USA > Oklahoma > A history of the state of Oklahoma, Volume II > Part 40
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James D. Nelson was educated in the pri- vate schools and at Woodberry and Burette colleges. He remained at home, employed on his father's farm until he was twen- ty-two years old, when he began farm- ing operations on his own account, rais- ing a crop of cotton, which he stored in a warehouse. Being desirous of com- pleting his education, he entered college, and with others of his class formed a mess club, employing their own cook, thereby reducing expenses to the minimum. When necessary, Mr. Nelson would sell a bale of cotton and use the proceeds to defray his
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part of the expenses. He then farmed, taught and attended school alternately until 1884, when he was elected county school superintendent of Rutherford county, Ten- nessee, in which capacity he served four years with enviable success. He then went to Texas and engaged in educational work near Quanah, remaining there two years.
In 1893, Mr. Nelson came to the Cherokee Strip, locating near Cleo, Woods county, and engaging in farming and stock raising. In 1894, he was employed to instruct in the Summer Normal at Alva, Woods county, under the supervision of J. E. Oxlev, county superintendent. In 1893, Mr. Nelson re- ceived the unanimous nomination as a can- didate for the office of representative from the tenth district of Oklahoma Territorial district at the instance of the Democratic party, but was defeated at the polls although he led his ticket by 300 votes. In 1899, he went to Grove, Delaware county, Oklahoma, where he established the Grove high school, serving as principal until the opening of the Kiowa and Comanche country, in 1901, when he went to Comanche county, near Fred- rick, the county seat of Tilman county, to improve land which he had been fortunate enough to draw. While improving this land he continued his educational work. Mr. Nelson attended the first teachers' organ- ization of the Territory of Oklahoma, which was held in Edmond. He also served as chairman of the first teachers' meeting of Comanche county.
In 1903, he came to the Creek Nation, lo- cating at Paden, now Okfuskee county, en- gaging in farming, stock raising and teach- ing until he was elected to the office of sup- erintendent of public instruction, entering upon the duties of his office, November 17, 1907-Statehood Day. The Monday follow- ing he issued a call for the organization of his county into school districts, it being the first call in the interest of education in the new state. He has his county thoroughly organized and in perfect working order, be- ing second to none in the state.
Mr. Nelson has been twice married ; first, January 26, 1887, to Miss Fannie Ethel Cobb. daughter of Sidney J. and - (Alby) Cobb, of Rutherford county, Tennessee. Two sons blessed this marriage. Elmer S., born, October 26, 1882, and J. Dorland, born November 23, 1889. October 21 1891, the mother passed away, and December 25, 1894,
Mr. Nelson married Miss Laura B. Spence, who was born, March 21, 1863, in Ruther- ford county, Tennessee, daughter of Briton and Eusebia F. (Jenkins) Spence. Mrs. Nelson's greatgrandfather, Briton Spence, came from Ireland and settled in Illinois, near Chicago when that city was a mere village. Here Rencher Spence, his son, was born, and in the early days went to Tennes- see by team, settling in Rutherford county, where he acquired extensive tracts of land. He married Nancy Harris, by whom he had a large family, one of whom was Briton Spence, who was born in 1828, the father of Mrs. Nelson. Mrs. Nelson's mother. Eu- sebia Foldier Jenkins, was born in North Carolina, March 1, 1837. a daughter of Wil- lis Donalson and Dorsey Hicks (Cardwell) Tenkins. Briton Spence died in 1888. Mrs. Nelson's mother is still living on the old homestead in Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have one daughter, Vinita Lucile, born December 3, 1895. Fraternally, Mr. Nelson is a member of Okemah Lodge, No. 139. F. & A. M., Okemah Lodge. No. 140, I. O. O. F., and Oak Leaf Camp, No. 7566, M. W. A. Mrs. Nelson is a member of Okemah Lodge, No. 106, Eastern Star, and Okemah Lodge, No. 91, Order of Rebekah. The fam- ilv are members of the Christian church of Okemah.
JOHN GARNER POTTER, a lawyer well and favorably known in the vicinity of Okemah, Oklahoma, is a native of Webster county, Nebraska, born February 5, 1878. He is the son of John Garner, Sr., and Elizabeth (Thompson) Potter. The father is a mer- chant and a native of New York state. This family traces their lineage to England, be- ing directly related to Sir Sidney Smith, an Englishman who commanded the British forces at St. Jean D'Acre, in Africa, in the Arabian campaign of Napoleon, and who checked Napoleon's progress and compelled him to abandon the siege. Mr. Potter's mother was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and on coming to America located in New York state.
John Garner Potter, Jr., of this memoir. received his elementary schooling in the common schools of his native place and, later, entered the University of Nebraska, where he studied one year. He chose the law for his life's profession and studied with Joseph C. Forest, in Lawrence, Nuc- kles county, Nebraska. He was admitted to the bar in 1898, before the supreme court
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of Nebraska, and commenced the practice of his profession at Red Cloud, Nebraska. He was accorded the nomination of county at- torney of Webster county, Nebraska, but owing to factional differences in the Repub- lican party, the ticket was defeated.
In 1905, Mr. Potter went to the Indian Territory country, locating, temporarily, in the oil fields of Tulsa and at Bartlesville, where he engaged in the development of the oil lands, acquiring considerable oil land property. In 1905, however, he came to Okemah and resumed his legal practice. Mr. Potter is unmarried.
PETER J. BECKER, of Okemah, Oklahoma, a reliable and enterprising real estate dealer, is a native of Nebraska, born in Cass county, February 8, 1821, a son of Peter J. Becker, Sr., a merchant and farmer, who was born in Wisconsin, and who traces his origin to the Dutch nationality. Peter J. Becker, of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of his home community and at the Ne- braska State Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1900. He then attended the University of Nebraska, at Lincoln, where he took a two-years' course. His first practical experience was on his father's farm, after which he was em- ployed at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, with the Burlington System, in their local offices, as an accountant. He remained in their service two years, then came to Oklahoma, locating at Medford, in Grant county, remaining there five years, in the real estate business, which he coupled with that of insurance. He came to the Creek Nation, locating at Okemah in 1905, and embarked in the same business, which he is still successfully following.
Politically, Mr. Becker votes with the Re- publican party and does his full share as a good citizen. He was united in marriage, November 16, 1893, to Miss Mattie J. Pears- ley, of Union, Nebraska. Mrs. Becker was born in Chicago, Illinois, March 31, 1870. Two children bless this union-Guy B., born October 19, 1894, and Maurice P. Becker. September 29, 1896. Fraternally, Mr. Beck- er is a member of Okemah Lodge, No. 185, Knights of Pythias, and Camp No. 7566, M. W. A.
WALLACE CLARENCE COOK, of Okemah, Oklahoma, is a native of the Creek Nation, Indian Territory, where the postoffice of Fentress was located. He was born, Febru- ary 2, 1880, a son of Zachariah Cook, a mem- Vol. II-14.
ber of the Creek tribe of Indians, the grand- father being a full-blood Indian, from Ala- bama, named Yefkee, which in English means "afternoon." He was one of the old- est citizens of the tribe, one of its council- men and one of the most distinguished of its number. His daughter was the mother of Wallace C. Cook of this memoir.
Wallace C. received a part of his educa- tion at the day schools of his locality, which he attended for two years, then entered We- tumka Mission and boarding schools for In- dian boys and girls, where he took the high- er branches of general studies. He re- mained there eleven years. In 1892, he at- tended the high schools of Eufaula, and at the conclusion of his studies there he had reached his majority. He accepted a posi- tion in a country store owned by Burk & McGee, at Burk City, where, as a clerk for one and a half years he proved faithful to every known duty He then came to Oke- mah, where he continued in the service of Messrs. Wallace W. McGee and S. T. Mc- Gee for a year, after which he went with the Creek Trading Company, McGee Broth- ers being part owners in this business house.
Mr. Cook has made a success of life thus far and is entitled to much credit for gaining the knowledge which he possesses and the use he is putting such information to in the avenues of business.
ALEXANDER WALTER JENKINS, present pro- prietor of the Broadway hotel, at Okemah, Oklahoma, is a native of Nashville, Tennes- see, born, February 22, 1870, a son of H. T. and Martha (Gleaves) Jenkins. The father was a stockman and farmer, who was also a native of Tennessee. Alexander W., of this memoir. received a good education at the public schools of his native vicinity and also attended school at Nashville. Later, believing in a thorough business training, he attended the commercial department of the Southern Normal College, at Bowling Green, Kentucky, taking a two and a-half years' course, also in the literary depart- ment. He then commenced teaching in a country school, near Nashville, where he taught eight years. His next school was in Keokuk Falls, Pottawatomie county, Okla- homa, where he was principal in 1901 and 1902. Abandoning teaching, we next find Mr. Jenkins engaged in the livery and sale stable business at Paden, Oklahoma, which he followed three years, and then moved to Okemah, where he was proprietor of the
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Broadway hotel about one and one-half years. He has filled the office of mayor while residing in Paden and served as alder- man and member of the school board.
He has ever taken much interest in agri- culture and controls one thousand acres of choice land, much of which he has under a good state of cultivation. He was united in marriage to Miss Leona G. Davis, Janu- ary 31, 1904, and they have one child-How- ard Davis Jenkins, born, November 20, 1906. Mr. Jenkins is a member of Okemah Lodge, No. 139, A. F. & A. M., and Okemah Chap- ter, No. 61, R. A. M. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F.
JOHN HARGO PHILLIPS, one of the enter- prising real estate dealers whose home and place of business is at Okemah, Oklahoma, was born near Eufaula, Indian Territory, a son of Tecumseh and Louisa (McNack) Phillips. His early education was in the National school of Indian Territory, at Eu- faula, which school was about the same as the present common public schools. He also attended what was known as the Asbury Mission school for four years, and then en- tered the Baptist Indian University, at Mus- kogee, from which institution he was grad- uated in 1896, with the degree of B. S. His first business experience was as a clerk in the store of Toole Bros., at South Canadian, Indian Territory. This was a stock of gen- eral merchandise and young Phillips re- mained with that firm about one year. when he accepted a position as clerk of the Creek Tribal Council, with offices at Okmul- gee, at which place he also remained a year. when he became salesman for the Patterson Mercantile Co., in their store at Morse, in what is now Okfuskee county. In 1903 he opened a real estate office at Okemalı.
Mr. Phillips is a full-blood of the Creek Nation tribe of Indians. and his father is prominent in tribal relations. June 2, 1898, John H. Phillips was united in marriage to Miss Ollie Wilson. She is the daughter of George Wilson, of Checotah. In all of his dealings, Mr. Phillips is agreeable and high- ly trustworthy. His education has brought him in touch with the better element of the citizens of the Indian country, which is now so well mixed with white men and women, with whom the Indians are on the best of business terms.
W. R. BRADLEY, a member of the cotton gin company of Bradley & Cook, of Paden, is one of the most prominent business men
of the county and the proprietor of one of the best equipped and most popular cotton gins of this part of the state. The mill is equipped with all the latest improved ma- chinery, including a Munyon press, and is prepared to do high class work of all kinds in its line. The mill has a capacity of from fifteen hundred to two thousand bales a season.
Mr. Bradley came to Oklahoma in 1893, locating first near Guthrie. He is a native son of Iowa, born at Ainsworth, in Wash- ington county, but he was reared near Bur- lington, in Des Moines county, spending the days of his youth on a farm. His parents were W. D. and Anna (Mize) Brad- ley, the father a native of Kentucky and now living in Saline county, Kansas, at the age of seventy-six years. W. R. Bradley also went to Saline county during his early life, and from there went to Colorado and spent three years at Leadville in prospect- ing and railroad work. From there he re- turned to Kansas and lived on a farm, spending some time in Osborne county. that state, and he was living on a farm there when Colonel Covert was killed by the In- dians. It was in 1893 that he came to Ok- lahoma, and has since been prominently identified with the business life of this state. Soon after coming here he opened up a farm of two hundred and forty acres, but selling that property he went to Woodward, in this state, and leased Indian lands. After a time he embarked in the sawmilling business, and coming to Paden became the proprietor of the Bradley & Cook cotton gin.
In Saline county, Kansas, in 1889, Mr. Bradley married Ada Ward, who was born in Wisconsin, and their five children are Carlisle, Jay, Tellard, Mamie and Lee. Mr. Bradley is a Socialist in his political affilia- tions, and he is a member of the fraternal order of Odd Fellows.
J. A. BRUNT, until recently an attorney-at- law. practicing at Okemah, Oklahoma, is a native of Washington county, Iowa, born May 28, 1883, a son of William and Martha (Walker) Brunt. The father was a farmer who traces his family origin to France. The mother's people were natives of Delaware.
Mr. Brunt received his early educational training in the local schools of his native county, then attended Penn College, at Os- kaloosa, Iowa. He was attracted toward the legal profession and studied in the law offices of William R. Nelson, being admit-
John N. Phillips
Jam B. Matthews
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ted to the bar at Chickasaw, Oklahoma, in 1907, before Judge Dickerson, of the South- ern Division of the U. S. courts. Mr. Brunt's first work away from home was that of being engaged on a survey for the U. S. government under contract, the head- quarters of the corps being at a point within Wyoming. He came to Oklahoma in 1906, locating at Boynton, in the Creek Nation. There he practiced law and handled real estate until his removal to Okemah, where he attended strictly to his individual law practice. He was eminently successful and had built up a lucrative law business. Mr. Brunt is unmarried and took much interest in the growth and welfare of the country where he has located with a view of being a permanent resident.
WILLIAM A. SAPULPA was born on the site of the present city of Sapulpa, in October, 1861, and the town was named in honor of his father. He has been a prominent figure in the public life of the Creek Nation, and for twelve years was a member of the lower house of the Creek council during four years of the time having been speaker of that body. He has also served as a member of delegations to Washington for his people, and represented the Creek Nation in the Dawes Commission, being the youngest member and chairman when he was ap- pointed, in 1896.
His father, for whom the town of Sapulpa was named, was a full-blood Creek Indian, born in Alabama, but when a child he came with one of the Creek emigrations to the Indian Territory, his home for a long nnm- ber of years being on the land where the city of Sapulpa was built, after the Frisco Rail- road was completed, in 1884, to that point. He died, March 17, 1886, and his wife, a full-blood Creek Indian, is also deceased. One of their sons, James Sapulpa, an older brother of William A., lives on what is a part of the Sapulpa homestead, adjoining the town on the southeast. The home of William A. Sapulpa lies about a mile west of the town, where he and his family own four quarter sections of very fine land, rich in agricultural resources, and he has been for many years a successful farmer and stockman. He was reared to agricultural and stock raising pursuits in the vicinity where he has lived all his life, receiving a good education in the meantime in the old Tullahassee Mission School, where he was
a student for six years, and three and one- half years in Wooster University of Ohio.
Mr. Sapulpa's present wife, also of the Creek Indian race, was before her marriage Miss Snsan Biggs, and she was born in Has- kell, in the Creek Nation. They have no children. In March, 1888, Mr. Sapulpa mar- ried Miss Lizzie Hardridge, also of the Creek Indian race, and from this union was born a son, Harrison Sapulpa. In 1897, Mr. Sapulpa married Miss Phoebe Perry- man, daughter of G. M. Perryman; of Eu- fanla, ex-chief of the Creek Nation. Mrs. Sapulpa died in 1899, leaving a son, George Sapulpa, surviving her.
Mr. Sapulpa was appointed, in 1900, sup- erintendent of the Enchee Mission School, located at Sapulpa, and served in this ca- pacity until Angust, 1902.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SAPULPA is the successor of the old Sapulpa State Bank, which was established in 1899. In 1901 it was reorganized as the First Nation- al Bank, and for some years remained the only national bank in Sapulpa. It was pur- chased in 1902 by the Lehnhard Brothers, of Monett, Missouri, and Mr. Phil J. Lehn- hard became its cashier. The bank has had a steady growth since that time entirely commensurate with the great industrial de- velopment of Sapulpa and vicinity, resulting from the discovery of oil and gas. The bank is capitalized at $50,000, and the de- posits annually exceed $200,000.
The Lehnhards are a well known family of bankers. in southwestern Missouri and in what was formerly Indian Territory. The brothers are Carl W., president of four banks; Phil J., cashier of the First National Bank of Sapulpa; and Willis W., cashier First National Bank of Monett, Missouri. Besides the two well known banking insti- cutions mentioned, they own the First National Bank of Afton, Oklahoma, and the Bank of Kellyville, this state. The family are originally from Lawrence conn- ty, Missouri, and their father, P. J. Lehn- hard, was also a prominent and well known banker of his time, embarking in the busi- ness in the early 't0s.
SAMUEL B. MATTHEWS. The recent ad- vancement of the new southwest forms an important chapter in the history of this country, and among those who helped to build this empire of the west is Samuel B. Matthews, the vice president of the Creek
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Bank and Trust Company, a former cattle- man of wide experience on the western ranges, from the Rio Grande to the Cana- dian border, and one of the honored, early pioneers. He was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, April 6, 1854. He lost his moth- er in infancy, and when he was but three years old he was taken by his father to San Antonio, Texas, his father dying there when he was yet a young boy, and he grew up in San Antonio. At the age of fifteen he became connected with the cattle business, and he worked as a cowboy for several of the big "outfits" that were prominent in the cattle industry during the stirring days of the seventies and early eighties. This occupation took him over the great ranges and trails of those days, from the Rio Grande to Wyoming and Dakota, and for several years he was connected with beef contractors having extensive relations in supplying beef to the government military posts and Indian agencies in the west and southwest. In 1877 he issued cattle for this purpose at Fort Sill, Fort Reno, and Ana- darko, then a portion of old Indian Terri- tory.
Mr. Matthews' knowledge of the famous Chisholm trail, which stretched across Ok- lahoma, touching points now occupied by stich towns as Ft. Worth, Hennessy, King- fisher, Yukon, etc., was intimate. He re- tains interesting recollections of the rough border life in the Rio Grande country, the Indian depredations of northwestern Texas, the picturesque and, at times, exciting ex- istence of the old cattle shipping towns of Kansas, including Abilene and Dodge, and the Cheyenne Indian warfare in Wyoming, in 1876, he being there at that time with cattle. His reminiscences of some of the notable western characters of those days, such as Wild Bill, Buffalo Bill, Ben Thomp- son, King Fisher and others, are likewise interesting and valuable, as shedding new light on their careers. Early in 1889 he was in the Cherokee Strip in charge of sev- eral thousand head of beef for the late Dr. John Grant, of Sherman, Texas, and on April 22d of that year he took part in the opening of Oklahoma, getting a claim in Logan county, on which now stands the southern half of the town of Mulhall. He was also a participant in the opening of Cherokee Strip in 1893, and the Honolulu Hotel at Perry is situated on town property he secured at that time. During the years
1897 and 1898 he was territorial live stock inspector for Oklahoma, and in 1899 and 1900 he was located at Paris, Texas, as live stock inspector for the Frisco system. Con- tinuing in that position he was in 1901 trans- ferred to Sapulpa, which has been his home ever since, and in August of 1907 he severed his connection with the railroad company as live stock inspector. He has valuable real estate and property interests in Sapul- pa, particularly in business property on Dewey avenue, the growing commercial ar- tery of the city.
He is the vice president of the Creek and Trust Company, which was opened for busi- ness on the 9th of September, 1902. His politics are Democratic. He is a charter member Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Sapulpa. Mr. Matthews' wife be- fore marriage was Della McDaniel, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and they have a son, Logan Matthews.
JOSEPH BRUNER, a capitalist and one of the most prominent real estate dealers in eastern Oklahoma, was born in 1872, in the Creek Nation, at the place where the city of Tulsa now stands. His mother was a full- blood Creek Indian, who was born at Little Rock, Arkansas, during the emigration of the original Creeks to the Indian Territory. His father, John Bruner, was born in the Creek Nation, Texas, and both parents are deceased.
The son, Joseph Bruner, has lived all his life in the Creek Nation, and was educated liberally, receiving the most of his school- ing in the well known old Creek school at Wealaka and the Baptist Indian University at Muskogee. He has lived in Sapulpa since the early '90s, being, for a young man, one of the pioneer residents of the city, and he has been a participant as a business man in its remarkable growth since the inaugura- tion of the great oil and gas industries. He handles all kinds of legitimate investments pertaining to the agricultural, mineral and industrial development of the eastern half of the new state, and among his other large interests he owns several hundred acres of leases on valuable lead and zinc land in the Quapaw reservation in the northeastern part of the state. During six years he was Creek councilman, a member of the House of Kings, but this position he resigned two years ago. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, in which he has the honor
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of being a past chancellor, and representa- tive to the Grand Lodge.
Mr. Bruner married, in Sapulpa, Miss Marguerite Dart, who was born in Kansas, and they have a daughter, Josephine Esther Bruner. In politics, Mr. Bruner is a Re- publican.
LAFE SPEER, the register of deeds of Creek county, and one of the most prominent pro- moters for Sapulpa's prosperity, located in this city in August of 1903, and was the founder and is the president of the Okla- homa Abstract Company, the largest or- ganization of its kind in the eastern half of the new state, with offices at both Sapulpa and Tulsa. He has a complete set of the Dawes Commission records, and in every way his abstract books of the Creek Indian lands are most complete.
As a diversion Mr. Speer has for many years taken a very active interest in poli- tics, and is one of the leading and most in- fluential Democrats in the Indian Territory side of the state. In 1905 he was elected city recorder of Sapulpa, and served in that rather trying capacity with distinct success for the term of one year. At the general statehood and constitutional election of Sep- tember 12, 1907, he was elected register of deeds for the new county of Creek, a posi- tion for which he is peculiarly fitted from experience in the task of inaugurating a set of land records for the new county. So- cially and fraternally he is a past chancellor of the local Knights of Pythias and Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks, is prom- inent in the Commercial Club and in all efforts of civic enterprise requiring enthusi- asm and public spirit, widely known for his genial qualities, as well as an exponent of justice for everybody.
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