On Sunday, December 28, 1986, the home of pioneers Fredrick and Addie (Gentner) Drummond was formally opened to the public by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Built in 1905, the Drummond's Victorian-style home is the epitome of the turn of the century lifestyle of an Oklahoma cattle rancher who built a thriving trading business on the prairie. That prairie would evolve into the town of Hominy.
Hominy is located 27 miles northwest of Mannford in Osage County, so named for the Osage Indians, a Plains Indian tribe whose legends, traditions, and strong belief in their god -- "Wakontah" -- lends a rich heritage to that area.
Drummond, a Scottish emigrant, saw the need for a trade center in the area, and after thrifty saving, he and his wife established the Hominy Trading Center in 1904.
Their home was donated by the Drummond family to the Oklahoma Historical Society in September of 1908. Since that time its furnishings and rooms have been refurbished to its original blend of grandeur and obvious hospitable atmosphere.
Picture of their family, R.C. (Cecil), F.G. (Gentner), Blanche, and A.A. (Jack), hang on the walls. Original furniture, a pantry filled with the everyday staples and equipment used in a turn of the century kitchen can be viewed during a tour.
OHS Director Earle Metcalfe has extended the invitation to " . . . explore everyday tasks and traditional family values common during the mid-teens as reflected in the restoration of the (Drummond) home. This 1905 Victorian home enables the Society to interpret the very important historical topics of cattle ranching, trade with Indians, and early white settlement."
Shirley Pettengill, the curator who has been in charge of the program of restoration since 1980, and members of the Drummond family proudly showed the home to a large crowd Sunday. Blake Wade of the OHS said, "The opening was a tremendous success!"
The Drummond home is located at Price and Elm Street in Hominy, and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
An Oklahoma Historical Society book, Ranching from the Front Seat of a Buick: The Life of Oklahoma's A. A. "Jack" Drummond by Dr. Terry Hammons is available through the Museum Store of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 1-405-521-2491.
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