Oklahoma

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. W. P Kelley

Fannie Viola, daughter of George and Lucinda (Jones) Wingfield, born December 8, 1 871. Married at Vinita, November 25, 1889, William P. son of John and Elizabeth Kelley, born June 26, 1864 in Texas Co. Mo. They are the parents of Lizzie Lueinda Kelley, born August 5, 1886. Married 1919 Stephen Edward Landrum, born July 18, 1895. He served in the World War from November 1917 to February 27, 1919. They are the parents of Willie Steve (girl) Landrum, born May 12, 1920. The Kelleys and Landrums are farmers near Big Cabin in Craig County.

Biographical Sketch of Richard W. King

(Ward)—Richard Willey, son of Judge Benjamin Cooper and Abbie (Kadle) King was born August 1, 1871, educated at Tahlequah and Male Seminary. Married July 20, 1890 Melvin Holland, born May 26, 1871. They were the parents of Benjamin Cooper born December 23, 1892, married at Tahlequah August 30, 1912 to Peggy Balleau born in 1894. Has one son, Richard Chester King, born Nov. 15, 1913. Clifford Willey, born Dec. 27, 1902 and John King, born April 1, 1910. Benjamin Cooper King was elected Judge of Tahlequah District, August 5, 1889-Richard Willey King was elected County Commissioner of the Third District … Read more

Treaty of May 6, 1828

Treaty of May 6, 1828, page 9

Articles of a Convention, concluded at the City of Washington this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, between James Barbour, Secretary of War, being especially authorized therefore by the President of the United States, and the undersigned, Chiefs and Head Men of the Cherokee Nation of Indians, West of the Mississippi , they being duly authorized and empowered by their Nation. Whereas, it being the anxious desire of the Government of the United States to secure to the Cherokee nation of Indians, as well those now living within the limits … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sweetie Ivery Wagoner

If I was born the year of freedom or the year before my mammy didn’t know. Her name was Betty Ivery and pappy’s name was Louis Ivery, belonging to old Newt Titsworth who had a big plantation somewheres in Arkansas, but I don’t know what the name of the town. Only thing I know that man had a big place – as far as the eye could see that man owned it. He had seven or eight slave families on the place; my mother was the house girl, done the spinning, the cooking, the cleaning and all such. The old … Read more

Slave Narrative of Moses Smith

I was born in New Orleans, but don’t remember anything about that place for I was sold to Master Jack Dunn when a little boy and moved to Paris, Texas. Master Jack and his wife, Suda, owned four pretty big farms around Paris and he was kept busy all the time going around to each of them, with me going along sometimes on a horse beside him. He’d be gone for a week at a time, come home and get some home cooking, clean up and be gone again. There was twelve slave families on the farm where I lived … 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

Slave Narrative of Hula Williams

Person Interviewed: Hula Williams Place of Birth: Arkansas Date of Birth: July 18, 1857 My mammy use to belong to the Burns plantation back in old Mississippi; that was before I was born, but the white overseer, a man named Kelly, was my father, so my mammy always said. She stayed with the Burns’ until her Master’s daughter married a man named Bond and moved to Jefferson County, Arkansas, about 25 miles south of Little Rock. The old Master give mammy and two other slaves to the girl when she married, that’s how come mammy to be in Arkansas when … Read more

Slave Narrative of R. C. Smith

Person Interviewed: R. C. Smith Occupation: Prophet One morning in May I heard a poor rebel say; “The federal’s a home guard Dat called me from home…” I wish I was a merchant And could write a fine hand, I’d write my love a letter So she would understand. I wish I had a drink of brandy, And a drink of wine, To drink wid dat sweet gal How I wish dat she was mine. If I had a drink of brandy No longer would I roam, I’d drink it wid dat gal of mine Dat wishes me back home. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Robert Williams

Williams doesn’t know the year of his birth or the place, but he remembers of being “taken” from a plantation somewhere around Pontotoc, Mississippi, when he was a young fellow and here’s the way he tells it. I was a great big boy when the Civil War was going on, so I remember some things about it, but the children didn’t know about things then like they do now. Nowdays we wait and let the young folks talk, but in slave times they didn’t. The master done the talking and everybody better listen! Austin Williams was my father. Nancy was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Wilson

Person Interviewed: Sarah Wilson Place of Birth: Summers County, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1851 Age: 86 I was born in 1851, makes me 86 years old. I was born in Middle Tennessee, Summers County. My mother was put on a block and sold from me when I was a child. I don’t remember my father real good. Sister Martha, Sister Sallie, nor Sister Jane wasn’t sold. But my brother John was. My mother’s name is Pachel Donnahue. We lived in a log hut. The white folks lived in a frame white building sitting in a big grove yard. Old master … Read more

Slave Narrative of Milton Starr

Person Interviewed: Milton Starr Date of Birth: February 24, 1858 I was born a slave, but was not treated like other slaves and my folks never told me anything about slavery. So there is very little I can tell of those days. My birthplace was in the old Flint District of the Cherokee Nation; the nearest town was Russellville, Arkansas, and the farm was owned by Jerry Starr, half-breed Cherokee, who was my master and father. They told me I was born February 24, 1858, right in my master’s house, and when I was a baby had the care of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Eva Strayhorn

Person Interviewed: Eva Strayhorn Place of Birth: Johnson County, Clarksville, Arkansas When I was a child in Arkansas we used to go to camp-meetings with the white folks. We went right along by they side till we got to church and we set down on the back seat. We took part in all the services. When they wasn’t any church our old Master would call us in on Sunday morning and read the Bible to us and we would sing some good old songs and then go about our ways. Some of the songs that we sung still ring in … Read more

Slave Narrative of J. W. Stinnett

Person Interviewed: J. W. Stinnett Place of Birth: Grayson County, Prairie Grove, Texas Date of Birth: 1863 What with raising nine grandchildren whose mammy is dead, this old head of mine has too many troubles to remember much about them slave days, but anyways I was born in 1863, at a place in Grayson County, Texas, name of Prairie Grove. My mammy come from Virginia, where pappy come from I don’t know, and where he went I don’t know, because he take off to the north during the war and never come back. His name was George Stinnett and mammy’s name … 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 Ned Thompson

Grandfather was a Alabama slave. His master had a lot of boys who were named Tom so as Grandfather took care of the cows all the time when he was a boy they started to calling him “Cow Tom” when they wanted him. Each boy called according to his work to keep them all from answering. That name stayed with Grandfather all his life. When the agreement was made to sell the land in Alabama for land here he was forced to follow his master to see if the land was suitable to trade. That trip was made two years … Read more

Slave Narrative of Victoria Taylor Thompson

Person Interviewed: Victoria Taylor Thompson Age: 80 My mother, Judy Taylor, named for her mistress, told me that I was born about three year before the war; that make me about 80 year old so they say down at the Indian Agency where my name is on the Cherokee rolls since all the land was give to the Indian families a long time ago. Father kept the name of ‘Doc’ Hayes, and my brother Coose was a Hayes too, but mother, Jude, Patsy, Bonaparte (Boney, we always called him), Lewis and me was always Taylors. Daddy was bought by the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jim Threat

Person Interviewed: Jim Threat Place of Birth: Talidiga County, Alabama Date of Birth: September 1851 We all sung dat song and had a lot of fun singing it but it was true jest the same. Dat was one of the things dat the niggers dreaded most, was a patteroller. Slaves would have a little party all the niggers would gather at one of the cabins and lock the door so the patterollers couldn’t git in. When the party was over and they started home the patterollers would stop them and demand their passes. Woe to the nigger that didn’t have … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucinda Vann

Lucinda Vann, born between 92 and 100+ years old, recounts her life on the Vann plantation in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, where she was born to enslaved parents in the master’s bedroom during an emergency. Raised in the Vann household, Lucinda describes a plantation managed by wealthy Cherokee owners Jim and Jennie Vann, boasting decent conditions for slaves, who were well-fed, finely dressed, and participated in plantation festivities. Lucinda had a favored horse, Black Hock, gifted by Missus Jennie, with earnings saved for her. Post-war, Lucinda, reflecting on the social inequalities, elected to join the Catholic church and later attempted to flee to Mexico during turmoil, only to return to a depleted plantation. The narrative captures a blend of personal triumphs amid the harsh realities of slavery, retaining a deeply ingrained cultural heritage and the complexities of identity and belonging in post-Civil War America.

Slave Narrative of William W. Watson

Do I remember slavery? Who could forget these lash prints on my back. Some time I set here and look at my wife and think Lord help me look what I live through. Me and my wife had a car wreck early last year, that made her lose her mind so she just sings all the time cant think. Raises chickens and talks like a baby. She is two years older than me, and too she is the mother of thirteen children, had lots of trouble. I am still able to find the cows and horses that belong to my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Willis

Person Interviewed: Charles Willis Place of Birth: Lawrence County, Mississippi I found Mr. Willis seated on the front porch eating lemon drops out of a bag. He consumed the whole bag during the interview which lasted about 3 hours. He talked slowly and between his sucks on the lemon drops. He is hard of hearing and is losing his eyesight. He possesses a good sense of humor. Talked incessantly of matrimony and pretty gals. I was born in Lawrence County, Mississippi on the Sharp Plantation. My missus was name Sang Sharp and my mastah was name John Sharp. My mastah … Read more