Oklahoma

Biography of Rev. O. I. Bennett

Rev. O. I. Bennett, pastor of the Christian Church at Boynton and for many years an earnest worker in a vocation which is recognized as the noblest occupation of man, is also ministering to the physical needs of the body as a chiropractor, and along both spiritual and material lines his efforts have been productive of much good. He was born in Cone, Louisa County, Iowa, September 13, 1867, a son of J. W. and Mary Arm (Manley) Bennett, natives of Indiana and of Irish descent. In 1849, when six years of age, the father was taken by his parents … Read more

Biography of John Daniel Bewley, M. D.

Coming to Miami in 1916, Dr. John Daniel Bewley has thoroughly demonstrated his ability as a physician and surgeon and his professional labors have been attended with a gratifying measure of success. He was born in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas, March 25, 1874, of the marriage of Benjamin V. and Triphenia (West) Bewley, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Arkansas. Her father was a major in the Mexican war and was stationed at old Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. Prior to the Civil war he retired from the United States army and made his home in Arkansas … Read more

Biography of Judge J. R. Charlton

Judge J. R. Charlton, district judge of the thirtieth judicial district of Oklahoma and one of the most distinguished citizens of Washington County, his residence being at Bartlesville, was born in Salem, Marion County, Illinois, July 21, 1858, his parents being W. J. and Elizabeth Ann (Huff) Charlton, the latter a daughter of Samuel A. Huff, who in 1873 removed to Kansas and secured a government claim near Sedan, where his remaining days were passed. The grandfather in the paternal line was Isaac Bradbury Charlton, who was a native of Virginia, whence he removed to Tennessee in 1820. In that … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Taylor Burns

Charles Taylor Burns, member of the Muskogee bar, devoting his practice to civil law cases, was born in Smithville, Arkansas, August 20,1871, and is a son of John Henry and Elizabeth Frances (Thornburgh) Burns. The father devoted his life to merchandising and thus provided for the support of his family. Charles T. Burns, having completed a public school education, afterward pursued a business course in the Central Business College at Sedalia, Missouri, and later entered upon preparation for his professional career as a law student in the University of Arkansas. On the completion of the course he was admitted to … Read more

Biography of J. W. Smith

The demise of J. W. Smith, which occurred at Dewey on the 27th of October, 1921, when he was sixty-seven years of age, removed from the scene of life’s activities a man who was straight-forward and reliable in business, progressive and loyal in citizenship and true to the ties of home and friendship. He was born at Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1854, and two of his brothers, John and Will, are still living in that state, while another brother, Wesley, a veteran of the Civil war, is residing in Iowa. In 1907 Mr. Smith came to Oklahoma, establishing … Read more

Biography of David Hester Cotten

David Hester Cotten, a native son of Oklahoma who represents the third generation of the family in this state, is numbered among the rising young attorneys of Miami, where since 1918 he has engaged in practice, and he has already won a well established position in the ranks of the profession. He was born near Ardmore, in that part of Indian Territory occupied by the Chickasaw Nation, on the 28th of January, 1894, his parents being David Oscar and Cora J. (Nesmith) Cotten, the former born at Tishomingo, Indian Territory, while the latter was a native of Birmingham, Alabama. The … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Albert Pierson

George Albert Pierson, who in 1912 established the George Pierson Studio at Muskogee, where he has since conducted business on his own account, previous experience, however, having well qualified him for the management and development of his studio, was born in Raymond, Mississippi, on the 3d of May, 1883, and is a son of Albert and Belle (White) Pierson. His youthful days were devoted to the acquirement of an education in public and private schools, and later he became a student in the Chicago Art Institute, which maintains the largest art school in the country. He also studied at Smith’s … Read more

Biography of Hoy Harsha

Hoy Harsha, Mayor of Haskell, also figures prominently in financial circles as cashier of the Haskell National Bank and in both connections his record is such as to secure for him the respect, confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. Oklahoma is proud to number him among her native sons, for his birth occurred in Muskogee, this state, on the 14th of December, 1881. His parents are William S. and Laura E. (Newcomb) Harsha, the former a native of Iowa, while the latter was born in New York. The father came to this part of the country in pioneer times, … Read more

Biography of Charles J. Shawnee

Charles J. Shawnee, prominently identified with farming interests at one time but now practically living retired, making his home in Ramona, was born near Alluwe, in Coowescoowee in the Cherokee Nation, December 9, 1875. The name Shawnee was conferred upon his father during the Civil war but this was not really the family name, it being French. The father was John French, who was born at Spring River, near Seneca, Missouri, and he was of French, Shawnee and Delaware extraction. His people came originally from Sandusky, Ohio, and removed thence to Illinois and afterward to Arkansas. Still later they came … Read more

Biography of Hon. William M. Duffy

Hon. William M. Duffy, attorney at law in Checotah and now serving his first term as justice of the peace, was born in Callaway County, Missouri, on the 21st of August, 1866, a son of Mathew and Caroline (Ellis) Duffy. The father was born in Ireland and came to America when a young man, locating in Missouri, where he engaged in farming. He followed agricultural pursuits the remainder of his life and died in 1874, one of the prominent and representative citizens of the community in which he resided. Mrs. Duffy was born in Missouri and her death occurred in … Read more

Biography of J. Edgar Buffington

J. Edgar Buffington, a representative of an honored pioneer family of Oklahoma, figures prominently in financial circles of northeastern Oklahoma as President of the Vinita National Bank, in which connection he is controlling one of the most substantial moneyed institutions in this part of the state. He was born in that portion of Indian Territory known as the Cherokee Nation, on the 13th of March, 1881, of the union of Ezekiel and Anna (Scarcewater) Buffington and when but an infant lost both of his parents. His boyhood was spent as an inmate of the Cherokee Orphans’ Home at Salina, in … Read more

Biography of Captain George B. Hester

The name of Captain George B. Hester figures prominently on the pages of Oklahoma’s history. About the middle of the nineteenth century he became a resident of the Indian Territory and from that time forward left the impress of his individuality and ability upon the history of this great region which is now known as the state of Oklahoma. He was born in North Carolina on the 26th of March, 1832, and was a young man of but twenty-three years when in 1855 he came to the Indian Territory, settling at Tishomingo, in what is now Johnson County, then the … Read more

Biography of Frank Labadie

Coming to Oklahoma in territorial days, Frank Labadie has witnessed the marvelous growth of the state as its vast resources have been exploited, and in the work of development and improvement he has borne his full share through his operations as a farmer and lumberman and also in the oil fields. He was born in Miami County, Kansas, September 3, 1860, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Labadie, the former of whom was of French Canadian descent and spoke the French language fluently. In 1871 the family came to Indian Territory, establishing their home in the northeastern part of … Read more

Biography of Lucien Webster Buffington

With the history of progress in Vinita the name of Lucien Webster Buffington is closely associated and in his demise, which occurred in this city on the 3d of December, 1919, Oklahoma lost one of its honored pioneers and his community one of its oldest and best beloved citizens. He was one of the early settlers of this part of the state and his industry and enterprise were factors in general development and improvement as well as in the attainment of individual success. His birth occurred at Beattie’s Prairie, then in the Cherokee Nation, in Indian Territory, but now a … Read more

Biography of Francis Marion Crowell

Afton owes much to the enterprising spirit and business ability of Francis Marion Crowell, whose identification with the town dates from the time of its establishment, and he is now conducting one of the leading department stores in this part of the state, displaying marked executive force, energy and determination in the control of his interests. He was born on a farm in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, March 14, 1859, his parents being Dr. Marion and Nancy A. Crowell, the former of whom was born at Mecklenburg, North Carolina, February 15, 1830, while the birth of the latter occurred in Henry … Read more

Biography of M. B. Scott, M. D.

Since 1908 Dr. M. B. Scott has been practicing in Delaware and has won an enviable position among the medical men of Nowata County. A native of Muskogee County, Indian Territory, he was born on the 9th of August, 1879, a son of F. M. and Mary (McClain) Scott. The father was born in Tennessee and removed from his native state to Indian Territory in 1850. Locating in the Canadian district, he engaged in farming and stock raising, and achieved more than gratifying success in that connection. His demise occurred in 1896. His wife was a native of Oklahoma and … Read more

Biography of Fred Wallace

Nowata numbers among her most substantial citizens Fred Wallace, who has been living retired since 1921. A native of Michigan, he was born in Eaton Rapids, on the 26th of August, 1873, a son of G. C. and Katherine (Puffenberger) Wallace. The Wallace family were among the early pioneers of the Nowata district, having located here at a time when there was neither store nor post office. The only signs of habitation when they came here were the depot station house and one tent. G. C. Wallace was born in Tennessee, while his wife was born in Michigan. For some … Read more

Biography of William W. Jones

For more than thirty-six years William W. Jones has been a resident of Washington County, Oklahoma, and is a representative of one of its honored pioneer families. A native of the Lone Star state, he was born in Fannin County, Texas, in 1883, and is a son of John W. S. and Martha T. (Stowe) Jones. The father, a native of Illinois, was reared to manhood in that state, while the mother’s birth occurred in Indiana, but was also reared to young womanhood in the Sucker state, where her marriage was celebrated. In 1878 the parents removed to Texas, where … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Durrett Simms

The subject of this sketch was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, January 6, 1880, his parents being James M. and Mary Durrett Simms. While a child his parents moved to Missouri and his education was received in the schools of that state. In September, 1900, he went to St. Louis, studied shorthand there, accepted a position in a law office in February, 1901, and took up the study of law, attending the lectures of the Benton College of Law at night. In June, 1902, he was admitted to the bar in the city of St. Louis. He resided in St. … Read more

Biography of Charles Rudolph Nesbitt

Although one of the younger representatives of the legal fraternity of Miami, his years seem no bar to the progress of Charles Rudolph Nesbitt, who has already attained a clientele and a reputation that many an older practitioner might well envy. He was born at Colony, Kansas, May 24, 1892, his parents being Frank W. and Mary (Halley) Nesbitt, both natives of Ohio. They removed from that state to Kansas, in which the father followed the occupation of farming. In religious faith he was a Methodist and his demise occurred in 1892. The youngest in a family of five children, … Read more