Nice example of this very rare work, published in Oklahoma City in 1901.
This pocket-sized promotional booklet includes essential facts and insights on Oklahoma City, the broader Oklahoma Territory, and specific focus on Kiowa and Comanche lands. The work includes 11 photographic plates showcasing scenes and views from the Santa Fe Route, along with a folding map, colored in yellow and white, titled Sectional Map of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Reservation, Oklahoma.
The folding map offers a detailed cartographic representation of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache reservation lands. The main map is dominated by a grid system, with sections reserved by the government for schools—specifically sections 16, 36, 13, and 33—highlighted in yellow. The reservation lands, bordered by Canadian and Blaine counties to the north, extend southward into Texas, delineated by township and range numbers. The map also includes several notable landmarks such as Fort Sill, which is located in the top left inset. The inset provides a smaller, untitled map of south-central Oklahoma, just north of Wichita Falls, Texas, with the region around Fort Sill clearly demarcated.
Alexandre's Compendium is a reflection of the broader Indian boosterism movement, a phenomenon seen throughout newly developing American territories during this period. The booklet portrays Oklahoma City and the surrounding Oklahoma Territory as vibrant, rapidly growing regions filled with opportunities comparable to larger, established cities. At the time of publication, Oklahoma City was barely a decade old, yet Alexandre emphasizes the city's modern amenities, burgeoning industries, and potential for further expansion. His vision for the territory is deeply entwined with the opportunities for settlers, particularly in relation to Native American lands. Throughout the work, Alexandre points to the impending opening of these lands to settlement as a key draw for potential emigrants. This reflects the broader national policies of the time, which saw the U.S. government aggressively promote westward expansion and settlement, often at the expense of Indigenous peoples.
In addition to promoting settlement, Alexandre’s Compendium includes a directory of businesses operating in Oklahoma City, an effort to showcase the commercial opportunities available in this young urban center. Alexandre also touches briefly on the oil and ranching industries, two sectors that would later become pivotal in the economic development of the region. However, his primary interest appears to lie in drawing attention to the vast tracts of land awaiting new settlers, both in Oklahoma City and the broader Oklahoma Territory.
The final sections of the compendium turn to issues of emigration and settlement, providing guidance for those considering relocating to the area. This content would have been crucial to the many Americans contemplating a move to the frontier in search of new opportunities. Although oil and ranching are mentioned, they are overshadowed by the emphasis on land availability and the chance to establish new homesteads in what was seen as an up-and-coming region of the United States.
While the Compendium paints a picture of optimism and prosperity, the personal story of its author, Philip L. Alexandre, reveals a more complex and ultimately tragic narrative. Alexandre, born on the Isle of Jersey, was a well-traveled individual and a fair scholar by contemporary accounts. Prior to arriving in Oklahoma, he had engaged in various entrepreneurial ventures, including the manufacture of baking powder in Texas, where his product, branded "Alexandre’s Baking Powder," achieved some success. However, after selling his business, Alexandre spent his later years wandering the country, and he eventually arrived in Oklahoma City in financial ruin.
According to an obituary from 1901, Alexandre lived in poverty, relying on the sale of his Cmpendium on the streets of Oklahoma City to survive. He died penniless, homeless, and largely friendless at the New Arcade Hotel on Grand Avenue. His obituary suggests that Alexandre came from a good family and had seen better times, yet he succumbed to heart failure, exacerbated by alcoholism and destitution. The end of his life was marked by a poignant final request for a 50-cent loan from a friend, a tragic echo of the price of the very booklet he once sold in hopes of financial survival.
In summary, Alexandre's Compendium is a fascinating relic of early Oklahoma history, blending promotional optimism with the harsh realities of frontier life. While it provides valuable insights into the development of Oklahoma City, the opening of Native American lands, and the economic prospects of the territory, the story of its author reminds us of the challenges faced by many early settlers and entrepreneurs. The folding map, photographs, and business directory within the booklet serve as both historical records and symbols of a time when the American frontier was still seen as a place of boundless opportunity—albeit, often, at great personal cost.
Rarity
The map and Compendium are extremely rare on the market, this being the only known example offered at auction or in a dealer catalog.
RBH notes a single example, which is the same example we offer here (Dorothy Sloan, 2007).
The Howe's entry and Graff entry do not reference the map, which likely was not available in all examples.
We locate examples in the Library of Congress (lacking map), Oklahoma Historical Society (Ingram-Butcher Collection); University of Oklahoma (lacking map) and Yale (with map). Several other examples located in OCLC with incomplete descriptions.
Provenance
- Dorothy Sloan, 2007
- Arader Galleries
- Aubrey McClendon
- Morphy Auctions, June 2024, Lot #2055