Nowata County OK

Biography of Anderson Wilson

Anderson Wilson, farmer and contractor, residing two and one-half miles southwest of Delaware, Nowata County, was born on the Verdigris River, Indian Territory, on the 11th of February, 1888, a son of Adam and Amanda (Bascumb) Wilson, natives of Kansas. His father was three-quarters Muncie Indian and the mother was a Delaware. Upon the outbreak of the Civil war, Adam Wilson enlisted in the cavalry, becoming a member of Company Three, Fifteenth Regiment, Kansas Volunteers. He was likewise a scout with Custer. Both parents are deceased. In the acquirement of an education Anderson Wilson attended the schools of Nowata, Oklahoma, … Read more

Biography of H. K. Stierwalt

H. K. Stierwalt, who for many years has been engaged in farming in Nowata county, is now living in Nowata where he is active in the conduct of a grocery business. A native of Indiana, he was born on the 22d of August, 1862, a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Stierwalt, both of whom are deceased. For many years the father was successfully engaged in farming in Neosho county, Kansas, and his demise, in 1907, came as a severe blow to his many friends in the community. Mrs. Stierwalt died when her son, H. K., was an infant. … Read more

Biography of T. M. Adair

T. M. Adair, a well known farmer residing thirteen miles east of Delaware in Nowata County, was born in Flint district, now Adair County, on the 2d of September, 1882. His paternal grand-father, Walter Scott Adair, better known as “Red Watt” Adair, was a Cherokee emigrant from Georgia. Adair County was named in his honor, for he was well known throughout the community, having been commissioned by the United States government to look after the Cherokees and see that all of their needs were supplied. In addition to the duties devolving upon him in that capacity, he engaged in farming. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Ford Smith

(See Ghigau and Hildebrand)-Eliza, daughter of Henry and Margaret (Patrick) Fry, born February 15, 1866. Educated in the Cherokee Public Schools and Female Seminary. Married at Tahlequah February 15, 1882 to Warren Alonzo, son of Alonzo and Sarah Westover, born March 22, 1844 in Illinois. He died November 28, 1896. They were the parents of: Willard W. born February 14, 1883; Thomas H. born December 11, 1885; Lelia Etta, born August 23, 1887; Josephine M. born January 27, 1890; Warren Ferdinand, born May 28, 1892 and died Feb. 28, 1913. Mrs. Eliza Westover married at Oolagah August 6, 1897 to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Lulu M. Hefner

(See Ward) Lula May, daughter of James Marion and Annie Henrietta (Prather) Tittle was born August 9, 1874, educated at Vinita and the Female Seminary; Married at Lenapah December 29, 1892 John Emory Heffner. They are the parents of: Roy Emory, born March 13, 1903, and married Fredda Vinyard; Edith Lena, born December 18, 1905; Helen K., born October 2, 1905 and Ruby L., born January 20, 1907. Handsome attractive and resourceful, she has been more than ordinarily successful in business. At the time Nowata was beginning to be one of the busy oil town of Oklahoma, Mrs. Heffner opened … Read more

Biography of A. H. Parrish

One of the representative agriculturists of Nowata county is A. H. Parrish, who is engaged in farming four and one-quarter miles northeast of Alluwe. He was born in Coowescoowee district on the 2d of November, 1870, a son of Holland L. and Cynthia J. (Daniel) Parrish, the latter being of Cherokee extraction. The father located in Indian Territory on the 2d of February, 1869, acquiring land one mile south of Coodys Bluff, where he is still residing. He is now seventy-three years of age and enjoying the best of health. Mrs. Parrish was born in Boone county, Arkansas, and died … Read more

Biography of H. B. Lowery

An alert and enterprising citizen of Nowata is H. B. Lowery, who since May, 1921, has been active in the office of chief of police. He was born eight miles east of Fort Gibson, in what is now Cherokee county, Oklahoma, on the 9th of July, 1875, a son of Henry and Polly (Parris) Lowery. The paternal grandparents removed to Indian Territory at an early day and Henry Lowery was born in this section of the country, as was his wife, her parents having come to the territory from Georgia. In the acquirement of an education H. B. Lowery attended … Read more

Biography of W. S. Moore

A notably successful career is that of W. S. Moore, a prominent stockman of Dewey, who has devoted practically all of his life to the cattle business, in which he has become recognized as a leading operator, not only in Oklahoma but through the United States. He was born in Putnam county, Illinois, December 6, 1865, being a son of Mr. and, Mrs. J. B. Moore, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. He was reared in Burlington, Iowa, and in 1884, when a young man of nineteen years, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Oklahoma. His … 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

Northeastern Oklahoma Biographies

Map of Oklahoma

The following biographies were written in 1922 and pertain to “important” men who resided in the Muskogee and northeastern areas of Oklahoma. By important, it should be emphasized that each biography was submitted along with a payment for inclusion in the biographical manuscript. Therefore, anyone who chose not to pay for such a service was often left out of the manuscript. The counties covered by this manuscript include Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah, Wagoner, and Washington.

Biography of S. J. Miller

Among the substantial residents of Rogers county are Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Miller, who are residing on their farm seven and one-half miles northwest of Chelsea. Mr. Miller is a native of Missouri, his birth having occurred at Butler, Bates County, on the 4th of June, 1884. His parents were John M. and Rachael (North) Miller, natives of Ohio. In 1866 they moved to Missouri and locating in Bates County, the father farmed until his demise in 1919. He was one of the well known agriculturists in that county and a representative and progressive citizen who did much toward … Read more

Biography of Samuel M. Gee

Samuel M. Gee, farmer and dairyman residing two and one-half miles northwest of Nowata, Nowata County, was born in Clinton County, Indiana, on the 23d of May, 1864, a son of Moses G. and Catherine (Maish) Gee. The father was a native of Ohio, where he lived until he removed to Indian Territory. He died at Council Hill in 1910. Mrs. Gee was born in Pennsylvania and died in Missouri in 1907. In January, 1902 Samuel M. Gee came to Indian Territory and located at Adair, where he rented four hundred acres of land, which he farmed for four years. … 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

Biography of W. F. Maberry

In the final analysis farming is the basis of prosperity in America. It is the very beginning of the intricate operations which furnish man with food, and among those whose activity in the cultivation of the soil has promoted the development of northeastern Oklahoma, is numbered W. F. Maberry, who resides on a well improved farm in the vicinity of Bartlesville. A native of Missouri, he was born December 12, 1874, and in 1899, when twenty-five years of age, he came to Oklahoma, first locating on Marmon creek, in Nowata county. For two years he engaged in farming in that … Read more

Biography of Charles O. McClure

Charles McClure, who is engaged in general farming and stock raising one mile west of Delaware, was born on the 17th of September, 1870, in Illinois, a son of George and Mattie (Powers) McClure. Both parents were born in Illinois and the father farmed there until 1879, when he removed to Kansas, locating near Liberty. He was active in agricultural pursuits there until a few days previous to his death, which occurred in 1908. Mrs. McClure died when Charles O. was but an infant. In the family were eight sons Harvey G., Edward A., Bert, John, Mead, Clyde, Claude and … Read more

Biography of Rufus M. Allen

Rufus M. Allen, deceased, was for many years one of the representative agriculturists of Nowata county. He was born in the Coowescoowee district on the 12th of March, 1874, his father having been one of the pioneer physicians of Indian Territory, and his mother a daughter of Chief Journeycake. Rufus M. Allen received his education in the common schools of his birthplace and after putting his textbooks aside engaged in farming. He followed agricultural pursuits until oil was found on his farm in 1905. Nineteen wells have been developed on this farm, from which his widow is receiving large royalties. … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Franklin DeVan

One of the well known citizens of Nowata County is Benjamin Franklin DeVan, farmer and County commissioner, residing three miles northeast of Delaware. A native of Indiana, he was born in the central part of the state on the 10th of April, 1863. His father, John W., was a native of Kentucky and died when Benjamin Franklin was four years old. His mother, Nancy A. Childs, was born in Indiana, and is now living with a son, Sydney Little. He is a half brother of Mr. DeVan and is residing three and one-half miles southeast of him on the Verdigris … Read more

Biography of C. H. Fortner, M. D.

C. H. Fortner, M. D., has long enjoyed a well-earned reputation and position in the medical profession at Coffeyville. He entered practice with a thorough and comprehensive training and his fine talent soon attracted to him a patronage that has grown steadily in volume and importance, while his participation in progressive movements has made him one of the community’s most valuable and valued citizens. Doctor Fortner represents an old Indiana family. His ancestry goes back through several generations to some Fortners who came from Germany, and the family has lived in this country since colonial times. His grandfather, Aaron Fortner, … Read more

Biography of J. C. Manning

One of the most useful and active citizens of Nowata is J. C. Manning, who has been holding the office of city manager since 1920. A native of Indiana, he was born in La Fayette, on the 7th of April, 1881, and there received his early education. After graduating from high school he became a student at Purdue University and was graduated from that institution in 1901, with the B. S. degree. Subsequently he made his initial step into the business world as an employee in the engineering department of the Illinois Central Railroad and after ten years in that … Read more

Biography of W. M. Hancock

One of the representative agriculturists in Nowata county is W. M. Hancock, who is residing on a ranch five and one-half miles southeast of Lenapah. He was born in Lebanon, Missouri, on the 8th of December, 1860, and received his education in the common schools of Jasper county, putting his textbooks aside at the age of eighteen years. He then engaged in farming with his father, E. H. Hancock, who was a native of Randolph county, North Carolina, removed to Laclede county, Missouri, in 1857, and subsequently to Jasper county in 1866. In 1881 he came to Oklahoma, then Indian … Read more