Oklahoma

Biography of Alexander Tindle

Alexander Tindle, sheriff of Adair county and a veteran of the World war, was born near Stilwell on the 23d of April, 1893, a son of James L. and Annie (Johnson) Tindle. The father was a native of Missouri, who went to Indian Territory at an early age and there married Miss Annie Johnson, a member of a prominent Cherokee family, her parents having originally come from Georgia. For many years Mr. Tindle engaged in farming and stock raising and achieved substantial success in that connection. His demise occurred on the 20th of April, 1906. His widow is still living. … Read more

Biography of Carter B. Tyner, Sr.

Carter B. Tyner, Sr., is a native son of Oklahoma and a representative in both the paternal and maternal lines of honored pioneer families of the state. He has reached the age of sixty-six years and is now living largely retired upon his ranch near Skiatook after many years of active connection with farming and stock raising interests of Washington county. He was born on Fourteen-Mile creek, near Tahlequah, October 17, 1855, his parents being Lewis C. and Sarah (Parris) Tuner, of Cherokee extraction, and natives of Indian Territory. During the Civil war the father took his family to the … Read more

Biography of James H. Thompson

James H. Thompson, a pioneer of Oklahoma, is numbered among the successful agriculturists of Washington county, his home being on the Bartlesville-Nowata road. He was born at Lawrence, Kansas, October 20, 1867, and when but a year old he was brought to Indian Territory by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Thompson, the mother passing away during his infancy. Lizzie Curleyhead, whose Delaware name is Pawnaquah, is an aunt of the subject of this review, and has reached the age of sixty-eight years. He also had three sisters Lily and Amanda, both deceased; and Lizzie, who is now Mrs. Whiteturkey … Read more

Biography of Judge Q. P. McGhee

The judiciary of Oklahoma finds an able representative in Judge Q. P. McGhee, county judge of Ottawa county and a man of high professional attainments, who has also won success in mercantile lines. He is a member of one of the prominent pioneer families of the state and was born on a farm situated on Cowskin prairie, in Delaware county, this state, November 22, 1886, his parents being Thomas Jefferson and Martha (Hannah) McGhee, the former a native of Georgia and of Cherokee descent, while the latter was born in Missouri. As a boy the father came to the Cherokee … Read more

Biography of Guy Fountain Nelson

Guy Fountain Nelson, judge of the Third judicial district of Oklahoma, his entire official record reflecting credit and honor upon the people who have honored him, came to Muskogee in 1909. At that time he had had sixteen years’ experience in law practice and had made steady progress to a point where he had left the ranks of the many to stand among the successful. He was born in Nevada, Missouri, August 16, 1872, and is a son of I. F. S. and Alice (Pottorf) Nelson. The father is a traveling salesman, having long devoted his attention to that line … Read more

Biography of Joseph B. Cobb

One of Wagoner’s most prominent and representative citizens is Joseph B. Cobb, who was born in Bradley county, Tennessee, on the 21st of February, 1863, a son of Joseph B. and Evaline (Clingan) Cobb, further mention of whom is made in the sketch of Samuel S. Cobb, to be found on another page of this work. Joseph B. Cobb was but seven years of age when he came to Indian Territory with his parents, locating in what is now Wagoner county, and he was reared and received his early education in the common schools of this community. In due time … Read more

Biography of Wallace Buell Butz

Wallace Buell Butz, whose activities since coming to Muskogee have brought him in close connection with educational interests and with the abstract, real estate and insurance business, is now at the head of the Butz Agency, handling general insurance, and his clientage is extensive. A native of Illinois, he was born August 1, 1872, his parents being Jeremiah King and Rebecca (Tillotson) Butz. The father devoted many years to the occupation of farming and is now living retired at the advanced age of eighty-six. Wallace B. Butz pursued his early education in the public schools of Illinois and afterward attended … Read more

Biography of Casius M. Gay

Casius M. Gay, who is now serving his third term as sheriff of Sequoyah county, is one of the prominent citizens of Sallisaw. He is a southerner by birth, born near Jacksontown, Leslie county, Kentucky, on the 5th of February, 1889, a son of Henry and Arkie (Davidson) Gay, both natives of that state, who are now deceased. The Gay family located in Kentucky prior to the Civil war and was one of the well known families of that state. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Gay five sons and one daughter were born, Casius M. being the second … Read more

Biography of Charles A. Knipe

Charles A. Knipe, a pioneer farmer of Oklahoma, who is residing near Bartlesville, was born in Jackson county, Kansas, August 24, 1864, his parents being William and Lucy Ann (Brennan) Knipe. The father was a pioneer of Kansas and died in May, 1920, at the advanced age of ninety-two. The mother is also deceased. Their son, Charles A. Knipe, came to Oklahoma the year before it was opened up for settlement; taking up his residence on the George Keeler farm, on Keeler creek, in Washington county, where he remained for a year and then removed to his present place of … Read more

Biography of William S. Harsha

William S. Harsha, who since 1907 has continuously engaged in the real estate business in Muskogee and who at different periods in his life has been connected with various business enterprises which have constituted factors in the commercial development and up building of the state, was born in Albia, Monroe county, Iowa, February 8, 1857, and is a son of Samuel and Martha (Harrison) Harsha, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia respectively. The father was a shoemaker by trade and in 1855 went to Iowa, settilng at Keokuk, where he remained for one winter. He next removed to Albia, … Read more

Biography of George E. Easley

George E. Easley, a native son of Oklahoma and a member of one of the old and prominent families of the state, is now living retired at No. 1326 Johnstone avenue, Bartlesville, receiving a substantial income from his oil holdings. He was born near Pawhuska, Indian Territory, February 19, 1895, his parents being William and Margaret (Reward) Easley, the former a native of Kansas, while the latter was born in Indian Territory and is of Osage extraction. The father came to this state over forty years ago during-the territorial period and has since been an active and influential factor in … Read more

Biography of Walter George Gibbons

Walter George Gibbons, vice president and cashier of the Chestnut-Gibbons Grocery Company, a wholesale concern, doing business in Muskogee, has since 1908 been in charge of this establishment. The business was founded here in 1902 and since Mr. Gibbons took charge material advance has been made in the trade connections of the firm. This results from his close study of every phase of the business, his persistency of purpose and his thorough application. Mr. Gibbons was born in Tiskilwa, Illinois, October 1, 1868, and is a son of George and Mary (Cook) Gibbons, the former a harness manufacturer, devoting his … Read more

Biography of D. C. Hampton

Coming to Oklahoma during the territorial period in its development, D. C. Hampton is thoroughly familiar with the early history of the state and his memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past with its hardships and privations and the present with all of the advantages and comforts of present-day civilization. He is numbered among the progressive merchants of Bartlesville and his business interests are capably and successfully conducted. He was born in Moultrie County, Illinois, April 30, 1858, of the marriage of Roland Thomas and Ruhama (Howe) Hampton, and in 1866 was taken by his parents to Neodesha, … Read more

Biography of Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson

Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson, librarian of the Carnegie Library at Tahlequah and superannuated minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, having been retired since 1906, was born May 21, 1841, near Maysville, Arkansas, in what was then the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. His parents, both of whom are deceased, were James Allen and Martha (Lynch) Thompson, the former a native of South Carolina and the latter a native of Virginia and a member of an old Cherokee family there. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were married in Georgia and came to Beattie’s Prairie in 1838, with a detachment of Cherokees under … Read more

Biography of Orlian Scott Redfield

A spirit of undaunted enterprise characterizes Orlian Scott Redfield in the conduct of his extensive business interests. He is proprietor of two grocery houses in Muskogee and is one of the proprietor successful merchants of the city, a point to which he has attained by reason of indefatigable industry, intelligently directed. He started out in life without special advantages and steadily, step by step, has worked his way upward. He has also found opportunity for cooperation in those activities which make for progress and improvement in the community, or which constitute a source of worth to the individual, his labors … Read more

Biography of Walter Wesley Tucker

Walter Wesley Tucker, a native son of Oklahoma and a member of a family that has been active in promoting the agricultural development of the state for the past thirty-six years, is the owner of a well improved farm near Ramona, in Washington county, and in its cultivation he employs the most progressive and up-to-date methods, productive of gratifying financial returns. His life has been spent in this section of the state, for he was born on Double creek, in Washington County, February 16, 1887, his parents being Daniel and Dadie (Hoff) Tucker. They formerly resided in Texas, but in … Read more

Biography of Ezra Brainerd, Jr.

Ezra Brainerd, Jr., has been an active representative of the legal fraternity of Muskogee for the past seventeen years, enjoying an extensive clientage that has connected him with much important litigation tried in the courts of the district. He was born in Middlebury, Vermont, on the 26th of August, 1878, a son of Ezra and Frances (Rockwell) Brainerd, the former at one time president of Middlebury College. Excellent educational advantages were accorded him, for his public school training was supplemented by a course of study in Worcester Academy of Worcester, Massachusetts, and in Colgate Academy of Hamilton, New York. His … Read more

Biography of John Brown Churchill

In the demise of John Brown Churchill, Bartlesville lost one of its most highly respected and public-spirited citizens, who during the period of his residence in Washington county, took a most active and helpful part in promoting the work of public progress and improvement and left the impress of his individuality for good upon many lines of the state’s development and up building. He was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, September 28, 1867, and traced his lineage back to the noted Churchill family of England. His parents were William and Gillie Ann (Allen) Churchill, who were also natives of the Blue … 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

Biography of J. W. Jackson

Among the public-spirited citizens and progressive farmers of Washington County whose intelligently directed labors are valuable assets in promoting the agricultural development of northeastern Oklahoma is numbered J. W. Jackson, who resides on a highly productive farm situated on the Caney river, near Vera. He was born in Logan County, Kentucky, December 16, 1865, and his parents were George C. and Josephine (Anderson) Jackson, the former a native of Tennessee, while the latter was born in the Blue Grass state. The father established his home in Kentucky during the Civil war, in which he served until the close of hostilities … Read more