T.B. Ferguson was born in 1857 near Des Moines, Iowa. Although he was trained to be a teacher
and a Methodist minister, Ferguson began writing occasional articles for a local newspaper
and became interested in journalism. After the 1892 land run, Ferguson brought his family
to Watonga, Oklahoma where he established the Watonga Republican. He remained
the publisher of this newspaper until his death in 1921.
Ferguson was appointed territorial governor in 1901 by President Theodore Roosevelt. During
his administration, deficit spending was eliminated and he strongly supported increasing funds
for education and prison reform. He organized the Board of Agriculture and strongly promoted
Oklahoma's participation in the St. Louis World's Fair in 1903.
Ferguson pressed for legislation setting qualifications for persons teaching school in Oklahoma.
He pressed for the "herd law," which required land to be fenced to prevent herds of cattle from
damaging or destroying settlers' crops. Governor Ferguson was also responsible for a law
allowing osteopaths to practice in Oklahoma and upgrading Okahoma's mental institutions.
Perhaps his greatest contribution was his unwavering devotion to the cause of immediate
statehood for Oklahoma Territory. Ferguson was governor from November, 1901, until January,
1906, longer than any other territorial governor.
After Governor Ferguson's death in 1921, Mrs. Ferguson managed the newspaper until 1930.
In 1927 the famous novelist Edna Ferber stayed in the Ferguson home where she found much
of the material for her novel Cimarron.
