Haloche Industrial Institute
| Haloche Industrial Institute | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1906 |
| Construction Began | 1906 |
| Opened | 1906 |
| Closed | 1980's |
| Current Status | Active |
| Location | Taft, OK |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
Haloche began as a small mission school before the state of Oklahoma bought it in 1906 in Taft, OK for $3500. Interestingly, Taft had started as the town of Twine, and all black community founded on Creek Nation land allotted to Creek Freedman. The school operated on a Christian basis for the "expressed purpose of building up pure womanhood and manhood of the negro boy and girls." The school also taught blacksmithing, wheel-wrighting, sewing and dressmaking at this time.
By 1909 this institute had changed it's name to The Industrial Institute for the Deaf, Blind and Orphans of the Colored Race. In 1912 the "school" reportedly had 16 children classified as Deaf, 1 child as Blind, and 72 Orphans. In the same report it is said the Institution sits on 100 acres of agricultural land, and the campus consists of a three story brick building and a one-half story wood frame building. The Superintendent listed in 1912 is Mr. S. Douglas Russel.
Sometime before 1921 the State Training School for Incorrigible Negro Girls was located on the same grounds and administrated by the same Superintendent, with a student population of 7 in 1921. By 1930 the patient population in the school is said to have hit over 300 children.
In 1949 the State Government determined the consolidation of The Institute for Colored Blind, Deaf, and Orphans, The State Hospital for the Negro Insane, and The Training School for Negro Girls; all located neat Taft. (Collectively Taft State Hospital.) They were consolidated into The Negro Institution at Taft. The "DB&O school" as it was often referred to - was in continuous operation from 1909-1961.
On January 2, 1989 the Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center opened with 216 female minimum security inmates. The correctional center is still in operation today, using one of the original 1909 buildings from the orphanage. Dr Eddie Warrior (who the prison is named for) had served as business manager of the Deaf, Blind and Orphan Institute before serving on the local school board for many years. The prison is currently operated by the Jacobs Trading Company - a private prison industry company.
Cemetery[edit]
There exists a small cemetery for the children lost while living at the Industrial Institute for Deaf, Blind and Oprhans of the Colored Race. It is located in a cattle pasture NW of the original campus site, sectioned off by a small metal fence. The graves do not have markers; no names exist in record to tell us who these children were. Taft warden or EWCC Wren Stratton started a movement in 2009 to officially mark the cemetery,
