Oklahoma’s Oldest Law Firm – Established In Oklahoma Territory In 1893
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We Started In A Tent, Probably
Near as we can tell Mitchell DeClerck’s roots in Oklahoma can be traced back to shortly after noon on September 16, 1893, when Charles H. Parker came to Enid on the train during the Land Run of 1893.
Also known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run, the Land Run of 1893 marked the opening to settlement of the Cherokee Outlet in what would become a part of the state of Oklahoma. The Cherokee Strip Land Run began at noon on September 16, 1893, with more than 100,000 participants hoping to claim land.
Land Run Of 1893. Land Run Attorney’s Law Office Tent.
We don’t know exactly when Mr. Parker opened his law practice in Oklahoma, but until someone who was there tells us otherwise, we think that shortly after September 16, 1893, the original predecessor of Mitchell DeClerck first opened its doors. Or more likely its tent flap, much like the one pictured.
Parker was later joined by the former attorney general of Oklahoma Territory Percy C. Simons forming Parker & Simmons in 1906. Simons had also made the run into Oklahoma in 1893 but began his practice in Grant County on the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Simons became the attorney general of Oklahoma Territory in 1904 serving until 1906 when he came to Enid to join Parker. Mitchell DeClerck‘s History Page sets out how we know all of this to be true. Parker & Simons grew in stature and was the only Enid firm listed in the prestigious Hubbell’s Law Directory in 1918, the year of Parker’s death. Mitchell DeClerck or its predecessors have been continuously listed in Hubbell’s or its successor Martindale-Hubbell for 97 years.
For a number of decades, Mitchell DeClerck and many of its members have held the highest possible “AV” peer review rating awarded by the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory – the successor to Hubbell’s law directory. Mitchell DeClerck is the oldest law firm in Enid, Oklahoma, by nearly a century, and the oldest law firm in the state of Oklahoma by nearly a decade. So, over parts of three centuries, we’ve long done almost everything involving Oklahoma law. Our point is that if you need an Oklahoma lawyer to help you solve a problem, in our 126-plus years representing Oklahomans beginning with Charles Parker in 1893, you can be assured that we’ve been there and done that.
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If you are looking for experienced, trusted and reputable legal help, connect with us. Located in Enid, we offer free consultations so that you are better able to understand the scope of your issue and your options. Call 580-498-1787 or send us an email indicating your interest in a consultation.
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