Gary, Fred C.

Gary believes his new job will be difficult, but holds the determination to do his best to justify support of town's people in the recent spring election. He lays aside his wheelbarrow in three weeks to become mayor of Picher Oklahoma...he spent 35 years as a hard rock lead and zinc miner. He is eager to change from his present work employee on the federal WPA flood control project on Lytle Creek yet he says the work has not been tiresome. "I am going to try my hardest to clean up the city, but I am not going to try to make it a Sunday School, nor do anything that might hurt the town."...Gary is a veteran of the Spanish American War. He joined Company G, Fifth Missouri volunteers Infantry in April, 1808, and served until November of that year. Following the war, he became a miner, working continuously in that capacity until three years ago, when conditions forced reduction in payroll staff of the district. While a miner, he has been a ground foreman and machine man, having been identified in the former capacity with the Charles T. Orr Company of Webb City Missouri, for seven years. He came to Picher in 1921. A year ago Gary was given employment of the Tar Creek improvement project. When that task was completed, he shifted to the Lytle Creek undertaking. As wheelbarrow man, he has worked by the side of two men. The latter have piled the dirt, and Gary has carried it away...

Oklahoma City, Jul 15, 1936, Fred Gary, major of Picher and Archie Hise and Ott Cantrell, city councilmen, asked the state supreme court today to order the district court to dismiss ouster accusations filed against them in Ottawa county Oklahoma by County Attorney A. Clark. The lower court over-ruled demurrers filed by the three officials, and they immediately appealed from that decision. The three contended that the county attorney had no authority to prosecute such a suit and that the district court was in error in over-ruling the demurrers. . . Charges also were made that some beer and equipment were seized in a rooming house, the proprietor fined and that later an attempt was made to sell back to him the seized equipment. The accusation also charged that the officials encouraged members of the International Mine and Mill and Smelter Workers union to do acts of violence toward mine workers not parties to the mine strike. A complaint asking removal of Mayor Gary and the two councilmen was filed in district court here Jan 31, 1935. The case has not been brought to trail.

Photo - Fred C. Gary, 60 years old, who won national wide publicity as the "wheelbarrow mayor" in 1935, died at his home, 522 South Francis Street, at 11:45 o'clock last night. He had been in ill health for three years. Gary elected major in 1935, had been working on a WPA flood control project at the time of his selection to head the Picher city administration. While employed on the project, which embraced the dredging and rip-rapping of Lytle Creek, Mayor Gary won the office easily as a Decorate. Retiring from the project to accept the job, Gary served one term as mayor. During his period of office, there were numerous bitter debates amoung members of the city council. A charge of carrying a weapon, a misdemeanor, was filed against the former major, but was latter dismissed. Gary was defeated for reelection, losing the mayoralty nomination in the primary to Harley Jennings. Gary had captured a plurality of the votes cast. He was a veteran of the Spanish American War and was well known among political leaders of the district. Mr. Gary was born in Columbus Kansas, in 1879 and has lived in the Tri-State district all his life. He held the position of mine foreman for 30 years. He was an active member of the Union church and the Knights of Pythias lodge. Mr. Gary was married to Miss Ida Ritchy at Carthage Missouri in 1906. He is survived by his wife; one son, Kenneth Gary of Picher; one foster daughter, Mrs. Walt Moser of Carl Junction Missouri; three grandchildren, one brother, I. A. Gary of Pindall, Arkansas; and one sister, Mrs. George Smith of Joplin Missouri. The body is in charge of the Durnil funeral home. No funeral arrangements have been made.

Funeral services for Fred C. Gary, 60 years old, former mayor of Picher who died Thursday night, will be conducted at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon at the Picher Union church. The Rev. J. H. Mott will officiate, assisted by the Rev. S. Y. Allgood and the Rev. James Davis. The Knights of Pythias will have charge of services at the church and military rites will be held at the grave in G.A.R. cemetery by the Spanish American War veterans. Active pallbearers will be Chester Starr, John Holcomb, George Carey, Elmer Denton, Frank Hendricks and Ward Lee. Honorary pallbearers will be Charley Safford, Tommy Goodwin, C. H. Jennings, Harry Craig, Adam Koch and George Allen. Burial will be under direction of the Durnil funeral home.