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 and public-spirited citizens of the county. Mrs. Douglas, who was a native of Missouri, is also deceased.
Anthony Kerns Douglas located in Indian Territory in 1886, near his present home, eight miles northwest of Bushyhead in Rogers county. This country was all wild and unbroken prairie land when he came here and the railroad to Chelsea had just been completed. Mr. Douglas never had any trouble with the Indians, but was their friend. He acquired land and labored long and earnestly until he had brought it to a highly cultivated state. He owns two hundred and forty acres of fine land, two hundred acres of which are under cultivation, and he has eighteen oil wells on the place, from the operation of which he receives substantial royalties. Mr. Douglas has been a dominant factor in the development and improvement of the county and is affectionately called “Andy” by his many friends here. A large man, he stands six feet in height and weighs nearly two hundred pounds, but is not stout.
In 1887 occurred the marriage of Mr. Douglas to Miss Nancy Robins, a daughter of Levi Robins. She was born in the southern part of Indian Territory, where she was educated and reared to young womanhood. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas five children have been born: Ella, who is the wife of Jim McMahan, a successful farmer living north of Mr. Douglas. They are the parents of one son, Walter; Walter C., who is deceased, as is also his wife. They left two children, who are being reared by their grandmother, Victoria Pierce, at Collinsville, Oklahoma; John A., who married Bertha Ketchum of Delaware extraction, a daughter of one of the oldest families in this section of the state. They are the parents of three children, Netta, Ida, and John; Ida, who married Bob House and they are parents of one child, Clifford; and Mollie, who married Levi Lovell.
Since age conferred upon Mr. Douglas the right of franchise he has given his stanch support to the Democratic Party and the principles for which it stands. Although he has never been very active in political affairs, he is ever cognizant of the duties and responsibilities as well as the privileges of citizenship, and his aid can always be counted upon in the furtherance of any movement he deems essential to the development and improvement of the general welfare. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Chelsea Lodge, No. 72, and he is considered an exemplary member of the craft.
