A historic building in Washita County is destroyed by fire

A building that has stood in southern Oklahoma since 1887 has burned to the ground. <br/><br/>The building in Dougherty, Oklahoma once served as a grocery store, post office and meeting hall. Residents

Thursday, July 14th 2005, 4:51 pm

By: News On 6

A building that has stood in southern Oklahoma since 1887 has burned to the ground.

The building in Dougherty, Oklahoma once served as a grocery store, post office and meeting hall. Residents say the building was as big a part of Dougherty's history as the railroad tracks and the Washita River.

The town has a population of just 220 people, and many of them say the loss of the building is like a death in the family. Over the years, the Odal Richardson building was the hub of life in this small town.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.