Lee E. Briix, a retired Hennessey High School history teacher, is making his rounds in Kingfisher County this week to sell, and sign, his first historical fiction book: “Train to Muddy Waters.”

The book is based on a 1906 Dover train wreck, but he used “fictitious characters based upon the people of the times, to tell the events of 18 September 1906,” he told the KT&FP.

“I also included many other historical events in the story to make it more authentic,” he wrote.

“When it came to the train wreck itself, I could have made up a lot of stories about the people and events,” he said.

“But I wanted it to be as authentic as possible.”

That’s why he used “the actual people and events involved” from newspapers and other publications, and interviews.

About That “Train to Muddy Waters” “Mr. Briix,” as he was known by his students, offered this teaser about his book’s storyline: “Thomas Lohman came to America to escape the mandatory military service in Germany. Through a series of events he met Frederick and Clara Keucher and ended up working on a farm in Kansas. When Frederick went to participate in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889, Thomas stayed in Kansas. Frederick was successful in getting a land claim near Kingfisher, Oklahoma Territory. Thomas joined Frederick and Clara in Oklahoma. On 18 September 1906, Clara and her children boarded the Rock Island train to visit her brother. The train plunged into the Cimarron River near Dover, O.T.”

Briix said he’d like to hear from anyone who had a relative on that train in 1906 or anyone with a family member in Pawnee Bill’s group who staked claims in Kingfisher County.

Book Signing Dates and Times Dover was scheduled as Briix’s first stop Tuesday (Feb. 4) at the Dover Town Hall.

Other stops planned were:

• Hennessey Public Library, Wednesday (Feb. 5), 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Kingfisher Memorial Library, Thursday (Feb 6). 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Book price is $21 (cash or checks only).

If you order directly from Briix (9524 Saddle Ridge Road, OKC 73131) the cost is $21 plus $5.50 for shipping.

“The Hennessey Book” Briix first authored “The Hennessey Book,” in 2001, It contains 146 pages and includes one page titled “Gold in Dover.”

He released the book after he and his wife retired from teaching May 31, 2001.

It includes historic Hennessey events from the Chisholm Trail to early-day churches and schools, and “The Big Red Fire.”

Copies are available to purchase at the Hennessey Public Library.

About the Author

Lee E. Briix has had several historical articles published in The Hennessey Clipper and Oklahoma Today.

He is the son of the late Fred and Betty (Miller) Briix, and grew up on a farm near Lacey.

Briix graduated from Lacey High School 11 miles west of Hennessey on State Highway 51.

He graduated from Central State College in Edmond where he majored in history, then taught U.S. and Oklahoma History for 32 years at Hennessey High School.

His wife, Marva Lee (Shaklee), taught history at Hennessey’s Binkley Middle School for 24 years.

They both retired from HPS in 2001, the same summer they released “The Hennessey Book.”

Briix dedicated that first book to Marva: “the best history teacher that I ever knew, my wife, my inspiration, and my partner.”