Home Histories

700 is a buff brick, white-dentiled cornice with hipped roof house. The entrance projection has a steep pitched gable above the door which is framed by cut stone spiral columns and Corinthian capitols.

Stephen Pace 1932-35
James S. Hargett 1935-38
Dr. Louis H. Ritzhaupt 1939-41
Harold Sanders 1941-45
Nona Teague 1945-49
Ralph Wicker 1950-67

Mr. Pace was head of Pace Petroleum Company, which helped start the the OKC oil field.

Mr. Hargett was the president of Oklahoma Flour Milling and later sold to General Mills, when he became the manager of seven mills in the area. He was president of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce at one time. His daughter, Betty, was married to Bob Allen Street, son of Mayor Allen Street. Mrs. Hargett recalled how the house would shake when the well directly behind the Historical Society was drilled.

Dr. Louis H. Ritzhaupt, who died in 1964 at the age of 73, has been described as a man with three lives: he had an active medical practice in Guthrie and Oklahoma City, was one of the busiest members of the state Senate, and as poultry-raising hobbyist, became an authority on the bantam breed.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1891, Ritzhaupt lived in Oklahoma for 70 years. He was a member of the Guthrie school board from 1919 to 1924, serving as its president in 1922.

As a legislator, he was perhaps best known for his unsuccessful fight to construct a dome on the state capitol, but his other legislative accomplishments were legion.

Ritzhaupt prided himself on being one of the leaders in establishment of the highway patrol and the first state aid to schools. He was instrumental in pushing for a state crippled children's program.

He was the spokesman for the medical profession in the legislature and played a major role in development of the University of Oklahoma Medical School.

Ritzhaupt served continuously in the senate from 1933 to 1951. Defeated by a Republican in the 1950 election, he made a comeback in 1954 and re-won his seat.

During World War II, he served as state medical officer for selective service, for which he was given the Army commendation ribbon.

As a bantam hobbyist, he was a consistent prize winner. He developed several new poultry breeds and wrote numerous articles for trade magazines on poultry and medicine.

Ralph Wicker was a paint distributor.