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Walton Takes a Night at Gunn
Hill
 It's not even a spot on the side of a road. As a matter of fact, if
you don't know how to get to it you're probably not going to
'happen' upon it but, nestled well off of Highway 20, near the
Justus/Tiawah school, there's a place called Gunn Hill where the
Rogers County spirit is in full effect.
Scott Walton and family took a night away from the campaign trail
Saturday and headed to Gunn Hill; a place where there's no cover,
not even a charge for drinks except a tip jar next to the two-liter
soda bottles that accepts donations to keep the barn open and
stocked with pop. It's a place that welcomes everyone with open
arms.
“We've been campaigning hard and we needed a night away from it,”
said Walton. “Gunn Hill is the kind of place to bring your family,
meet up with friends and leave the politics behind. It's the kind of
place where everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.”
Gunn Hill is the perfect place to leave a campaign behind and just
enjoy being a neighbor and a friend. It's a place where there's no
pressure, no expectations. It's the kind of place any mom and dad
could take their children; although a sign on the wall jokes that
“unattended children will be towed away.”
A band collects there. It cannot even be said that a band 'gigs'
there because everyone is welcome to join in with the jam session
that plays to the revolving crowd of dancers.
Gunn Hill owner, Curtis Gunn is a retired firefighter. He opens the
barn doors of Gunn Hill every weekend and he's quick to make sure
first-timers know there's a pot luck dinner on the first Saturday of
the month. “It's like Church,” Gunn says, “except you don't have to
dress up.”
 The crowd is an eclectic blend of young and old but one thing to be
sure of: there's nobody judging anyone at Gunn Hill. Dress to the
nines or come wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt and you're among
equals.
Home baked treats can sometimes be spotted on a table in a room
where Gunn has a wall of pictures. Famous faces are sprinkled in but
they're no more important than the countless faces of people who
have come to Gunn Hill and made their way to the stage. From
professional musicians to kids earning themselves a thrill by
singing in front of a group, the wall of pictures is a reminder that
everyone who arrives at Gunn Hill is important to Curtis Gunn.
Strings of colored Christmas lights and a mirrorball over the dance
floor give the place a feel of a nightspot but a row of toy fire
engines, peppered by patriotic messages make it clear that you are
in a place of family, rich with history and kindness. And, in case
there's any question that you're in the country, a Bob Wills and the
Texas Playboys concert poster hangs dominantly on the wall of the
seating area.
If you absolutely must spend money, you can likely talk Curtis Gunn
into selling you a Gunn Hill tee-shirt. In his small cluttered
office he'll point to a picture of himself and his family taken when
he was a child. He'll make you feel welcome and, even if he's never
seen you before in his life, he's sure to make you understand
that you're welcome at his Gunn Hill home.
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