Texas

Slave Narrative of Annie Hawkins

Person Interviewed: Annie HawkinsLocation: Colbert, OklahomaAge: 90 I calls myself 90, but I don’t know jest how old I really am but I was a good sized gal when we moved from Georgia to Texas. We come on a big boat and one night the stars fell. Talk about being scared! We all run and hid and hollered and prayed. We thought the end of the world had come. I never had no whitefolks that was good to me. We all worked jest like dogs and had about half enough to eat and got whupped for everything. Our days was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phyllis Petite

Person Interviewed: Phyllis Petite Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Rusk County, Texas Age: 83 I was born in Rusk County, Texas, on a plantation about eight miles east of Belleview. There wasn’t no town where I was born, but they had a church. My mammy and pappy belonged to a part Cherokee named W. P. Thompson when I was born. He had kinfolks in the Cherokee Nation, and we all moved up here to a place on Fourteen-Mile Creek close to where Hulbert now is. ‘way before I was big enough to remember anything. Then, so I been … Read more

Slave Narrative of John White

Person Interviewed: John White Location: Sand Springs, Oklahoma Date of Birth: April 10, 1816 Age: 121 Occupation: Yard Worker Of all my Mammy’s children I am the first born and the longest living. The others all gone to join Mammy. She was named Mary White, the same name as her Mistress, the wife of my first master, James White. About my paopy. I never hear his name and I never see him, not even when I was the least child around the old Master’s place ‘way back there in Georgia more’n one-hundred twenty years ago! Mammy try to make it … Read more

Slave Narrative of Easter Wells

Person Interviewed: Easter Wells Location: Colbert, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Arkansas Date of Birth: 1854 Age: 83 I was born in Arkansas, in 1854, but we moved to Texas in 1855. I’ve heard ’em tell about de trip to Texas. De grown folks rode in wagons and carts but de chaps all walked dat was big enuff. De men walked and toted their guns and hunted all de way. Dey had plenty of fresh game to eat. My mother’s name was Nellie Bell. I had one sister, Liza. I never saw my father; in fact, I never heard my mammy … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lou Smith

Person Interviewed: Lou Smith Location: Platter, Oklahoma Age: 83 Occupation: Nursing Young Sho’, I remembers de slavery days! I was a little gal but I can tell you lots of things about dem days. My job was nussing de younguns. I took keer of them from daylight to dark. I’d have to sing them to sleep too. I’d sing: By-lo Baby Bunting Daddy’s gone a-hunting To get a rabbit skin To wrap Baby Bunting in.” Sometimes I’d sing: Rock-a-bye baby, in a tree top When de wind blows your cradle’ll rock. When de bough breaks de crad’ll fall Down comes … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Callie Elliott

Elliott, Mrs. Callie (See Foreman)—Callie, daughter of Samuel and Annie (Edwards) Whatenberger, born March 15, 1868, in Springfield, Mo. Educated in Texas. Married at Vinita Jan. 7, 1892, Hiram Thompson Elliott, son of Archibald and Rachel (Smith) Elliott, born May 22, 1858. They were the parents of Hiram Thompson Elliott, Jr., born November 26, 1892; Samuel Talbert, born July 5th, 1894, married Genevieve Blackford, Vera May, born February 26, 1896, married Guy L. Jones, and has one son, Raymond Jones, born April 4, 1914; Lucullus, born August 25, 1899, is in the United States Marine Corps in Haiti; Lucien Bell, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles G. Brown

Brown, Charles G. (See Ward)—Charles G. Brown, born in Texas March 12, 1854, educated at Tullahassee Mission in the Creek Nation. Married at Sauna, Cherokee Nation July 30, 1880, Mary, daughter of William and Lenora Coker, born in Boone County, Ark. January 25, 1865. They are the parents of: Lulu, born December 10, 1881; Quatie, born December 21, 1890; Etta Beatrice, born No­vember 23, 1896; Nannie Lenora, born July 21, 1899 and Debra D., born April 19, 1905. Mr. Brown is farming near Pryor. John Ward, a white man, married Catherine McDaniel of Scotch-Cherokee descent and they were the parents … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. William M. Gentry

Gentry, Mrs. William M. (See Hicks)— Margaret, daughter of Robert Ray and Cynthia Jane (Horn) Taylor, was born Nov. 10, 1873, educated at Worcester Academy, and Willie Halsell College, Vinita. Married at Weston, Texas, April 18, 1891, William M. Son of W. J. and Nancy A. Gentry, born August 10, 1871, in Ray County, Missouri. They are the parents of: Ralph Ray, born July 7, 1893; Blanche Sunbeam, born Oct. 15, 1896; Christopher Robert, born March 23, 1900; Winnie Gertrude, born April 7, 1902; Hearst T., born May 6, 1904; William Lee, born April 30, 1908; Annie Audrey, born January … Read more

Biography of S. R Lewis

One of this nation’s oldest families at Jamestown in 1607 together with those other pioneers they began hewing this great nation from a Virginia wilderness. This family has direct lines of decadency through the Randolphs, Washingtons, Carters and Lees each of which bears many pages of historical importance. Each epoch of the nation’s history has brought forward a Lewis to fulfill his destiny in lending his effort to the up-building of the country. For the purpose of this family’s connection with the Cherokee Nation the line will begin of record when Thomas Jefferson sent his young kinsman Meriweather Lewis to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. George M. Tyner

(See Sanders) Nancy, daughter of George O. Saunders and Jennie Tail married Jefferson Tyner and their son George Marion Tyner was born April 10, 1883. Graduated from Male Seminary May 29, 1907. Married at Vinita June 16, 1916 Ethel, daughter of John Pleasant and Martha J. Marshall, born March 5, 1889 in Texas. They are the parents of George Marion Tyner, Jr. born August 24, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Tyner are members of the Methodist Church. They taught school several years before their marriage.

Biography of Marvin E. Singleton

Marvin E. Singleton, one of the many to lay aside personal interests to serve the cause of democracy when America was at war with Germany and possessor of the Distinguished Service Medal awarded by congress for meritorious work as ordnance district chief during the World war, has for many years been a conspicuous figure among the prominent business men of the country. He was born in Ellis county, Texas, January 6, 1872. His father, John Hawkins Singleton, a native of Kentucky, was one of the pioneer settlers of Texas where he moved in 1848; he served in the Mexican war, … Read more

Biography of James T. Caradine

James T. Caradine, president of the Caradine Harvest Hat Company and one of the conspicuous factors in making St. Louis an important industrial and commercial center, was born in Sherman, Texas, September 22, 1876, a son of James N. and Virginia C. (McDougal) Caradine, both of whom were natives of Mississippi. The father, James N., as a youth enlisted in the Confederate army and served throughout the period of the Civil war. Following the close of hostilities he was united in marriage to Miss McDougal and soon thereafter removed to Sherman, Texas, where both he and his wife resided up … Read more

Biography of Arthur Lee Oliver

Arthur Lee Oliver, attorney at law, practicing as a member of the firm of Oliver, Raithel & Lacy in St. Louis, was born January 5, 1879, at Leemon, Cape Girardeau county, Missouri. His father, the late Henry Clay Oliver, was also a native of Cape Girardeau county, born February 12, 1852, and was a grandson of John Oliver, who was the founder of the family in this state and was a Virginian by birth. He came to Missouri prior to the admission of the state into the Union, arriving in 1814 and establishing a large plantation known as “Pleasant Gardens,” … Read more

Biography of A. Banks Wilburn, M. D.

Dr. A. Banks Wilburn, engaged in the practice of surgery in St. Louis, was born in Audrain county, Missouri, February 19, 1874, a son of St. Clair and Susan (Coyle) Wilburn. The father was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising for many years in Audrain county but has now passed away. The family numbered fourteen children, nine sons and four daughters, of whom thirteen reached maturity. Dr. Wilburn was educated to the age of fourteen years in the district schools of his native county and spent that period of his life upon the home farm. The family then removed … Read more

Biography of Robert Lee Orcutt

Robert Lee Orcutt, president of the General Warehousing Company of St. Louis, was born in this city October 7, 1879. His father, Rosalvo E. Orcutt, was a representative of an old English family and is now living retired. He married Annie Rose in St. Johns, New Brunswick, and they became the parents of five sons and two daughters. Robert L. Orcutt, the sixth in order of birth, was educated in the Cote Brilliant Grammar school, which he attended to the age of seventeen years and then turned his attentions to the storage and moving business, becoming associated with the firm … Read more

Biography of Raymond Mills Spivy, M. D.

Dr. Raymond Mills Spivy, obstetrician and gynecologist with offices in the University Club building at St. Louis, was born December 25, 1880, in Henderson, Texas. His father, Judge William Wright Spivy, was a native of Alabama and belonged to one of the old southern families represented in Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. The ancestral line is traced back to Aaron Spivy who came from Ireland prior to the Revolutionary war, in which he participated, being wounded in the battle of Saratoga. He originally settled in Isle of Wight county, Virginia. Judge Spivy removed to Texas with his widowed mother during … Read more

The Alamo and Fort Sam Houston

The Alamo, which is famous for its heroic defense against the Mexicans by Travis and his men, is situated in San Antonio, Texas, and is the point of pilgrimage annually for many hundreds of the visitors to the southwestern part of the United States. On the outskirts of San Antonio is the modern great military plant. Fort Sam Houston, the Alamo’s lusty successor. The Alamo, as late as 1870, was used for military purposes by the United States government, but of recent years it has been preserved purely as a monument to those brave men who lost their lives in … Read more

Biography of William Leslie Porter

A public office is only an opportunity for rendering real service to the public. Whether that opportunity is utilized depends upon the man. Several years ago the people of Topeka elected William Leslie Porter commissioner of parks and public properties. When he entered office he was new to the duties, and he was practically without political experience. But he had exhibited other qualities far more important that political experience. He had a well defined ambition to do everything he could for the community welfare through the opportunity afforded by his office. Mr. Porter also had a reputation of having a … Read more

Biography of Horace W. Beck

Horace W. Beck, secretary of the Light & Development Company of St. Louis, was born in Kent county, Maryland, September 11, 1865, and is a son of Samuel Beck, who was a native of Maryland and was of English descent, the ancestral line in America being traced back to the early part of the seventeenth century. Samuel Beck became a physician and surgeon and was a resident of Chestertown, Maryland, during the latter part of his life. In politics he was a stalwart supporter of democratic principles and very active in behalf of the party and in support of progressive … Read more

Biography of William N. Collier

William N. Collier, one of the most prominent breeders of thoroughbred Hereford cattle in the United States, makes his home at Fulton and has extensive farm property in Callaway county, on which are found his fine herds. Mr. Collier was born in the Blue Grass state, his birth having occurred near Falmouth, in Pendleton county, Kentucky, February 13, 1876. He is a son of William A. and Oetavia (Wyatt) Collier, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, to which state their parents had removed from Virginia. When William N. Collier was a lad of five years his parents went to … Read more