One of the oldest pioneers was August Hegwer, who met an untimely death
     in a great blizzard of January , 1886, southwest of Kiowa on Mule Creek.
     He and his step-son, Dave Freemyer, had been down in the Cherokee Outlet
     on a hunting expedition, and incidentally, to poison some lobo wolves
     that infested those regions and was a great menace to the cattlemen. Their
     hunting ground was on the two Eagle Chief creeks, south and west of the
     present site of Alva, Oklahoma. The day preceding the blizzard, they were
     seen riding the range and looking after fires of hunters and campers, to 
     see that they had not left any burning that might be fanned by a high wind
     and thereby burn off much of the range.
       Hegwer and Freemeyer made their way towards Kiowa, camping that night at
     the mouth of Mule Creek, where it joins with Driftwood Creek. The next
     morning a howling blizzard came without warning. Hegwer and Freemyer were
     caught in it in all its fury. Turning the horses loose, they started out 
     on foot up Mule Creek, facing the storm, trying to make their way to the
     old Streeter camp, some miles up the stream. They toiled on, but ere they
     reached the coveted camp, night overtook them. Although he had taken the 
     lead when they started the perilous trip, Mr. Hegwer, being quite aged,
     soon became exhausted trying to face the storm. Dave, then only a lad of
     14 years, struggled on trying to reach the camp.
       In a letter from Mrs. Fannie B. Streeter of Ponca City, she says that
     she and her husband Frank were at the camp at this time and that Dave
     came to their camp about 8:30 or 9 o'clock the next morning, having spent
     the entire night out in this blizzard.
       Dave was carried into the dugout and first aid was given by immersing
     his feet in cold water to draw out the frost. They also gave him some
     breakfast. Then, he was taken to his mother's home at Old Kiowa, where a
     physician was called to care for him. Dave was so badly frozen that it
     was necessary to amputate one foot. Doctors Cloud and McElrath performed
     the operation. Hegwer perished in the blizzard. His body was recovered
     and taken to the old town for burial. He was buried in the Old Kiowa
     Cemetery.
       August Hegwer was an old buffalo hunter and the first postmaster in the
     old town of Kiowa, Barber County, established in December 1875. He served
     until November 23, 1877.
       Mrs. Ruth A. Hegwer, widow of August Hegwer of Old Kiowa, ran in the
     opening of the Cherokee Strip into Oklahoma in 1893 with her 9 year old
     daughter, Frances Hegwer (Mrs. Roy C. Parker). She settled on a creek
     bank just across the Kansas border - south of Kiowa. The following morning
     she discovered that the plot of land she had selected and camped on was
     already occupied by earlier settlers - the Oklahoma Sooners, who claimed
     the land prior to the running date. Consequently, Mrs. Hegwer and daughter,
     Frances, had to return to their Kiowa residence without sharing in the
     land from the Cherokee Strip.
       Frances Hegwer married Roy C. Parker in 1903. They lived in Kiowa while
     Roy worked for Hill Mercantile Copany. To this union three children were
     born - namely, Ruth, Paul and Loyd. Later they lived across the line in
     Oklahoma, but the children attended and graduated from Kiowa High School
     in 1923 and 1926.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 223 
     Submitted by: Ruth Parker