First Moore County Wedding was in 1894
Bob and Florence Hammit, married April 15, 1911, in the Geary home, Dumas. Moore County Judge J. W. Fox officiated.
Moore County had very few residents in the late 1800's and very few weddings. The county had been organized for two years before the first wedding. The county had fewer than 100 people and young people of marriage-able age were few.
The first wedding was on September 27, 1894. W. T. Sanders and Miss Etta E. McNabb were married by R. D. Bass, justice of the peace.
The next wedding was on April 2, 1895, when Alex Barclay married Margaret Maud Young. The wedding ceremony was held in a large upper room of the courthouse. The bride wore a white silk dress with a veil and train. One other wedding was in 1895, between Dick Pincham and Allie Lucretia Spurlock on October 26.
No Moore County weddings were recorded in 1896, 1898, or 1899. Charles Rager Jones and Jessie Florence Burrow were married March 1, 1899, in Quanah. The ceremony was performed by Rev. H. M. Bandy.
Edna Bull and Robert Henry were married on November 23, 1897.
Two marriages were in 1900. The first on August 14 when B. H. Polley married Ethel Rockwell. On November 4, J. B. Wheatley, county sheriff, married Mattie McNabb.
James Park married Leona Bennett on June 11, 1901, and A. P. McBride married V. N. Cushman on July 22.
The first wedding was on September 27, 1894. W. T. Sanders and Miss Etta E. McNabb were married by R. D. Bass, justice of the peace.
The next wedding was on April 2, 1895, when Alex Barclay married Margaret Maud Young. The wedding ceremony was held in a large upper room of the courthouse. The bride wore a white silk dress with a veil and train. One other wedding was in 1895, between Dick Pincham and Allie Lucretia Spurlock on October 26.
No Moore County weddings were recorded in 1896, 1898, or 1899. Charles Rager Jones and Jessie Florence Burrow were married March 1, 1899, in Quanah. The ceremony was performed by Rev. H. M. Bandy.
Edna Bull and Robert Henry were married on November 23, 1897.
Two marriages were in 1900. The first on August 14 when B. H. Polley married Ethel Rockwell. On November 4, J. B. Wheatley, county sheriff, married Mattie McNabb.
James Park married Leona Bennett on June 11, 1901, and A. P. McBride married V. N. Cushman on July 22.
Jessie Florence Burrow, age 16, and Charles Rager Jones, age 27, on their wedding day in Quanah, February 27, 1899.
An article in the June 11, 1970, Moore County News Press recounts "a marriage of note on January 18, 1903, between Cora McAdams and J. C. Geary, prominent rancher and businessman for whom Geary Street is named."
The article tells, "A short time later, October 4, 1903, B. 'Bob' Powell married Loula B. Parker. An interesting note is that Mr. Powell, who was county clerk at that time and for several years, issued the license to himself as 'F. R. Powell', his formal name, but signed the record as 'Bob Powell', the name by which he was always called in most of his records."
Two weddings were in 1904, E. I. Williams married N. A. Burnes and Bessie Craig married W. R. White.
B. G. Miller and Annie Stevens were married September 13, 1905.
"An early Methodist minister, J. Winford Hunt, was an early groom on January 22, 1906, marrying Mary Anthony, member of a pioneer family and the daughter of Dr. S. W. Anthony, Moore County physician who served for a time as county treasurer." Hunt Memorial Methodist Church is named for Rev. Hunt. The ceremony was performed by Rev. J. M. Sherman, another Methodist minister.
Other 1906 weddings were Fannie Clark and Sam Hardwick on May 2 and Charles Brown and Edna Clark on September 2. Clara Holt and W. A. Derrick were married November 11 and Tomma Ham married F. Throckmorton on December 25.
According to the article, "a month later, the Rev. Hunt performed the ceremony for Melvin Anthony and Ursulla Beauchamp."
Another early wedding was on November 12, 1907, when Mary Minta McDade married Fletcher Love. A couple of weeks later, Dan Ansely and Mary Bennie Phillips were married. Eight other couples were listed in the 1907 marriages. Four couples were issued marriages licenses in 1908 and in 1909, three couples were married -- Dolly Carter married D. A. Parker, Josie Ham married J. H. Feltz and Noel McDade married Susie Payne.
Weddings were usually considered social events when the ceremony and following celebrations were open to anyone. Usually a "chivaree" of the newlyweds was included where the groom might be kidnapped and left to find his way home.
The article tells, "A short time later, October 4, 1903, B. 'Bob' Powell married Loula B. Parker. An interesting note is that Mr. Powell, who was county clerk at that time and for several years, issued the license to himself as 'F. R. Powell', his formal name, but signed the record as 'Bob Powell', the name by which he was always called in most of his records."
Two weddings were in 1904, E. I. Williams married N. A. Burnes and Bessie Craig married W. R. White.
B. G. Miller and Annie Stevens were married September 13, 1905.
"An early Methodist minister, J. Winford Hunt, was an early groom on January 22, 1906, marrying Mary Anthony, member of a pioneer family and the daughter of Dr. S. W. Anthony, Moore County physician who served for a time as county treasurer." Hunt Memorial Methodist Church is named for Rev. Hunt. The ceremony was performed by Rev. J. M. Sherman, another Methodist minister.
Other 1906 weddings were Fannie Clark and Sam Hardwick on May 2 and Charles Brown and Edna Clark on September 2. Clara Holt and W. A. Derrick were married November 11 and Tomma Ham married F. Throckmorton on December 25.
According to the article, "a month later, the Rev. Hunt performed the ceremony for Melvin Anthony and Ursulla Beauchamp."
Another early wedding was on November 12, 1907, when Mary Minta McDade married Fletcher Love. A couple of weeks later, Dan Ansely and Mary Bennie Phillips were married. Eight other couples were listed in the 1907 marriages. Four couples were issued marriages licenses in 1908 and in 1909, three couples were married -- Dolly Carter married D. A. Parker, Josie Ham married J. H. Feltz and Noel McDade married Susie Payne.
Weddings were usually considered social events when the ceremony and following celebrations were open to anyone. Usually a "chivaree" of the newlyweds was included where the groom might be kidnapped and left to find his way home.