

Looking for Momma

Found Momma

Morning, what a relief


Written by Sandy Brown
Credit to John Brown, Sandy Brown, Kodel Cunningham, Ashley Dixon, Doug Little, Mike Terry, and Debra Little for pictures