Fort Gibson Oklahoma

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Ted R. Mounts

(See Thompson and Gusoduesga) Ada, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Cobb) Brown was born in 1887. Educated in the Cherokee Public Schools and Female Seminary. Married at Fort Gibson in 1911, Ted Ray, son of David Albert and Caroline Harriette (Thompson) Mounts born at Fort Gibson, Saturday March 29,1884. They are the parents of Mary Cherokee, Okla.; Billie Brown, Louise Ramona and Ted Ray Mounts. Mr. and Mrs. Mounts are representative citizens of Fort Gibson and are well known their public spirited citizenship.

Biographical Sketch of Bluford W. Starr

(See Ghigau)-Bluford West Starr, born September 1, 1858 near Ft. Gibson is the son of Bluford West Starr born March 5, 1826 and died April 7, 1855 and his wife Margaret Ann (McDaniel) Starr who died July 4, 1866. Bluford W. having been left an orphan at such an early age struggled against adverse conditions and gained a creditable education. His dominant characteristics are honesty and integrity. He a farmer, stockman and Mason. He married on November 10, 1887 Jessie Adel the daughter of Charles and Marion M. Hutch;, born Aug. 29, 1865 in Dane Co., Wisconsin. They are the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. E. W. Gish

(See Colootsa, Cordery, Adair and Gosaduisga) Martin R. Brown, born February 27, 1858 at Fort Gibson. Married May 9, 1888 Nannie C. McNair, born in 1866. They were the parents of Catherine Brown born in 1891 at Tahlequah, married in Oklahoma City in 1915, Emmett W. Gish. They are the parents of Dorothy Louise Gish, age five years. Mr. Gish is a merchant in Oklahoma City. Mr and Mrs. Gish are members of the Presbyterian church.

Slave Narrative of Morris Sheppard

Person Interviewed: Morris Sheppard Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Date of Birth: November, 1852 Age: 85 Old Master tell me I was borned in November 1852, at de old home place about five miles east of Webbers Falls, mebbe kind of northeast, not far from de east bank of de Illinois River. Master’s name was Joe Sheppard, and he was a Cherokee Indian. Tall and slin and handsome. He had black eyes and mustache but his hair was iron gray, and everybody liked him because he was so good-natured and kind. I don’t remember old Mistress’ name. My mammy was a … Read more

Biography of Grover P. Watkins

Grover P. Watkins, engaged in the practice of law at Fort Gibson, was born at Carrollton, Arkansas, August 23, 1886, and is a son of Paschal T. and Eliza (Holt) Watkins, who were also natives of Arkansas. The father was a druggist and also a farmer, devoting his attention to the two lines of business at Carrollton. He served as a soldier throughout the Civil war with the Confederate forces and became an officer of the army. He died November 11, 1905, and is still survived by his wife, who makes her home in Green Forest, Arkansas. Grover P. Watkins … Read more

Biography of J. Homer McCall, M. D.

Dr. J. Homer McCall, physician and surgeon of Fort Gibson, was born in De Kalb county, Illinois, April 2, 1859, and is a son of Alfred and Catherine (Durham) McCall, who were natives of Ohio and of New York respectively. The father was of Scotch-Irish descent, while the mother came of German lineage. In early manhood Alfred McCall devoted his life to the ministry but later became a railroad promoter and was active in connection with the building of the Florida, Memphis & Columbia River Railroad, which is now a part of the Santa Fe system. He was also active … Read more

Slave Narrative of Johnson Thompson

Person Interviewed: Johnson Thompson Place of Birth: Texas Date of Birth: December 1853 Just about two weeks before the coming of Christmas Day in 1853, I was born on a plantation somewheres eight miles east of Bellview, Rusk County, Texas. One year later my sister Phyllis was born on the same place and we been together pretty much of the time ever since, and I reckon there’s only one thing that could separate us slave born children. Mammy and pappy belong to W.P. Thompson, mixed-blood Cherokee Indian, but before that pappy had been owned by three different masters; one was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Chaney Richardson

Person Interviewed: Chaney Richardson Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Age: 90 I was born in the old Caney settlement southeast of Tahlequah on the banks of Caney Creek. Off to the north we could see the big old ridge of Sugar Mountain when the sun shine on him first thing in the morning when we all getting up. I didn’t know nothing else but some kind of war until I was a grown woman, because when I first can remember my old Master, Charley Rogers, was always on the lookout for somebody or other he was lined up against in the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. James H. Thomas

(See Foreman and Riley)-Eugenia, the daughter of Eugene and Jane (Riley) Triplett, was born at Fort Gibson in 1844; was educated in the Cherokee public schools, and the Cherokee National Female Seminary. She married at Wagoner on Dee. 25, 1892; James H. Thomas, born in Oklahoma in 1874. They are the parents of George H., born April 5, 1897; Arvol V., born June 10, 1899; Theron, born July 8, 1901; Gladys M., born January 16, 1905; Helen, born January 1909; Celia and Lewis Thomas, born June 20, 1911. Mr. Thomas is a member of the Knights of Pythias; and is … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phyllis Petite

Person Interviewed: Phyllis Petite Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Rusk County, Texas Age: 83 I was born in Rusk County, Texas, on a plantation about eight miles east of Belleview. There wasn’t no town where I was born, but they had a church. My mammy and pappy belonged to a part Cherokee named W. P. Thompson when I was born. He had kinfolks in the Cherokee Nation, and we all moved up here to a place on Fourteen-Mile Creek close to where Hulbert now is. ‘way before I was big enough to remember anything. Then, so I been … Read more

Biography of Q. B. Boydstun

Q. B. Boydstun, attorney-at-law, practicing as a member of the firm of Mountecastle & Boydstun at Fort Gibson, Muskogee County, is a native son of Oklahoma, his birth having occurred at Caddo, Bryan County, December 8, 198. His parents were R. B. and A. R. (Massengill) Boydstun, the former a native of Tennessee, while the latter was born in Texas. The father is a rancher and stock-man, who came to the Indian Territory with his parents in the year 1872 and has since given his attention to the management of his ranch and to stock raising. For the past twenty-four … Read more

Biography of Edward D. Hicks

Edward D. Hicks is numbered among Tahlequah’s representative business men and is one whose life record should be a stimulus to the effort and ambition of others. He was born at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, on the 1st of January, 1866, a son of Daniel R. and Nancy J. (Rider) Hicks. His grandfather on the paternal side Elijah Hicks, was chief of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia and Indian Territory and died in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Hicks came with the immigration of Cherokees in 1837 and 1838 to Indian Territory and the father became a successful farmer and stock … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Lou G. Howell

(See Cordery, Grant, Ghigau and Oolootsa)-Lou Gott Harris, born at Ft. Gibson July 31, 1886, educated at Nowata High school and Oswego, Kansas, graduated from the former; She was married January 7, 1905 to Dr. Dumont D. Howell, born January 14, 187 4 in Murphy, North Carolina, graduated from the Nashville Medical College in 1903. Died December 6, 1919; he was a Mason and Elk. They are the parents of: Sue Catherine, born April 25, 1906. Alfred Dumont, born April. 30, 1908; Lucile Genevieve, born December 2, 1912 and Margaret Imogene, born December 2, 1914. Charles Joseph Harris, born April … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Berths Rogers

(See Oolootsa, Ross and Gosaduisga) Lewis Ross, son of Florian Haraden and Fannie (Vann) Nash, was born April 15, 1864, married May 15, 1890 Emma Beck, born January 21, 1871. She died May 5, 1896. They were the parents of Fairy Fawn and Edgar Ross Nash. Mr. Nash married November 24, 1897 Berths McSpadden, born January 16, 1877, and they were the parents of Dorothy Margaret and Clarence E. Nash. Mr. Nash died and Mrs. Nash married Hugh Morgan Rogers, born Sept. 16, 1864. They were the parents of one child and Mr. Rogers is now deceased. Mrs. Rogers is … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry C. Meigs

(See Grant and Ross) Henry Clay Meigs, born at Park Hill, Tahlequah District November 16, 1841, married January 11, 1868, Josephine L. Bigelow, born August 27, 1843, in Flint District. Mrs. Meigs died January 15, 1895. They were the parents of Caroline Few, Annie Stapler, Robert Henry, James McDonald, Alice Maud, and Josephine L. Meigs. Mr. Meigs who served in the Confederate Service in 1861-2, is a grandson of Chief John Ross, has many of the amiable traits of his distinguished ancestor. He was elected clerk of Illinois District August 1, 1893, and Judge of the same District on August … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. James M. Pierce

(See Cordery) Nancy Jane, daughter of Albert and Louisa (Cordery) Anderson, was born January 1, 1882; and married August 23, 1896, James Madison Pierce, born December 13, 1877, in Hall County, Georgia. They were the parents of Gertrude: James Clayton and Earl B. Pierce. Mr. Pierce is one of the wealthiest cotton farmers of the Muskogee-Fort Gibson section, owning and operating hundreds of acres of valuable land, and several cotton gins.

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Samuel Benge Jr.

(See Hildebrand, Ghigau, Oolootsa and Grant.)-Samuel Houston, son of Samuel Houston and Josephine J. (Walker) Benge, was born at Fort Gibson in 1898. Educated at Fort Gibson. Married in 1918, Margaret, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hildebrand. They are the parents of Samuel Houston Benge. Mr. Benge is a farmer near Fort Gibson. Samuel Houston, son of Martin and Eliza (Lowrey) Benge was born January 28, 1832. Elected Councilor from Sequoyah District Aug. 3, 1857, and elected solicitor of the same District in 1859. He was First Lieutenant of Company A, Third Indian Home Guards, and a signer of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Rogers Bean

Person Interviewed: Nancy Rogers Bean Location: Hulbert, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Boggy Depot, Oklahoma Age: 82 I’m getting old and it’s easy to forget most of the happenings of slave days; anyway I was too little to know much about them, for my mammy told me I was born about six years before the war. My folks was on their way to Fort Gibson, and on the trip I was born at Boggy Depot, down in southern Oklahoma. There was a lot of us children; I got their names somewheres here. Yes, there was George, Sarah, Emma, Stella, Sylvia, Lucinda, … Read more