Oklahoma

Biography of W. W. Fields

A native son of Oklahoma and a member of a family that has contributed in substantial measure to the agricultural development of the state from pioneer times to the present, W. W. Fields was to the time of his death the owner of a well improved and valuable farm near Dewey and he was also interested in oil development here, displaying marked enterprise and ability in the management of his business affairs. He was born on a farm twenty-five miles south of Muskogee on the 7th of March, 1890, his parents being Richard and Texanna Fields, and was of Cherokee … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Wesley Porter

John Wesley Porter, a successful young practitioner of law in Muskogee, where he has followed his profession through the past three years, was born in Henderson county, Kentucky, on the 1st of December, 1886, his parents being John Wesley and Lucy Jane (Moss) Porter, the former a tobacco merchant. In the acquirement of an education he attended public and private schools and also studied under a private tutor. His professional training was received in the law department of the Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia, from which he was graduated in June, 1909. He first located for practice at … Read more

Biography of Clarence William Turner

From the pioneer epoch in the history of Oklahoma’s development along industrial and commercial lines the name of Turner has been associated with mercantile interests. It has been inseparably interwoven with the annals of trade that stands for a dominant progressiveness, resulting largely in the up building of Muskogee. Clarence William Turner, whose name introduces this review, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, June 18, 1857, and comes of English ancestry, the founder of the family in the new world being John Turner, who crossed the Atlantic from England and became a resident of Canandaigua, Ontario county, New York, where in … Read more

Biography of W. W. Wood

W. W. Wood, an enterprising and progressive agriculturist of northeastern Oklahoma, owns a farm of one hundred acres situated six and a half miles southeast of Delaware, in Nowata county, where he has made his home for the past twenty-eight years. His birth occurred in southern Texas on the 2d of February, 1882, his parents being Edward and Senna (Dickson) Wood, both of whom were natives of Missouri. In 1894 the family home was established in Nowata County, Indian Territory, and here the father spent his remaining days. The mother is still living at the age of seventy-two years and … Read more

Biography of General Marion Swanson

General Marion Swanson of Muskogee, well known in real estate circles through his purchase and sale of farm lands, is also engaged in farming, but follows this more as a recreation than as a source of livelihood. He was born in Lineville, Iowa, April 29, 1863, and is a son of William E. and Susan J. (Edgemand) Swanson. His father was always engaged in farming and stock raising and General Swanson, therefore, early became familiar with the various phases of agricultural life. He was educated in the public schools of Millersburg, Cherokee county, Kansas, and when not busy with his … Read more

Biography of H. B. Rodecker

H. B. Rodecker, an enterprising and successful druggist of Ramona, was born near Eureka, Illinois, on the 22d of August, 1874, and was taken by his parents, William B. and Leona (Hellen) Rodecker, to Newton, Harvey county, Kansas, in 1880. The mother is a niece of the late Cecil Rhodes, multi-millionaire and statesman of South Africa. The father was a tinner by trade and followed that pursuit until 1889, when the family removed to Oklahoma City and he entered the employ of W. J. Pettie, a hardware merchant, conducting a business that has since been developed into a large wholesale … Read more

Biography of Hon. A. E. Craver

Hon. A. E. Craver, a leading member of the Washington county bar for many years, was connected with the work of the courts both as lawyer and lawmaker and was representing his district in the state legislature at the time of his death, on January 29, 1922, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the legislative history of Oklahoma. He was born in Marshall County, Indiana, September 17, 1866, and was a son of George Washington and Eliza (Gray) Craver, the former a native of Hagerstown, Maryland, while the latter was born in Baltimore, that state. The father was a … Read more

Biography of Millard Collier

One of the representative agriculturists of Nowata county is Millard Collier, who since 1904 has been residing on his present place, two miles north of Nowata. A native of Texas, he was born on the Miller Brothers’ ranch, twelve miles southeast of Waco, on the 22d of June, 1877, a son of Charles and Reddie (Hottenger) Collier. His parents were married in Texas and his mother died when he was six years old. In later life the father went to Indian Territory and rented land fifteen miles northeast of Nowata, engaging in farming to the time of his death on … Read more

Biography of William T. Cohenour

William T. Cohenour, a prominent and well known representative of the automobile business in Muskogee, established his agency in 19 9 and through the intervening period ha s built up a substantial trade. He came to the southwest from Illinois, his birth having occurred in Pittsfield, Pike county, that state, on the 7th of March, 1877. He is a son of Howard A. and Mary (Cope) Cohenour. The father was a farmer and breeder of fine stock, making a specialty of cattle and hogs. William T. Cohenour was reared in his native state, spending his youthful days under the parental … Read more

Biography of H. L. Bryant

The growth of a city does not depend so much upon its machinery of government or even upon the men who fill public offices as upon those who foster trade relations and promote industrial activity. In this connection H. L. Bryant is deserving of more than passing notice, for as merchant and financier he has been a dominant factor in promoting the development and up building of Bartlesville, which numbers him among its foremost citizens. Mr. Bryant is a native of Illinois. He was born at Hillsboro, December 20, 1864, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Bryant, the … Read more

Biography of Jesse L. Blakemore, M. D.

Dr. Jesse L. Blakemore, a physician and surgeon of Muskogee since 1891 and now president of the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital of this city, was born in Greenwood, Arkansas, and after acquiring a public school education continued his studies in the Emory and Henry College of Virginia, there completing his course with the class of 1885. His liberal literary training has served as an excellent foundation on which to build the superstructure of professional knowledge. Desiring to become a physician, he matriculated in the medical department of Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee, and was graduated with the class of 1888. … Read more

Biography of Dumont D. Howell, M. D.

For sixteen years Dr. Dumont D. Howell was numbered among the capable, prominent and successful physicians of Nowata, where he passed away on the 6th of December, 1919. He was born in Murphy, North Carolina, January 14,1874, and was a son of D. M. and Margaret (Sudderth) Howell. The Howell family was long connected with the history of North Carolina and of Georgia and the Sudderths were also of an old family of the former state. In the acquirement of his education Dumont D. Howell supplemented his public school course by study at the Young Harris College of Georgia and … Read more

Biography of Charles Squirrel

Among the progressive and capable young business men of Bartlesville is numbered Charles Squirrel, a native son of the state, who is the owner of a good farm in Washington county and also has valuable oil interests. He was born at Matoka, September 11, 1896, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. William Squirrel, both of whom were Cherokees. When but a year old he was left an orphan and was adopted by Mrs. Walter Brown when eight years of age, his education being acquired at St. Joseph, Muskogee, Oklahoma, in the Webb school at Bellbuckle, Tennessee, and in Kemper Academy … Read more

Biography of Judge James Daniel Wilson

Judge James Daniel Wilson, who has been justice of the peace of Tahlequah, Cherokee county, since 1913, was born in Tahlequah, Indian Territory, on the 2d of February, 1861. His parents were Anderson and Nancy (Daniel) Wilson, both of the Cherokee Nation, the father being a half-breed and the mother one-eighth Cherokee. For many years Anderson Wilson was engaged in the conduct of a mercantile establishment in Tahlequah, but in 1863 removed to the Choctaw Nation, locating at Dooksville, where his demise occurred in 1865. The following year his widow returned to Tahlequah, where she made her home until her … Read more

Biography of Wood Hurt

Wood Hurt, an alert and enterprising business man who since 1918 has been financially interested in the Muskogee Wholesale Grocery Company and is also identified with other business interests of importance which contribute to general progress and prosperity as well as to individual success, was born in Hazen, Arkansas, on the 16th of August, 1877, and is a son of Thomas Spencer and Nellie (Myers) Hurt. The father was a farmer, devoting his entire life to agricultural pursuits. The son was educated in the public schools and initiated his business career by securing a clerkship in a general store, in … Read more

Biography of G. A. Rhoades

Among those who have made substantial contribution to the agricultural development of Oklahoma the Rhoades family is deserving of special mention, for its members have been continuously engaged in the cultivation of the soil of this state for the past thirty-three years, transforming wild and unproductive land into rich and fertile fields through their arduous labors and progressive spirit. G. A. Rhoades, a member of this family, was born in Kansas, April 16, 1881, of the marriage of John and Sarah (Hardwick) Rhoades, both of whom were natives of Missouri. In 1888 they came to Indian Territory, and the father … Read more

Biography of Robert Garner Emmert

Robert Garner Emmert of Muskogee, a partner in one of the large life insurance agencies of Oklahoma was born in Humboldt, Kansas, October 21, 1873. His education was largely acquired in Mount Carroll, Illinois, and he initiated his business career by becoming identified with a building and loan association as a salesman. At the same time he sold life insurance and for years conducted a life insurance business in Colorado and in Texas. In 1904 he came to Muskogee, where he joined his brother in establishing the firm of Emmert Brothers, general agents for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company … Read more

Biography of Hon. Eugene Mortimore Kerr

The records of Muskogee and the state would be incomplete and unsatisfactory were there failure to make prominent reference to Eugene Mortimore Kerr, who has served as a member of both the house of representatives and senate in the general assembly and who in many other ways has contributed to public progress and improvement, while in business circles he has gained a most creditable name and position. Mr. Kerr was born in Granville, Ohio, November 11, 1869, and is a son of E. M. and Elizabeth Triphena (Roberts) Kerr. The father was engaged in the real estate business for many … Read more

Biography of Harry Degen

Harry Degen, deceased, was for more than a decade actively identified with mercantile interests in Bartlesville as the proprietor of a department store which is still being conducted by his widow and which is one of the best establishments of the kind in the city. He was born in Austria on the 11th of November, 1875, and when a lad of twelve years accompanied his parents on their emigration to the United States. He worked for his relatives in Kansas until twenty-seven years of age, when in association with his uncle he established the firm of Degen & Company for … Read more

Biography of C. B. Reinheardt

C. B. Reinheardt, one of the representative agriculturists of Nowata County, who is farming four hundred acres of valuable land, one and one half miles east of Coodys Bluff, was born at Coodys Bluff on the 18th of January, 1893, a son of C. H. and Kennie (Couch) Reinheardt. His father is numbered among the pioneer citizens of this community and was for some time engaged in the oil producing business in Nowata county, achieving gratifying success. His fine farm here is now being operated by his brother, W. A. Reinheardt, it being located some four miles south of Coodys … Read more