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In Washington, Okla., residents see their values under assault The residents of Washington, Okla., love their town, its surroundings and the traditional values they believe are under assault in the 2012 election.
Lily Tague, 5, throws her head back to get an upside-down perspective on the other horses at the family farm where her father Mark, 44, wonders, "Is there anyplace else?"
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
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Mark Tegue uses one hand to try and tie the shoe of his son, 6-year-old Turner, who is giving dad a kiss. It was the third time in about 15 minutes that he had to retie the shoe for the energetic little boy. Daughter Lily, 5, is at left. They were visiting a horseback riding training center with another daughter, Ashton, 17 (not pictured).
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
The old Burns Feed Mill in Washington has been sitting idle for about 15 years, gradually falling into ruin. There are plans to tear it down and recycle the structure. The old mill sits just off Main Street in downtown Washington.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Residents stop by the post office to get their mail after work in downtown Washington. The Post Office, a neighboring coffee shop and another store on the street all bear awnings and roofs in the red and white stripes of the flag.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
At the First Baptist Church in Washington, Caleb Bruce, 7, looks for his brother, who was late for the start of Wednesday night Bible study. Heading into the church is his dad, Brian Bruce. The family moved to Washington from Edmond, Okla., because they wanted to experience the slower pace that a small town offers, said Brian Bruce.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Kenneth Andrews, in a white ballcap, reaches to make a play in the daily games of dominos that draw a few dozen men to Washington's American Legion post, which once housed a store.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Kenneth Andrews can play dominos at Washington's American Legion post without anyone complaining of cigarette smoke.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Taylor Lenhart, 13, left, and pal Shelby Nealy, 14, check out who's coming and going at the Agriculture Building parking lot just before the start of the annual Bonus Livestock Auction.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
From left, Lane Steele, 8, Nate Steel, 4, and Mason Barnes, 8, seem to have already mastered the farmer/cowboy stance as they look at auction animals at the annual Bonus Livestock Auction.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Wearing his green 4-H windbreaker, Harrison Keeler, 11, tries not to appear nervous as he waits to see what his animal will bring at the annual Bonus Livestock Auction at the Agricultural Building in Washington.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Spectators can watch the Washington High School baseball team play from a small hill that's between the housing subdivision and the ballpark.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Rain threatened to cancel the high school baseball game between Washington and Midwest City. The game went on as scheduled when the weather cleared, but it dampened turnout. For most road games, there are several dozen residents who line the streets and stretch out their hands to the bus carrying the varsity athletes.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
The idled, deteriorating Burns Feed Mill sits just off Main Street. The feed mill and a cotton gin still frame Washington's downtown.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
At left, Kaydence Andrews, 8, watches as Luke Green, 11, center, and Larry Vandivort, 11, play keep-away with a bottle of water. They were burning off energy before the start of the annual Bonus Livestock Auction at the town Agriculture Building.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Mark Tague, 44, ties the shoe of his son Turner, 6, for the third time in about 15 minutes. Mark Tague went away to college after high school, got a job in finance and lived in St. Louis for a few years, but he moved home to Washington as soon as his company told him he could work remotely. "I want my kids to grow up with values and ways of life that I had and my parents had," he says.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Members of Washington High School's track team are winded after a series of sprints ordered up by the coach. Fred Greening, the pastor of a Washington church, moved to the town from Chicago because he liked its small-town values. "I’ve found a very receptive congregation," he says, "a place that has a common purpose."
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
The remains of the Burns Feed Mill, which closed about 15 years ago, are reflected in the window of a closed gift shop in Washington, Okla.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Shouts of "Daddy's Here!" rang out as Blythe Wilson came back to the family restaurant after a trip out of town. All five of his children bolted from inside the cafe to greet him and his mother, Freddi Wilson, leaning into the car from the driver's side. Blythe is hugging his daughter Alecs,14, and sons Oliver, 9, and Zeke, age 3. Running at left is daughter Arlie Pearl, 5, and heading to greet grandma at right is Stella, age 8.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Lily Tague, 5, plays hide-and seek inside the bed of her dad's pickup truck on the family farm in Washington, Okla. She rides along with her father Mark, 44, to check on the herd during calving season at the 160-acre farm.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
Students and teachers eat together in Washington Elementary School's cafeteria. On the Monday menu, unfailingly: pizza pockets. At the high school, it's an annual Christmas party, not a holiday party.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Washington Public Schools Superintendent A.J. Brewer chats in the hall with fifth-grader Kade Hendrix, 12. The town's elementary, middle and high schools share the same campus in town.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
A portrait of a Native American adorns the office wall of Schools Superintendent A.J. Brewer. The school teams are named the Warriors in honor of the fact that the land that the city sits on was part of an Indian land grant about 100 years ago.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
In Oklahoma City, activists demonstrate against the "personhood" bill introduced by state Rep. Lisa Billy, who is from a town near Washington. The bill would grant rights to a fetus from the moment of conception. Hundreds of women came to the state Capitol to protest the bill, which they feel infringes on reproductive rights. So vicious are some of the e-mails that Billy has received that she has asked her 17-year-old son to accompany her at night for protection.
Michael S. Williamson
/
The Washington Post
State Rep. Lisa Billy of Washington is interviewed by local reporter Phil Cross after a news conference regarding the "personhood" legislation she introduced to provide legal rights to embryos and fetuses from the moment of conception. At left, Billy's son, Nahinli, checks his messages on his cellphone. Billy, who prefers to wear a U.S. Marines baseball cap and cowboy boots stitched with the Holy Cross, says: "I am rural Oklahoma."
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
Alecs Wilson, 14, holds the finger of her little brother Zeke, 3, as she teaches him how to use the cash register at the cafe the family operates in Washington. Their mother Casey runs the cafe, Althea's Vault, the only place to eat in town. At far left is Arlie Pearl,5.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
On TV in the office of Sid's Easy Shop in downtown Washington: a rerun of "Leave It to Beaver." Opening his gas station/store every morning at 6, Sid will rent you a movie, make you a new set of keys or bring your soda to one of the classic red booths preserved from the 1950s.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
A sign at the side of Highway 74 near Washington, Okla., is emblematic of the town's deeply held values.
Michael S. Williamson
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The Washington Post
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