On the road to nowhere?
Cimarron CountyHarmon County
Harmon county: On the road to nowhere?
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By Ron Jackson
Published: April 27, 2008
Modified: April 28, 2008 at 9:43 am
Modified: April 28, 2008 at 9:43 am
HOLLIS — Harmon County residents don't talk a lot about the future.
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Facing challenges
Yet unlike Cimarron County, Harmon County has already been reduced to a one-school district in the county seat of Hollis, which, by all accounts, sits on the road to nowhere.
Cimarron County businesses can at least claim the occasional sales tax dollar from travelers shuttling between Denver and Oklahoma City, or to the beautiful Black Mesa State Park.
Harmon County is also lagging behind Cimarron County on annual property tax dollars collected.
In 2007, Harmon County's total property taxes amounted to nearly $1.2 million.
Cimarron County collected nearly $2.5 million last year by comparison.
No two people know the challenges facing Harmon County more than Hollis School Superintendent Wilmer Cooper and Hollis City Manager Bob Copeland.
One is in charge of keeping a school district afloat on a shoestring budget; the other has the monumental task of attracting new business to an agricultural region bypassed by progress.
"There is always a possibility of getting some new small businesses here,” said Copeland, a native of neighboring Mangum. "But is that reality?
"That's a tough question. There are some of the larger ranchers here who don't want new industry to come in because they are afraid it will drive up wages.”
Tightening purse strings
Traditionally, Hollis superintendents have been frugal. They have had no choice.
Through the years, land ownership has transferred into the hands of fewer ranchers and farmers — residents who don't want their property taxes raised. Passing a school bond issue has therefore been next to impossible.
Purse strings have simply gotten tighter and tighter.
State aid has dropped. In fiscal year 2008-09, Cooper expects to receive $150,000 less than the previous year.
Children of undocumented residents from Mexico present another unknown factor. Cooper knows for a fact "a small percentage” of these children attend Hollis schools, and no one is sure how Oklahoma's new immigration laws will be enforced this summer with employers.
"We haven't seen people leaving yet,” Cooper said. "But we really don't know how that might affect enrollment.”
Staffing is another issue.
A number of teachers and administrators are Hollis natives like agricultural teacher Gary Randall and Cooper, and have proudly returned to their roots. As a result, they possess a great affinity and loyalty to the people of Harmon County.
"A lot of people can talk about the silver lining, and that's fine,” Cooper said. "But what they're not looking at is the fact that we are producing fewer Hollis graduates. Therefore, we have fewer people with a connection to the area from which to draw from in the future.
Town once lively
Bobbie Deskins remembered the joy of coming to Harmon County 35 years ago to work at the Westview Boys Home outside Hollis.
"The town was lively 35 years ago,” recalled Deskins, now 75 and owner of a popular cafe. "Now as the old people die, you see more and more young people move off and don't come back.”
Since moving to Hollis, Deskins has watched several downtown shops close, including her own fabric store. She has also endured a divorce and the death of her son.
All that remains is her cafe.
Now even Deskins has thought about retirement. Workers are hard to keep, and the demands of keeping the cafe open are exhausting.
"I feel a responsibility to keep it open,” Deskins confessed. "But I am tired. Still, I love the people and the solitude.”
Harmon County does have appeal.
Hunters flock to the county each year to hunt deer, quail, and turkey among the many arroyos and hills that crisscross the countryside. If lucky enough, they will stumble across Carla Hutchison's bar in Vinson — or, at least, what remains of Vinson.
The town's cotton gin closed several years ago, leaving a post office and an old, gutted house that serves as Hutchison's bar. Inside, visitors will find a crooked floor, a pool table, and the best steaks this side of Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City.
They will also find some first-rate, Harmon County hospitality.
"I truly love it,” Hutchison said. "I love everything about living out here. Everybody is like family to me. ... You know, I run this place by myself, and I'll serve 30 steaks on a real good night. My mother will come in occasionally and make some salads, but I have the best customers.
"They'll take orders for me, and even wipe off tables. It truly is like a family out here.”
Schoolteacher Randall, meanwhile, is another local who understands Harmon County's charm. He points to his school district's FFA program with great pride, offering it as a reflection of his neighbors.
Recently, his students enjoyed the honor of selling 10 animals at the Oklahoma Exposition's Sale of Champions.
"These are hardworking kids who come from hard-working people,” Randall said. "We're no different than other small towns, and I hope we never lose that rural setting.
"I'm here to stay.”
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