Indian Territory

Biography of Wayman C. Jackson

The subject of this sketch was the second son of Columbus Jackson and Virginia Appleberry. Wayman attended public school until he was thirteen years of age, when he went to the Baptist College, Louisiana, Missouri, for one year, and from there to the Morgan H. Luney Male School, at Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he remained eighteen months, finishing his education after a two years’ sojourn at the Arkansas State University. Leaving this institute in 1874, he spent one year in Texas, after which he commenced the study of law at Fayetteville, at A. M. Wilson’s office (Wilson is a member of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. D. Buffington

J. D. Buffington was born March 26, 1846, the son of Ezekiel Buffington and Louisa Newman, daughter of Jonathan Newman, county judge of Washington County, Arkansas, for eighteen years. J. D. attended school in Going Snake district, until the outbreak of the war, when he and his family refugeed in Fannin County, Texas, until 1866, when he returned to the nation and devoted his time to farming. In 1876 he married Miss Fannie Morris, daughter of Isaac Morris, a white man; her mother was a Daugherty, a family prominent among the Cherokees. By this marriage Mr. Buffington has five children, … Read more

Biography of Frederick B. Severs

Frederick B. Severs, the subject of this sketch, born August 13, 1835, in Washington County, Ark., the only son of Charles J. Severs and his wife, Basima T. Ballard. His father was from Tennessee and his mother from South Carolina. She was related to the Rutledges, Pinckneys and Austins, families of considerable prominence in that State, their record dating back to Revolutionary days. His father, Charles J. Severs, moved to Arkansas, then a Territory, in 1834. Frederick attended school in his father’s neighborhood until he was about fifteen years old, when he went to Cane Hill College, Boonsborough, Ark. He … Read more

Slave Narrative of Eliza Whitmire

Person Interviewed: Eliza Whitmire Location: Vinita, Oklahoma Date of Birth: 1833 Age: 102 My name is Eliza Whitmire. I live on a farm, near Estella, where I settled shortly after the Civil War and where I have lived ever since. I was born in slavery in the state of Georgia, my parents having belonged to a Cherokee Indian of the name of George Sanders, who owned a large plantation in the old Cherokee Nation, in Georgia. He also owned a large number of slaves but I was too young to remember how many he owned. I do not know the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John A. Bell

The subject of this sketch, father to the present Lucien B. (Hooley) Bell, was born January 1, 1805, in South Carolina. He was the son of John Bell, whose father was Scotch-Irish and emigrated to this country during the persecution. John A. Bell, the subject of this sketch, was one of the leaders of the treaty party, and one of the first signers of the document that afterwards doomed to death Elias Boudinot and the two Ridges. In 1837 he emigrated to the new country, and settled near Evansville, Arkansas, in the Flint district, but during the troubles immediately preceding … Read more

Quapaw Reservation in 1890

The Quapaw Indian reservation, located in the northeast corner of the agency, spans 56,685 acres of primarily prairie land. The Quapaw tribe, numbering 154 members, relies on farming and stock raising for their livelihood. While some younger members have adopted modern farming practices, the influence of older members who discourage labor hinders progress. The tribe exhibits fewer signs of assimilation compared to other tribes in the agency. They maintain some traditional practices like the stomp dance and dog dance, and their chiefs are hereditary. The reservation has a boarding school where children receive both academic and practical education.

Biography of Edgar N. Ratcliffe

Edgar N. Ratcliffe was born March 5, 1857, at Hillsborough, Texas, the fourth son of James T. Ratcliffe, a leading lawyer of Hillsborough, and Miss Whiteside, daughter of Mr. Whiteside, a well known merchant and silversmith of Ashville, North Carolina. Edgar attended public school until fifteen years of age, after which he entered Trinity University, Tehuacana, Texas, where he remained until eighteen years of age, when he became a clerk for Alfred Young, of that town, remaining until he was twenty, and then established a mercantile business for himself, which he conducted until 1884, and, selling out, removed to Vinita, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Leroy L. Crutchfield

Leroy L. Crutchfield was born in Collin County, Texas, October 25, 1844, second son of John Crutchfield, from Alabama, who married Miss Mary E. Ladd, of Tennessee. Leroy attended private schools till 1861, when he entered the Confederate service joining the Fifteenth Texas Calvary, under Col. G. H. Sweet, and was in continual service till the close of the war. IN 1870 he went into the cattle business with his father, and was then elected sheriff of “Jack” County, in which capacity he served five years. Afterward he engaged in merchandise in Jacksborough, and continued it till November 1887, when … Read more

Our Arrival At Sarnia.

Mrs. Walker’s boarding-house was a frame, white-painted house situate in the town of Sarnia, a little way back from the main street. The Indian Reserve almost adjoined the town, so that a quarter of an hour’s walk would take us on to their land. In front of the town and flowing down past the Indian Reserve is the broad river St. Clair, connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie, its banks on the Canadian side dotted over with the boats and fishing nets of the Indians. I at once invested in a horse and buggy, and also engaged Wagimah as my … Read more

Biography of Hon. George Washington Stidham

The deceased George W. Stidham was born in Alabama, November 17, 1817, son of Hopaychutke (which means white explorer). Hopaychutke was by birth Scotch-Irish, and came to the United States, settling in Alabama among the Creeks, while yet a young man. His adventurous disposition and love of travel is supposed to have suggested his characteristic title. George W., losing his father at the age of twelve years, and the opportunities for education being rather limited at the time, was not a college graduate, but, in spite of such disadvantages, he acquired great knowledge through his own industry and early contact … Read more

Biography of William T. Whitaker

William T. Whitaker, owner of the Pryor Bottling Works at Pryor, was born in Andrews, North Carolina, on the 14th of February, 1854, a son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Taylor) Whitaker, both natives of that state. The mother was of Cherokee descent and their marriage occurred before their removal to Indian Territory. For many years the father was engaged in the land business, also in farming, and he achieved substantial success. William T Whitaker’s education was mostly self acquired and at an early age he started out into the world on his own account. In 1871 he located in Tahlequah … Read more

Biography of Anthony Kerns Douglas

One of the pioneer farmers of Rogers county is Anthony Kerns Douglas, who was born Caldwell county, Missouri, on the 29th of August, 1858, a son of Arnett Patrick and Emily (McGee) Douglas, and of Scotch-Irish decent. Mr. Douglas was named in honor of the family physician in Missouri. His father was born in Ohio and went to Missouri with his parents, when eight years of age. They located in Caldwell county and A. P. Douglas engaged in farming there until his demise about ten years ago. He achieved gratifying success in that connection and was one of the representative … Read more

Biography of Thomas Jefferson Harrison

Thomas Jefferson Harrison is justly accorded a place among the prominent and representative citizens of Pryor, for he belongs to that class of men whose enterprising spirit seeks to benefit others as well as himself. He also advances the general good and promotes public prosperity by his ably managed individual interests. He has excellent ability as an organizer, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution. This enables him to conquer obstacles which deter many a man and has been one of the salient features of his success. Thomas Jefferson Harrison is a native son of Arkansas, his … Read more

Biography of Joseph M. Thompson, M.D.

This popular young physician was born February 8, 1865, near Red River, Chickasaw Nation, during the war, and whilst his family were amongst the Cherokee refugees. He is the son of Johnson Thompson and Eliza C. Taylor, both Cherokees. In 1866 his parents went to Grand River, east of Vinita, Delaware district, where at eight years, Joseph was sent to a neighborhood school. At the age of fifteen years he went to the male seminary, and there remained three years, graduating a short time afterward at the Indian University, then located at Tahlequah. From this he began reading medicine under … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Dexter Halfhill

William Dexter Halfhill, who has been a representative of the legal fraternity for a period covering forty-three years, took up his abode in Muskogee in 1904 and has here since engaged in general civil practice, in which connection he has built up a clientage of enviable proportions. He is a native of Morrow county, Ohio, and a son of Moses and Lydia (Kingman) Halfhill, the former a farmer by occupation. The public schools afforded him his early educational advantages and on attaining his majority he began teaching school. This he considered but an initial step to other professional labor; however, … Read more

Biography of W. W. Fields

A native son of Oklahoma and a member of a family that has contributed in substantial measure to the agricultural development of the state from pioneer times to the present, W. W. Fields was to the time of his death the owner of a well improved and valuable farm near Dewey and he was also interested in oil development here, displaying marked enterprise and ability in the management of his business affairs. He was born on a farm twenty-five miles south of Muskogee on the 7th of March, 1890, his parents being Richard and Texanna Fields, and was of Cherokee … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Eugene B. Lawson

The many and varied business enterprises with which Eugene B. Lawson is connected establishes his position as a prominent figure in connection with the commercial and financial development of the state. A native of Kentucky, he was born in Shelbyville, May 27, 1871, and was a young man of twenty-five years when in 1896 he came to the Indian Territory, settling at Nowata. In the fall of the year 1896 he was admitted to the Oklahoma bar and entered upon the active work of his profession, but for the past twelve years has given no time to law practice. He … Read more

The Indians in Indian Territory

The following tribes are the Indians residing in Indian Territory in 1890, who were not a part of the five civilized tribes of Indian Territory. The various tribes of Quapaw agency, especially the Modocs, Peorias, and Ottawas, are the remnants of once formidable or large bands or tribes of Indians. The Modocs are from Oregon and northern California. They are from Lutuamian stock, and came from Klamath; agency, Oregon. After the Modoc war in northern California in 1873, the United States in 1875 removed the Modocs from the Lava bed country to their present location in Indian Territory, the lands … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Davis Hill

The subject of this sketch was born September 21, 1863, at Lafayette, Georgia, and is the eldest son of George W. Hill, a prominent merchant of Ringgold, Lafayette County, Georgia. Davis’ mother was a daughter of Martin Davis, of Dahlangoah. The young man attended private school until he was eighteen years old, when he went into general merchandise with his father at Cedar Grove, Georgia. Here he continued for three years until 1886, when he settled in Vinita and again embarked in merchandise, this time in company with William Little. In 1887 he bought out his partner, and connected himself … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Tully

Charles H. Tully, attorney at law in Eufaula, has not only gained an enviable position in the legal circles of the state but is prominently known in business and political circles as well. He has won the success he now enjoys as the result of his own intelligently directed efforts and is rightly entitled to the proud American title of self-made man. He was born in Russellville, Logan county, Kentucky, on the 19th of November, 1865, a son of Henry B. and America (Angell) Tully, also natives of that state. His father was one of the successful men of his … Read more