A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. III, Part 101

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 660

USA > Oklahoma > A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. III > Part 101

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HORACE SPEED. Among the men whose names have been connected with important public service in Okla- homa, few have attained greater distinction for ma- terially helpful work than has Horace Speed. A thor- oughly learned lawyer, he has been called upon frequently to act in positions of the utmost importance, particularly as to legislation regarding the Indian tribes, and in each case his labors have been brought to a happy termination.

Mr. Speed was born in Nelson County, Kentucky, January 25, 1852, and is a son of Thomas and Mar- garet (Hawkins) Speed. His father, who was born in the same house in which the son was later born, early adopted farming, to which he had been reared on his father's old homestead, and continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death in 1892, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was a member of the Presby- terian Church, and in political matters was in early life an old line whig and later joined the republican party. Mr. Speed was married at Indianapolis, Indiana, to Margaret Hawkins, who was born in that state, and who died in 1902, at the age of seventy-seven years. They became the parents of five children, of whom two now live: Horace, who was the third in order of birth; and Louise.

Horace Speed attended the public schools of Nelson County, Kentucky, until reaching the age of fourteen years, when he began working on his father's farm. When seventeen years of age he secured a position as clerk for Gen. John P. Hawkins, U. S. A., and continued. with him for eight years. It was while thus employed that he began to study law and to enter upon a career in which he was to attain high honors. Admitted to the bar in 1877, he then entered the office of Harrison, Haines & Miller, of which Gen. Benjamin Harrison was the senior member, at Indianapolis, Indiana, and after one year of experience with this noted firm opened an office of his own in the same city. There he continued in active practice until 1889, on April 22d of which year he arrived at Winfield, Kansas, and soon moved on to Guthrie, Oklahoma, which was his home and scene of practice until 1914, then locating at Tulsa, where he now maintains offices at No. 224 Iowa Building.

When the territorial government was established, in 1890, Mr. Speed was appointed United States attorney, a position which he held for four years. During this time from 400 to 600 cases were tried by him, among them two of the utmost importance, relating to the Cherokee Outlet. In these cases an injunction was asked to restrain the United States Army from interfering with the herds of cattle in the Cherokee Outlet, and these were brought before Chief Justices E. B. Green and A. J. Seay. The decision held that the Cherokee title was for the purpose of an outlet to the West, as the name implies. The cases appear as Jordan vs. Goldman and Guthrie vs. Hall, the former being found on p. 407, and the latter on pp. 406 and 455, in the First Oklahoma Report.

During the 11/2 years between the opening and the time the territorial government was put into operation, corruption had insinuated itself in the land office, and matters were brought to a head in December, 1890, when requests were made that the officers be prosecuted. Special agents of the United

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States Government assisted in procuring evidence, and during the years 1891, 1892 and 1893 several score of such cases were prosecuted before Oklahoma juries, which returned verdicts of guilty in all cases save one. This drew from the attorney general, in his report, a commendary comment upon the unusual high character of a people which set their faces against corruption. The only laws which were in force when Mr. Speed was appointed, in the territories and Indian reservations, were those of the United States. There were no laws regarding the ordinary incidents of daily life, or against crimes, while deceased estates, corporations, conveyance of real estate, roads, schools, marriage, poor, insane, preservation of the peace, and violence, were completely ignored. In August, 1889, a small committee met at Guthrie, and Mr. Speed was appointed to draw up a memorial, setting forth the needs of the community in regard to laws. This met with the favor of the commit- tee, was sent to Congress, and in 1890 a printed copy of this petition was placed on the desk of every member of the House and Senate. This action secured, in time, a rectification of conditions.

In May and June, 1899, members of a mob had burned two Indians, near Maud, Oklahoma, claiming that an Indian had murdered a white woman. Having been ap- pointed special assistant United States attorney, for the special purpose of trying their cases, Mr. Speed secured the conviction of the three leaders of the mob, who pleaded guilty. In 1899 Mr. Speed performed another service of the greatest value, although it was not until later that his plans came to a full fruition. In that year he placed before Secretary Hitchcock the proposition of giving 160 acres of land to each Osage Indian, to hold for farming purposes, after due consultation with lead- ing chiefs of the tribe. The proposition was not ac- cepted at that time, the secretary holding that the plan was not practicable. In January, 1900, O. A. Mitcher was appointed Indian agent, and Mr. Speed was success- ful in convincing him that it would do no harm to give the idea a trial, in that it would incur no extra expense upon the Government. Mr. Mitcher accordingly devoted much time to this work, and within two years had given to 1,600 Osage Indians a tract of 160 acres each. That the plan was an excellent and highly satisfactory one was shown when a few months later, the Osage Indians as a tribe petitioned the United States Government that the lands be divided among them. .

Mr. Speed now continues in the private practice of his profession, and is known as one of the leading lawyers of the state with a practice of the most important kind. He belongs to the county, state and national organiza- tions of his profession, and fraternally is well known, having reached the thirty-second degree in Masonry. His political beliefs make him a stanch and unwavering republican. In 1896, Mr. Speed was married to Miss Matilda Woods, a native of Mahaska County, Iowa, and to this union there has been born one son, Horace, Jr.

JAMES ARTHUR HARRIS. A comparatively new country offers opportunities for business success to men of enter- prise that are not present to the same extent in the older communities. This is notably true of the real estate busi- ness, which thrives best in places of quick settlement, like a large part of the State of Oklahoma. Here, since the opening of the old Indian lands to white settlement, the car of progress has rolled onward with an ever accel- erating speed; insignificant villages have grown into large and prosperous cities and new villages and towns have sprung up on what was formerly a wide prairie, or rolling hill country, inhabited chiefly by Indian tribes and a few adventurous white men. Among these quick-

growing towns is that of Wagoner, the growth of which, however, while rapid, has been for the most part steady and healthy, and has now attained a point where any serious setback is little likely to occur. Already with a population of 5,000 or more, it bids fair within a few years to double or treble its present size, its growth being accompanied, moreover, by all the machinery and appurtenances of an advanced civilization, so that set- tlers from older communities are in nowise deprived of those comforts and conveniences to which they have previously been accustomed. Among the most enterpris- ing citizens and business men of this town are the Harris Brothers, James Arthur and William H., who are inter- ested largely in real estate, oil production and other industries. James A. Harris being also a politician of more than local fame, a sketch of his life will interest not only the people of Wagoner but many throughout the state and elsewhere, and it is therefore here presented as fully as the data at hand permits.

James Arthur Harris was born near Henry, Marshall County, Illinois, July 26, 1870, a son of George H. and Emeline H. (Rowe) Harris. His line of descent has been traced back to within ten years of the earliest white settlement in New England, as it was in 1630 that Thomas Harris, his first progenitor in this country, with his wife Elizabeth, and their children, came from Eng- land to the colony of Massachusetts Bay, settling in Charlestown. Among the children was a son, Thomas, who became the father of another Thomas Harris, who married Martha Lake. They had a son, Ebenezer, born in Massachusetts in 1662, who married Christobel Crary, and removed to Plainfield, Connecticut, where he died. The next in direct line of descent was Nathan, born in Plainfield, Connecticut, who married Susannah Rude. Their son Daniel, born in Plainfield in 1759, was a Revo- lutionary soldier and in his latter years drew a half pension from the United States Government of $44 a year. He married Lucy Fox and in 1788 removed from Plainfield, Connecticut, to Becket, Massachusetts. Their son, Harvey, born at Becket, April 13, 1795, became a physician, practicing his profession in his native town for some years until he moved to Etna, New York, where he continued in practice for many years. He finally removed to Henry, Illinois, where his death occurred in 1870, he being then about seventy-five years old. The maiden name of his wife was Eliza Harned. They were the parents of George H. Harris, father of the subject of this biography, who was born at Etna, New York, September 27, 1844, and died at Nevada, Missouri, No- vember 22, 1903. He was a boy of ten years when the family removed to Henry, Illinois, which was about 1854. As already intimated, he married Emeline H. Rowe. They had five children: William H., who married Eva Fair- banks; James Arthur, whose name forms the caption of this article; Harriet A .; Charles E .; and Edith M., who is the wife of George W. Strawn.

James Arthur Harris was but a boy when death deprived him of his mother. At the age of thirteen years he left the parental home and came to Indian Territory, residing for the following five years with his uncle, James R. Harris, at Atoka. His education was acquired in the public schools and he began industrial life as a clerk in a general store at Atoka, being subse- quently employed for five years or more both as a mer- cantile clerk and as a buyer of railroad ties. He then took a commercial course in a business college at Omaha, Nebraska, and for three years thereafter was in the abstract business in that city, being owner and manager of the Harris Abstract Company. In 1893 Mr. Harris engaged in the mercantile business at Wagoner, Okla- homa. One year later his brother, William H. Harris, joined him as partner and they successfully conducted

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their store until 1899. They then sold out and engaged in the land leasing business, which was merged into the real estate business in 1904, since which time the firm of Harris Brothers has been numbered among the most active and successful in Oklahoma. They are also engaged in oil producing, the style of the firm in this branch of the business being Harris Brothers & Strawn, their brother-in-law, Mr. George W. Strawn, being asso- ciated with them.

In addition to the large interests above mentioned, Mr. Harris has others, also of an extensive nature connected with farms and farm 'lands. His business career has been attended with very gratifying results. He began the battle of life for himself when but a boy, and has made his way from the condition of a practically penniless youth, without other resources than health, ambition and a good character, to that of a man of wealth and influ- ence.

For a number of years Mr. Harris has been prominent in the councils of the republican party. He has been a member of the State Republican Committee since state- hood, and was a member of the Indian Territory Repub- lican Committee from its first organization. From 1908 to 1912 he was chairman of the Oklahoma State Repub- lican Committee, and in 1908 was delegate at large from Oklahoma to the National Republican Convention. In 1912 he became national republican committeeman from Oklahoma and has since held this position. In 1907 he was elected a member of the Oklahoma State Consti- tutional Convention, but aside from this he has never held an elective office. In fraternal relations Mr. Harris is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In religious faith he is a Methodist.

GEORGE S. RAMSEY. A distinction significant of his high standing among Oklahoma lawyers was the elec- tion of George S. Ramsey in 1914 as president of the Oklahoma State Bar Association. Mr. Ramsey for ten years has been a resident and one of the ablest lawyers practicing at the Muskogee bar. He came to Oklahoma from Tennessee, where he represents an old and hon- ored family, and had already gained both reputation and experience in the law and public affairs.

George S. Ramsey was born in Warren County, Ten- nessee, August 18, 1874, a son of George W. and Eliza- beth (King) Ramsey. Both parents were natives of Tennessee, and the father was of Scotch and the mother of English lineage. The grandfather was Samuel Ram- sey, a pioneer Tennesseean and a soldier under General Andrew Jackson in the wars with the Creek and Semi- nole Indians.

Mr. Ramsey spent his early life on his father's farm in Warren County, Tennessee. Most of his education has come from self study and the vigorous pursuit of his ambition for higher spheres of effort. After completing the course of the public schools, he studied law in a private office at Manchester, Tennessee, and was admitted to the bar in 1896, at the age of twenty- two. He has always been a popular man in public affairs, and from 1896 to 1900 was postmaster at Man- chester, finally resigning the office. In 1904 he was given the nomination by the republican party of Ten- nessee for the office of judge of the chancery court of appeals. His party was in the minority that year, but he led the rest of his ticket.

Mr. Ramsey located at Muskogee January 30, 1905, and in the subsequent ten years has built up an exten- sive general law practice, has handled with great skill and ability a large volume of litigation, and at different times has touched the life of his community and state in a public way.

In 1898 Mr. Ramsey married Miss Earline Young,

daughter of A. M. Young, formerly of Tennessee, but who came to Oklahoma in 1905, and served as bank commissioner under Governor Haskell. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey have one daughter, Margaret. Mr. Ramsey has one of the fine homes of Muskogee, Oklahoma.

HIRAM W. IMPSON. A member of one of the most prominent old families of the Choctaw Nation has re- cently graduated from the University of Oklahoma. This is Hiram W. Impson, who was a member of the class of 1915 at the university, and is now preparing for the profession of law.

The home of Hiram Impson is at Bokchito, Bryan County. He was born at that place in the early '90s, when it was in the old Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. His parents were Middleton M. and Angeline (Boyd- stun) Impson, the former one-fourth Choctaw, the latter white. Middleton M. Impson was born in 1851 near where the present Town of Bokchito is now located. His parents, John and Louisa (Folsom) Impson, came from Mississippi during the decade of the '30s. John Impson was the son of Isaac Impson, a white man who married a half-breed Choctaw. Louisa Folsom was the daughter of Samuel Folsom, the son of Nathaniel Fol- som, a white man, and a descendant of John Folsom, who came to Massachusetts during the seventeenth cen- tury. Middleton M. Impson never sought political office, but devoted himself to farming and stock-raising. His wife, Angeline Boydstun, was a native of Arkansas, and a member of a Tennessee family.

Hiram W. Impson throughout his career has had the best ideals set before him and has been given liberal advantages in preparation for his serious career. He attended the Durant Presbyterian College at Durant, Indian Territory, and the Austin College at Sherman, Texas, and in 1911 entered the University of Oklahoma, where he remained until taking the A. B. degree in 1915.

During his college career, Mr. Impson had been prom- inent in student activities at the university. The offices held were: first chief of Oklushe Degataga, the Indian student organization; president of the senior class dur- ing the first semester; president of the Political Science Club; president of Literary Society; member Y. M. C. A. cabinet; circulation manager of the college paper ; member of the publication board of the college paper; vice president Democratic Club; college secretary of Y. M. & D. C. of Oklahoma; and delegate to four student Y. M. C. A. conferences held outside of the state.

Mr. Impson is now associated with Professor Thoburn in writing biographical sketches of representative Choc- taw and Chickasaw men and women for the Standard History of Oklahoma.

THOMAS J. SHINN, M. D. Among the professions there is none in which the value of thorough preparation is more evident than in that of medicine and surgery. In these sciences careful training is a vital necessity if the devotee hopes to reach the plane of a broad practice, to get beyond an ordinary patronage and the region of mediocrity. Dr. Thomas J. Shinn not only prepared him- self with patience and thoroughness before he entered active practice, but since that time has been a constant student and investigator of his calling, so that he has made noticeable strides toward eminence among the physicians and surgeons of Wagoner.

Doctor Shinn was born in Newton County, Arkansas, November 13, 1876, and is a son of Dr. Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Sanders) Shinn. The Shinn family is of Irish origin and its founder in America was an early settler of North Carolina, while the Sanders family, also of Erin, became pioneer settlers of Missouri, where Eliza- beth (Sanders) Shinn was born. Dr. Thomas J. Shinn,

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Sr., was born in Arkansas and for many years has been a well-known medical practitioner of Newton County, residing at Western Grove, where his son was reared and received his early education in the public schools. After graduating from the Western Grove High School, the youth attended Jasper (Arkansas) Academy, and follow- ing this taught school for a period of four years. Inher- iting a predilection for medicine, he studied under the able preceptorship of his father and matriculated in the medical department of the University of Arkansas, from which he was graduated in 1905 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. At that time he began the practice of his profession in association with his father, at West- ern Grove, but in 1906 came to Wagoner, Oklahoma, where he soon gained a lucrative practice through the display of talent, ability and sympathy, and since that time has worked his way to the front rank among the practitioners of the county. Doctor Shinn's education and experience have admirably fitted him for general practice, which he has followed to a large extent, although he has perhaps obtained his strongest standing in the field of surgery, in which branch he has enjoyed the ben- efit of post-graduate courses at the Chicago Post-Grad- uate Medical School and with the Doctors Mayo, at Rochester, Minnesota. He is local surgeon for the Mis- souri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, is at present serving in the capacity of county physician for Wagoner County, and is a valued member of the Wagoner County Medical Society, the Oklahoma State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Fraternally, he is affil- iated with the Royal Arch Masons at Wagoner. As a citizen he has done his full part in promoting movements for the general welfare.

Doctor Shinn was married in Arkansas, in 1896, to Miss Nora Ramsey, who was born in that state, and to this union there have been born two daughters, the Misses Lillian and Lulu.

THOMAS W. MAYFIELD. An honored and representa- tive younger member of the bar of Cleveland County, Thomas Wollard Mayfield is engaged in the practice of his profession in the City of Norman, which is not only the judicial center of the county but which also claims special priority by reason of its being the seat of the University of Oklahoma. Further interest attaches to his success and prestige at the bar of Cleveland County by reason of his being a native son of the fine little city in which he now maintains his home and is known as a loyal and progressive citizen.

Mr. Mayfield was born at Norman, Oklahoma, on the 14th of September, 1889, the year that marked the opening of Oklahoma Territory to settlement. He is a son of Warren T. and Mabel (White) Mayfield, the former of whom was born in the State of Kentucky, in 1858, and the latter of whom was born in Illinois, their marriage having been solemnized at Chillicothe, Missouri, to which state the father had removed when a young man. Warren T. Mayfield participated in the rush of new settlers that came into Oklahoma Ter- ritory on the day that it was first thrown open for settlement, April 17, 1889, and he became one of the pioneers of the Town of Norman, where he and his wife have since maintained their residence and where he has been a prominent and influential citizen in con- nection with both business and civic development and progress. He is the pioneer druggist of this now thriv- ing and attractive little city, and is the owner of the building and business known as the Rexall Drug Store, at 205 East Main Street. He was a member of the state pharmacy board and has served as a member of the city council, as has he also as a valued and effi- cient member of the board of education of Norman.

He is a staunch democrat in his political adherency, is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and holds membership in the Christian Church. His wife is member of the Presbyterian Church. Of the children the eldest is Wil- liam V., who is associated with his father in the con- ducting of the drug store; Thomas W., of this review, is the second child; and Warren T. is a member of the class of 1917 in the University of Oklahoma.

Thomas W. Mayfield continued to attend the public schools of Norman until he had completed the curric- ulum of the high school, in which 'he was graduated in 1908. For six months he prosecuted higher academic studies in Park College, at Parkville, Missouri, and during the following semester he was a student in the literary department of the University of Oklahoma, iu his home city. He then entered the law department of the university, and in the same he was graduated as a member of the class of 1912, his reception of the degree of Bachelor of Laws being virtually coincident with his admission to the bar of his native state. He has since been engaged in the active general practice of his profession at Norman, and his ability, close ap- plication and personal popularity have enabled him to build up a substantial and representative law business and to gain place as one of the prominent younger representatives of his profession in this part of his na- tive state, his well appointed offices being in the May- field Building, at 205 East Main Street. He is actively identified with the Cleveland County Bar Association and the Oklahoma State Bar Association and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon College fraternity, his political allegiance being given to the democratic party.

On the 11th of August, 1911, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Mayfield to Miss Minnie Greenmore, whose father, Charles Greenmore, is a prominent banker and stockgrower at Lexington, Cleveland County. Mr. and Mrs. Mayfield have one son, Thomas Wollard, who was born on the 28th of October, 1915.

FIRST STATE BANK OF TERRAL. Among the most important interests of any live and growing community are those which deal with its finances, for financial stability must of necessity be the foundation stone upon which all great enterprises are builded. The men who conserve and control the money of country, corporation or individual must possess many qualities not requisite in the ordinary citizen. Public confidence must be with them, and in their daily work they must exercise wisdom, sagacity and foresight. The First State Bank of Terral, an enterprise which grew out of the needs of its com- munity, is backed by men of sound financial standing and ability, high commercial integrity, poise and judg- ment. It was founded in 1900 as a private institution, was later nationalized, and in 1909 became a state bank and adopted its present name. It attracts its depositors from all over Jefferson County, and its standing in the financial world is an excellent one. The First State Bank of Terral is capitalized at $10,000, and has a surplus of $6,000, and is housed in a structure which was erected in 1904 and is located in the center of the main business block of the town. Its present officers are: S. G. Trout, president; John R. Trout, vice presi- dent, and H. G. Marshall, cashier.

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Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941 Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society Number of Pages: 660

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 660