The back side bears the initials "BFV" which are those of Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke,
a self-taught lawyer in the early years of Oklahoma's statehood
(and the great-grandfather of one of Emerald Sequoia's founders).
Near the end of his career, he was appointed by the Governor to be the warden
of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, though due to machinations by his
political enemies, his appointment lasted only a few months.
But in that brief time his philosophy of treating the inmates with respect
and dignity earned him such admiration that
the inmates pooled their meagre resources to give him this watch.
Pulling the crown while viewing the back side reveals the inscription, "From Inmates 1931".
Click here for the long version of the story
.
