The Active Historian

Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, I want to tell you about the oldest building in Weatherford, Oklahoma – the Blair Cabin. Let’s get started!

The Blair Cabin was built in the late-nineteenth century by hunters or trappers. William Blair later discovered the empty cabin and moved in. He and his family lived here for several years and they would later call Weatherford home.

The plaque inscription reads:

Blair Cabin

“In April of 1892, William Blair made the run into the Cheyenne Arapaho Territory and filed a claim on a quarter section southwest of what later became Weatherford. He found a log cabin on the bank of a canyon about 200 yards south of Route 66, west of town. He did not know who the cabin belonged to, but thought it must have been built 10-15 years earlier by early-day trappers.

Mr. Blair and his bride, Frances, lived in the cabin where two of their four children were born, one in 1900 and the other in 1902. The Blairs later moved to Weatherford, building a home on the property now owned by Weatherford City Hall. The large meeting room in City Hall carries the name “Blair Hall” in honor of these Weatherford pioneers.

The Blairs sold their quarter section to the Regan family, who then sold it to Ernie Kendall. Mr. Kendall moved the cabin from its original location to a little valley near HWY 54 and Route 66. Later, the Kendall Estate generously donated the cabin to the City of Weatherford. A self-appointed cabin committee made arrangements to have the cabin moved to its present location.

In 1925, Mr. & Mrs. Blair had a fourth child, Vashti Blair Grossarth. She and her husband Jerry, Weatherford residents, spent many hours with her father and mother learning the history of the cabin before Mr. Blair’s death in 1950, and Mrs. Blair’s in 1967.

The cabin is the oldest building in Weatherford and is a treasure to the community.”

Concluding Thoughts

I love studying the late-nineteenth century and was super excited to see this cabin. While doing research for this post in hindsight I discovered you can actually schedule a tour of the inside through the City of Weatherford’s website. So, make sure to give them a call ahead of time if you want to see the interior of the cabin!

Happy Traveling! I’ll talk to ya soon 🙂

Visit

106 E Franklin

Weatherford, Oklahoma 73096

Sources

Blair Cabin – Plaque

City of Weatherford – Website (You can arrange a tour here)