President Benjamin Harrison, who took office on March 4, issued the proclamation on March 23, 1889, opening the unassigned lands. It is rumored the opening on the lands would be Saturday, April 20, 1889. Being a religious man, Harrison was afraid claimants would be too tired to attend church on Sunday so the opening was reset for Monday, April 22, 1889. A cannon blast at noon and 50,000 men and single women over 21, rushed to stake a claim of up to 160 acres of land. At the beginning Norman, Guthrie, Oklahoma City and Kingfisher were to be the only four towns in the Unassigned Lands. By August there were 27 towns in the Oklahoma district with about 50,000 citizens. Congress passed the Organic Act in December, 1889, setting up a Bill of Rights, a three-part government and appointed executive and judicial officials for the seven counties formed by the Land Run. Legislative officials would be elected by the voters. The 500 plus square miles in this area became Third County. It was bordered on the west and south by the South Canadian River. The northern border was what is now SW 59th Street in Oklahoma City and the east boundary was the Pottawatomie Indian Treaty line, located near present-day 132nd Ave SE in Norman. The bounda- ries were changed in 1891. The other six counties formed by the Land Run of 1889 were Logan, Oklaho- ma, Canadian, Kingfisher, Payne and Beaver. Ten townships formed in the new county after the Run with many smaller communities and crossroads. The townships were Canadian, Case, Lexington, Liber- ty, Little River, Moore, Noble, Norman, Stella and Taylor. A community would form in a populated area with a store or two, a school or church, cotton gins, grist or saw mills. If it became large enough, a post office would open in the area. Mail would be brought by horse and wagon to a store or residence in the area and residents would go there to pick up the mail. There was no home delivery. Box, Buckhead, Clothier, Corbett, Denver, Etowah, Franklin, Hall Park, Lit- tle Axe, Maguire, McKiddyville, Needmore, Slaughterville, Spring Hill and Willow View were some of the communities in the county. Today all the towns and cities that compose Cleveland County are Norman, the county seat, south Oklahoma City, Moore, Noble, Lexington, Slaughterville and Etowah. Little Axe is still a community in the eastern part of the county.