What is Alava like?

[David SHC]

Having lived in Alva for 5 years I was impressed by many of its people. They stand up for one another and pull together for the good of their town. One example: The Bill Johnson Correctional Center was fervently sought by community leaders who competed with other cities for it. Most bets were on another city garnering this prize. But Alva persisted.

BJCC which opened in Alva in 1995 has had perhaps the best programs to reduce recidivism of any correctional center in the state. This medium security men's prison has a top-notch warden, Janice Melton, who has helped to establish and foster a better, healthier atmosphere than is found in most Oklahoma prisons.

The town also supports Northwestern Oklahoma State University which at one time produced more teachers than any other Oklahoma normal college. While in Alva I enjoyed taking part in the joint NWOSU and Alva 5k run.

I found it absolutely amazing that when I left Alva about 7 years ago that one locally owned bank not only had the latest online banking service, but it also issued and honored counter checks. Remember them?

Alva has many brilliant and educated people, savvy investors, and hard workers. Unfortunately, northwestern Oklahoma's rural parts continue to lose population which means that cities such as Woodward and Alva have a smaller outlying population to support local businesses. It is disheartening to experience such a decline in population.

Although Woods County has consistently had a net loss of about 100 persons per year, Alva was able to keep its population even. However, I'm told that recently, it may not be doing that.

Alva has an interesting museum in its former hospital. There, check out the POW camp display. Although other Oklahoma communities such as McAlester had POW camps, Alva's received the worst of the captured German soldiers.

And check out the natural history museum displays at Northwestern. Learn a bit about the region there.

Drive up to see Alva's biggest mansion. It's not hard to see: it's in the western part of the town. It was built by a banker to show that he could build a bigger house than his rival who had built a fine house on Flynn just west of downtown.

When was the last time you dropped in for a Coke at a soda fountain in a drugstore in an old town square? You can still do it in Alva.

If you can, go inside the sanctuary of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, now First United Methodist Church. This building, completed in Alva's 1910 boom year, has stain glass windows which were obviously donated by people who wanted to honor and remember Union soldiers. In the middle of the large round rose window you will even see the letters G.A.R.

This part of Oklahoma was settled by Northerners in the landrun which began for Alva just about 11 miles north at the Kansas border. Kansas connections are still strong, with perhaps just as many Alvans cheering for KSU as for OU or OSU.

The Career Tech (formerly Vo-Tech) center at Alva is top-notch.

The Share Hospital, heavily supported by the Share Foundation, offers services that many hospitals serving towns this size could not otherwise afford. When people get bunged up while dunebuggying at Little Sahara near Waynoka or do really stupid things at the annual Waynoka Rattlesnake Round-Up, they end up at this hospital. (And, yes, the German restaurant in Waynoka is good!)

Where to eat in Alva? Some people, as one person mentioned above, just can't get enough of Taco Village. VIP Club has been around for a long time, and if it's still there, should have some good fare. I especially liked the Mexican place that was near the east end of the main highway that goes through town.

Alva has some wonderful people in it, and when you know them, you know it's a wonderful place!

[David SHC]

I had always lived in metropolitan areas before I moved to Alva in 1995. It seemed strange to live in a region which loses population! And that fact can at times be disheartening to those who live there. Although for many years the city of Alva maintained its level of population, the county around it seemed to consistently lose just about a hundred persons every year. I'm told by a friend who recently moved here from nearby Cherokee that Alva itself is now declining in population.

This big city boy was delighted by Alva's treasures. Go to its museum in the old hospital building. There, check out the display for Alva's WW2 German POW camp. Other Oklahoma communities such as McAlester had POW camps, but Alva's received the most difficult and vilest captured soldiers of Hitler.

The current hospital is named Share Hospital because of an Alva man with that name who left his money to the community. Because of the Share Foundation money, this hospital can provide more services than most hospitals in communities of this size.

Speaking of money, I found it amazing that the largest bank in the community, locally owned, offered the latest in online banking while at the same time honored counter checks. Remember them?

Bill Johnson Correctional Center was drawn to Alva because some of its leading citizens campaigned hard for it. Few people in Oklahoma even thought Alva could be a contender for it, but the Alvans would not give up. Today BJCC has perhaps the best program to reduce recidivism of any correctional institution in our state. Keeping that objective and vision in front of the workers and inmates at this medium security men's prison has been warden Janice Melton.

The same citizens who backed the prison also back the university. The Northwestern University Foundation has strong support in Alva.

Other places to see? Check out First United Methodist Church on S. College. Completed in Alva's boom year of 1910, its stain glass windows honor and memorialize Union soldiers. Look at windows given by people from northern states. And in the center of the large round rose window, notice the letters G.A.R. You'll also find a picture of Abraham Lincoln in stain glass. Perhaps only one other church in this state, First UM Church of Oklahoma City, had similar windows but those were shattered in the Oklahoma City bombing.

When was the last time you went to a soda fountain in the drug store in the town square? Check out Holder's.

The largest mansion in town is in the western part of Alva. It's hard to miss. It was built by a banker who wanted to outdo his rival who had built a fairly large home on West Flynn (and which still stands near the junior high).

Alva's Career Tech (formerly Vo-Tech) is top-notch. Its auto body repair shop received a special generous gift to make it the best in state.

The large city park once included a zoo. Would you believe it even had a lion?

The University has a natural history museum open to the public. It will help you picture what this area was like thousands of years ago.

Where to eat? As someone else said, there's Taco Village which many Alvans just can't get enough of. As for me, I liked the Mexican restaurant which is towards the east end of the main drag (highway). The VIP Club, an old eating institution with a colorful past, offers pretty good fare, too, if it's still open. If you like bottle collections, Vince and Irene Pettit gathered together what is perhaps the largest collection of Jim Beam collectors bottles in the world for their restaurant.

Vince was an interesting guy. Talking with him in the barber shop I learned that he grew up in the Methodist orphanage in a nearby town, then took the advice of the leading banker in Alva when he tried to get into auto sales. Others later filled in the rest of the story. They claimed that with hard work followed by a lot of luck and good contacts during prohibition, he became one of the richest men in the county. I'm not sure I believe all the colorful stories I've heard about that very likeable man, but my take on it is that with or without prohibition, he was the sort who would have succeeded.

If you like to sleuth graveyards, the city cemetery has a few old monuments with little doors in the back. What for? Such little openings served as transfer points for illegal hootch in the olden days. And before that time, Carrie A. Nation would often come to town to preach in the saloons on the N. side of Flynn Street. One old building's interior on Flynn is reputed to still bear a wound from her hatchet.

Alva's greatest treasury is its people. They tend to look out for one another. Many are very savvy investors. I value the friendships I made there. The city has more than its fair share of well educated people. And, as it was settled from the north during the land-run, it may have at least as many KSU fans as OU fans. If you have the privilege to live in Alva for awhile, you may find that it is a town to treasure. I certainly did.

[chase winfry]

What makes Alva good for raising kids? (I may take a job at the University, so I'm just wondering)

[Celt Okie]

I was born in Alva and am the youngest of 7 children so it's definantly good for making children I guess! Although I don't live there now,
I am proud to be from there. Many fine people live in that part of the state.

[eddie gein]

As Dave pointed out, Alva is more similar to Kansas than most Oklahoma towns.
It is still a very wholesome environment. It has better schools and high literacy rate because it does not have some of the problems that are inherent to the rest of Oklahoma.

The University is a nice university but is very small. It does have a brand spanking new fitness center that is just super. They have their own radio station that I enjoyed.

Alva also sits in a Canyon and has ridges around the edge of town that make it less flat and featureless than other towns in NW Oklahoma.

It has a town square with an active old time movie theatre that surrounds the courthouse. It has a sports restaurant/bar down by the college.


The bad things about Alva are it's 1) isolation 2) weather 3) boring scenery in that area.

Ironically, Alva is close to four of Oklahoma's most unique geographical features 1) Salt Plains 2) Little Sahara (sand dunes) and 3) Selman Bat Cave
4) Alabaster Caverns which is a unique cave

Also Boiling Springs State Park (a beautiful green canyon type state park is up there about 50 miles or so)

Alva is a town that has a lot of modern amenities but has a feel of comfort from days gone by. I can real close to taking a job at the Hospital that Dave talked about but decided against it because it was too far to OKC and I needed to be back there too often.

[hbcal]

alva is a nice town, my aunts and uncle all grew up there and i visit frequently, i love it there.

[alvanative]

I am a native of Alva, OK. My parents run a very successful construction business in the city and my grandparents run a feed lot northwest of the city.

I went through school in Alva from Kindergarten to college. The local school system is known for its top notch education. Academic testing is always among the highest in the state and our middle school was recently featured in a documentary on high ranking schools. The high school has several programs that are very respected. The choir and speech departments are frequent award winners and are widely known for their competitiveness. Many of the sports teams have done very well recently as well. I graduated from NWOSU, the regional university located in Alva, with a degree in business administration. The college is well respected in the community as well as in the state. Its continually rising enrollment and added services help to secure the future of this educational establishment.

I actually work for the City of Alva as the assistant director of the beautiful and very well-priced retirement community, The Homestead. The city also owns a Recreation Park, a very large swimming pool, an expanding airport and an expanding hospital, which operates independently of the city.

Alva is conveniently and centrally located between The Great Salt Plains, Alabaster Caverns, Little Sahara sand dunes, Boiling Springs State Park and the Selman Bat Caves.

Alva is home to a Wal-Mart Super center (open all night), several restaurants and many locally owned businesses of all types. Churches are prevalent in the community with several denominations represented. Entertainment is a little lax, with only a movie theater and some bars to really entertain you. However, with a little creativity, you can be well entertained by the local arts and theatre community, which are very active and a host of other events just a short drive away.

In summary, Alva is small city of approximately 5000 people, which has a lot going for it. Alva has a low crime rate and is a wonderful place to raise a family. If you are looking for a slow-paced lifestyle that is located just a short drive away from fast-paced activities, Alva is the place for you.

[Sunset Watcher]

Many people are moving back to Alva because of its small town atmosphere and because they want their kids to grow up here. It's safe. The kids can participate in many activities at school--they're not limited to just a few extracurriculars. The middle school was voted a National Blue Ribbon school this year. We moved here a couple of years ago from a big city and our kids like being here. It has a community theater that puts on children's productions at least 3 times per year. The recreation center offers sports throughout the year including soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and football. The college also brings in many cultural productions throughout the year. It also offers great entertainment through their athletic events. You just have to get out and participate in the things there are to do.

[carabaoman]

There are many who would say that if God had to give the Earth an enema; Alva would be the entry point.

[jessaka]

Alva really sounds like a nice place to live. These posts are great. Makes me want to visit there someday.