Oklahoma’s USDA state director visits Fairfax

FAIRFAX — Numerous residents of the Fairfax area welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture official Kenneth Corn to town Nov. 30, to celebrate the award of $687,000 in federal grant funding to the nonprofit community development group Friends of Fairfax.

Corn is a former member of the Oklahoma Senate who currently serves as state director for the USDA’s Rural Development agency.

The grant will finance the rehabilitation of a downtown building to be used as a complex that will house an art gallery and artist studios. The project is intended to help spur wider interest in redevelopment of downtown Fairfax. The town of about 1,100 has notoriety on its side right now. It is the place where many key elements of the story told by Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon” took place.

Today’s residents of the Fairfax area would like to put the evils of the “Osage Reign of Terror” behind them, but they would also like to be able to establish a niche for their community as the place where one goes to find out more about an important American cautionary tale and the lessons it offers for those who would better understand the interactions of Native Americans and white settlers.

“One of the things that’s important to the president is that we’re making investments in rural communities,” Corn said regarding the Biden administration’s priorities for grants like the one that Friends of Fairfax has been awarded. He recalled that the Fairfax grant was processed on a short time frame, and it wasn’t initially clear if it would be approved.

“It was funded at the highest level that we gave this year in Oklahoma,” Corn said. “We think it’s important that we revitalize Main Street. This fits perfectly with all the media that has come with the new movie. We want to be a partner in any way we can.”

Corn made a presentation to Kay Bills, of Friends of Fairfax, regarding the grant. In addition to the presentation and a meal, the Nov. 30 event in Fairfax featured a “smudging” ceremonial activity that involved the use of smoke to purge places and people of adverse influences.

Jerry Butterbaugh, also a member of Friends of Fairfax, spoke briefly to Corn regarding the good that has been done in Osage County as a result of $100,000 provided several years ago by USDA and used by the Osage County Industrial Authority to make small, low-interest loans for business development. The gathering Nov. 30 to celebrate the new grant being awarded took place at a Main Street building owned by Butterbaugh and his wife.