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. V, Part 37

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644

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. V > Part 37

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Thomas I. Truscott attended school at Kane, Illinois, in Arkansas, and at Thorpe Springs, Texas, and in 1875 was graduated from the Texas Christian University, re- ceiving a diploma in higher mathematics. Following this, for four years, he was principal of a school in Rock- wall County, Texas, and at the end of this period bought a school property at Seymour, Baylor County, Texas, which he owned and operated for eight years. His next venture was in the handling of cattle, an enter-

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prise in which he was engaged for eight years in Knox County, Texas, and during this time also taught school, but in 1898 disposed of his Texas interests and came to Olustee, Oklahoma, where he erected a cotton gin. Sell- ing this one year later, he embarked in the grocery business, and from a modest beginning has built up an enterprise that is now considered one of the substantial business concerns of the city. Almost from the time of its inception, Mr. Truscott has been vice president of the First National Bank and has taken a leading part in shaping its policies and directing it to success. When he came to Olustee he interested himself almost immediately in civic affairs, and as a friend of education was made a member of the school board, on which he acted almost continuously until 1913. He also displayed his ability and integrity as a member of the village council for six years, and June 17, 1913, was appointed postmaster of Olustee by President Wilson and has continued to dis- charge the duties of that position in an expeditious, efficient and courteous manner to the present time. With his family, Mr. Truscott belongs to the Christian Church. He is a member of the lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is de- servedly popular. His political beliefs have made him a democrat from the time of attaining his majority.

Mr. Truscott was married in 1883 in Rockwall County, Texas, to Miss Zona Polly, who died at Seymour, Texas, in 1897, the mother of four children, namely: Edith, who is the wife of F. A. Edwards, who is engaged in the insurance business in Texas; Margaret, who is the wife of H. A. Armstrong, of Dallas, Texas, connected with the Holland Magazine; Mida, who is the wife of Miles Bivins, a well-to-do cattleman of Amarillo, Texas; and Gwendo- line, who married J. P. Chose, a pharmacist of Helena, Montana. Mr. Truscott was again married, in 1904, at Olustee, Oklahoma, when united with Mrs. Stella (Crockett) Carter, widow of the late T. B. Carter, who was a farmer of Quanah, Texas. Two children have been born to this marriage: Dorothy and Barbara Tom, who are attending the Olustee public schools.

PROFESSOR JOHN DAVIS. The history of educational development in Oklahoma becomes more interesting in proportion to the recital of facts relating to the con- tributions made by such men as Professor Davis, since the number of individuals who may be counted as pioneers in the school history of Oklahoma is small. It was twenty years ago that Professor Davis began his activities in Oklahoma, becoming superintendent of the Blackwell public schools in 1895. The year after statehood he was called to the Central State Normal School at Edmond, and now for several years has been head of the depart- ment of physics and chemistry in that institution. His activities and influence both in and out of the class- room have been an important feature in the remarkable growth of the Central Normal.

John Davis was born in a plain rural Indiana com- munity at Wolcott, March 7, 1867, a son of Joseph W. and Nancy M. (James) Davis. His paternal grand- father was a first cousin of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, and was born in 1800. The father was a farmer, minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and about two years before the birth of Pro- fessor Davis had come back from the war with the rank of first lieutenant in an Indiana regiment. Professor Davis has two brothers and four sisters: Reed Davis, a lumber dealer at Grandfield, Oklahoma; Mrs. Harriet Stocks, wife of a farmer at Clinton, Oklahoma; Arthur Davis, agent for the Santa Fe Railway at McPherson, Kansas; Mrs. Josie Erickson, wife of a stockman at Latham, Kansas; Mrs. Cynthia Pitts, whose husband is

a music dealer at Lafayette, Indiana; and Mrs. Mary Pierce, who lives with her daughter at Yale, Oregon.

Professor Davis was educated in the public schools of Butler County, Kansas, to which state his parents removed in a covered wagon in 1876. He was afterwards in the Kansas Agricultural College at Manhattan and in the Kansas State Normal at Emporia. His life up to the age of nineteen was spent on a farm, at which time he left home to enter the agricultural college. He worked his way through that school, graduating with the degree Bachelor of Science in 1890. He then took pro- fessional work in the Kansas State Normal, graduating in 1892. For several years after that he was principal of several important schools in Kansas, and in 1895 came to Oklahoma and was elected superintendent of schools at Blackwell. In 1899 he became a member of the faculty of the Northwestern State Normal School at Alva, and during the following six years was the suc- cessful instructor and guide of hundreds of prospective teachers. Following that for two years he was super- intendent of schools at Nowata, and in 1908 took the chair of physics and chemistry in the Central State Normal at Edmond.

Some of the methods employed in his successful work as an instructor have been reduced to book form, under the title, "A Laboratory Course in Physics," which is now in use in the schools of Oklahoma and has been adopted as a text book in twelve other states. An important feature of his work in the Central State Normal School was the development of a school of photography, the attendance upon which has increased in a few years from 80 to 236. In this school are taught the rudiments of the art and the scientific developing and finishing of the pictures. This school does nearly all the photographic work for the Central State Normal. Lantern slides made here are used in advertising the Normal, and Professor Davis is assigned the duty each year of traveling over the state in the interest of the school, using his slides in illustrating the character of the work done there.

Professor Davis was married in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1896 to Miss Lily Reed, who since their marriage has been associated with her husband in educational work. She has been critic teacher in the Central State Normal School, and in 1915 taught a public school in Harmon County. They have one daughter, Ruth, aged fourteen, and in 1915 a freshman student in the Central Normal.

Professor Davis is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Order of Yeomen. He is well known in educational circles, is a member of the Oklahoma Educational Asso- ciation, the Central Oklahoma Educational Association, and the Oklahoma Academy of Science. His motto is hard work. He is devoted to the duties of his position, and spends a great deal of time in advancing the edu- cation of students in overflowing classes.

JOHN M. JONES. In point of energy, enterprise and determination, John M. Jones, of Hennessey is probably one of the best known men of Kingfisher County. His career has been a singularly active one, and has been crowned with success in a number of directions. A resident of Hennessey since 1890, he has steadily forged his way to business prominence as president of the Jones Dry Goods Company, is an ex-mayor and pres- ent postmaster of the city, and is a leading and influen- tial Mason, belonging to the Guthrie Consistory of the thirty-second degree. The success that has been gained by this sturdy citizen and capable man of affairs has come entirely as the result of his own efforts and in its

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gaining his activities have ever been characterized by the strictest adherence to honorable business principles.

Mr. Jones was born February 20, 1861, on a farm in the rich agricultural community of Peoria County, Illinois, and is a son of Hugh and Esther (Breed) Jones. Huglı Jones was born in 1806 at Johnstown, Pennsyl- vania, a son of Malachi and Mary (Addy) Jones, the former a native of Wales and the latter of Scotland. When Hugh Jones was eight years of age the family removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and there he was reared and educated and resided until 1835, when he went to Peoria County, Illinois, and settled on United States Government land. There he continued in agricultural pursuits on a large scale during many years. In addi- tion he was a steamboat pilot, was one of the builders of the Ohio Canal, and for a period twenty years was county judge of Peoria County. In 1858-59 he pre- empted land in Douglas County, Kansas, but at the outbreak of the Civil war returned to Illinois, where he drilled and organized a company for the Union army, but because of disabilities did not serve actively at the front. He was a Mason, and for forty years was a deacon in the LaMarsh Baptist Church in Peoria County. Mr. Jones died near Canton, in Fulton County, Illinois, May 2, 1878. In 1835, at Canton, Mr. Jones was mar- ried to Miss Esther Breed, daughter of Jonas and Grace (Niles) Breed, the former a native of England and the latter of Wales. She was born in 1812, at New London, Connecticut, and died at Joplin, Missouri, in 1895, the mother of four sons and four daughters, as follows: William E. and Hugh, who are deceased; Amos, who is now a ranchman of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma; John M., of this notice; Martha, who is the widow of S. G. Chambers; Barbara, who is the widow of James Northrup; Charity J., who is the wife of W. P. Roy; and Charlotte, who is the wife of John A. Powell.

John M. Jones was educated in the public schools of Peoria County, Illinois, taking a special course at the county normal school, and in 1878 removed to Kansas, where he settled on Government land in Kingman County. However, because of his youth, he failed to make final proof on this property. The journey to Kansas had been made by wagon, with his brother, Amos, and in 1886 Mr. Jones located at Greensburg, Kansas, where he became manager of a loan company. He took an active part in the organization of Kiowa County, Kansas, and became influential in democratic politics, but confined his activities to helping his friends, and was never a seeker after personal preferment. Mr. Jones resided at Greensburg for three years, following which he passed a year in prospecting in Colorado, and in 1890 came to Oklahoma and located at Hennessey, which town had been founded the year before and gave promise, since fulfilled, of becoming an important center of commercial activity. Here Mr. Jones associated himself with the firm of J. H. Crider & Company in general merchandise operations, and three years later became identified with Frederick Ehler, in the Ehler Dry Goods Company. He was a member of the firm and vice president and secre- tary of the company for thirteen years, or until 1908, when he incorporated the Jones Dry Goods Company, of which he is now president. This enterprise has been developed to large and important proportions and is one of the leading dry goods houses of the county. At Hennessey Mr. Jones continued to manifest an interest in democratic political affairs, and in 1906 was elected mayor of the city, an office which he held during that and the following year, and in which he established a record for helpful, energetic and conscientious service. He is at this time postmaster, to which office he was appointed by President Wilson, November 16, 1914, in recognition of his abilities and integrity, as well as

of the service he has rendered the party. He has endeavored faithfully to improve the efficiency of the mail service. Mr. Jones is past master of Coronado Lodge No. 56, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and has risen to the thirty-second degree in Masonry, holding membership in the Guthrie Consistory of the Scottish Rite.

On October 20, 1890, at Hennessey, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Miss Zetta Prince, who was born in 1865, in Illinois, and they have three daughters and one son: Calla, Roy Kehler, Beatrice and Marcie. Roy Kehler Jones was born August 15, 1894, at Hen- nessey, Oklahoma, and was graduated from the Hen- nessey High School in the class of 1910. In 1911 he was appointed a cadet at large from Oklahoma to the United States Naval Academy, at Annapolis, Maryland, and was graduated in 1916 with the rank of ensign.

EDWARD W. DOWNS, M. D. The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has been worthily achieved and whose prominence is no less the result of an irreproachable life than of natural talents and acquired ability in the field of his chosen labor. Doctor Downs occupies a position of distinction as a representative of the medical profession at Hinton and the best evidence of his capability in his chosen work is the large patronage which is accorded him.

The original progenitor of the Downs family in Amer- ica was a native of England and he emigrated to this country in the colonial days and settled in Connecticut. Henry Downs, father of the Doctor, was born at Hamden, Connecticut, in 1832, and as a young man he removed to Iowa City, where he was married and whence he went to Tama County, Iowa, there farming until 1866. In that year he located on a farm in Jasper County, Iowa, and there he served as township treasurer and as school director for many years. He was a democrat in his political allegiance and in early manhood he devoted much of his time to work as a stationary engineer. He was summoned to life eternal at Baxter, Iowa, in 1910. His wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Maria Worden, was born at Utica, New York, July 10, 1832, and she now maintains her home at Baxter, Iowa. There were four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Downs, as follows: Edward W. is the subject of this sketch; Harry owns and operates a garage at Baxter, Iowa; Horace is a druggist at Baxter; and Capitola died at the age of four years.

In Tama County, Iowa, just twelve miles north of Toledo, January 22, 1860, occurred the birth of Doctor Downs. He passed his boyhood and youth on his father's farm and received his preliminary educational training in the public schools of Jasper County, Iowa. He was a student in the academy at Newton, Iowa, and in 1879 he began to farm, devoting three years to that occupation. In 1882 he began to study medicine under Doctor Knepper, of Collins, Iowa, and the following year he entered the University of Iowa, in the medical de- partment of which he was graduated in 1885, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In 1901 he pursued a post-graduate course in the Chicago Clinical School. Doctor Downs initiated the active practice of his pro- fession at Coon Rapids, Iowa, where he built up a large and lucrative patronage and where he continued to reside until 1905. In that year he purchased a farm forty miles south of Winnipeg, Canada, and there was engaged in agricultural pursuits for one year, at the end of which he disposed of his farm, on which he still holds a mortgage, however, and came to Hinton. Here he has built up a splendid medical practice, being one of the pioneer physicians and surgeons in this vicinity. He is a member of the Caddo County Medical Society, the

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Oklahoma State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He is affiliated with the county and the Iowa State medical societies, likewise, and for years was health officer in Coon Rapids, Iowa. In a fra- ternal way he is connected with the Iowa State Lodge No. 34, Knights of Pythias, in which he is past chan- cellor.

Doctor Downs has been twice married. June 29, 1898, at Coon Rapids, Iowa, he married Miss Jessie Fletcher, a daughter of the late Capt. John Fletcher, a pensioned Civil war veteran. Mrs. Downs was a popular and suc- cessful teacher in Coon Rapids prior to her marriage and she died in that city in 1902. She is survived by one child: Henry W., born February 1, 1902, a pupil in the Hinton public school. For his second wife Doctor Downs married Mrs. Eliza (Clearwater) Johnson, widow of Christopher Johnson, a jeweler at Coon Rapids, and a daughter of Reuben Clearwater, a retired business man of Spaulding, Nebraska. To this union has been born one child: Iowa Capitola, whose nativity occurred Feb- ruary 10, 1913. Doctor and Mrs. Downs are popular in the social life of Hinton and they command the un- qualified confidence and esteem of their fellow citizens.

EDMOND J. GARDNER. "Biography is history teaching by example." Every human life helps to make or reflect the progress and experience of the age. Not only does biography serve to interpret the life of a state, but it also furnishes lessons of inspiration and encouragement for individual appreciation. These points are noted as of special application to the life of Edmond J. Gardner of Valliant. Of the sketches and life histories that appear in this publication there are few that better illustrate the power of an idea and a purpose working steadily in the soul of the individual than can be found in the following paragraphs. The sketch also illustrates many important phases of early history in old Indian Territory, particularly the Choctaw Nation.

In August, 1832, a company of about six hundred persons headed by Col. Thomas LaFlore, assembled at a place near what is now the City of Paulding, Jasper County, Mississippi, to begin a journey of about eight hundred miles to their future home in a new country west of the Territory of Arkansas. It was an unusual exodus. All the inhabitants of the surrounding country were gathered together preparatory to the journey- men, women and children of every age and every degree of social standing. Following the edict of the general government, they were to leave that country forever. Naturally their hearts were sad, and they set out with much weeping and sorrow, sustained only by such com- fort as came from the prospect of their future home. Some years prior to this departure the people of the country had become divided into two factions-Chris- ians and anti-Christians. Naturally on assembling the wo elements formed themselves into divisions, being drawn together by ties of kinship, friendship and be- iefs. This particular company was called a "Christian company" because they favored Christianity. They raveled only on week days, announcing the hour of their laily devotion by blowing a large horn, while the Sab- bath was a day of rest and of holding religious services. They traveled by ox wagons, horse wagons, horseback, ind about two-thirds walked. The wagons were chiefly ised for carrying the necessities for the journey. Many vere thinly clad and had no shoes, and as they journeyed vestward cold weather came on and they suffered greatly from the cold. About thirty died from exposure nd were buried along the roadside near where they lied. The roads were new and the many wagons made hem almost impassable. While they were favored with Vol. V-9

reasonably fair weather, the suffering was great, espe- cially among the feeble and children. Several babies were born during the journey. Passing through Jackson and crossing the Mississippi at Vicksburg, they followed a northwest course up Red River, and about the first. day of December came to a permanent stop about forty miles across the boundary in the new country. They selected building places and set up a very populous settlement. On the 9th of December, under the leader- ship of Rev. Alfred Wright, a noted missionary, they organized a church and established a school, naming the place Wheelock.

At the time of the removal from Mississippi to Indian Territory in 1832, the five brothers, Isaac, Jerry, James, Noel and Edmond Gardner, were boys and young men, lot more than one of them being married at the time. Their parents had died some years before in Mississippi. These five were all there were at that time of the Gardner name that were Indians by blood.

Jerry died near Wheelock a few years after his arrival, and his descendants and all the Gardners except Noel later moved further west.

Noel Gardner married Henrietta LeFlore, daughter of Colonel Thomas LeFlore. He settled a mile and a half west of Wheelock, cleared up a farm, engaged in farm- ing and stock raising, and was also a minister of the Gospel, assisting in the church and school work at Wheelock as interpreter and native preacher. His pos- sessions consisted of a small farm, cattle, horses, sheep, hogs and a small herd of deer. He died at his home about the year 1860, leaving a widow and three sons, Jefferson, Jerry and James. The widowed mother being an industrious and intelligent woman managed the af- fairs of the home to good advantage. About two years later Jefferson and James began work in a store for their uncle Michael LeFlore, while Jerry remained on the farm with his mother to oversee the farming and livestock interests.

In 1863 Jefferson moved to Eagletown, and engaged in merchandising, became prosperous and a man of prominence, serving his people in several official capaci- ties and subsequently becoming governor of the Nation. His death occurred in 1906. His brother James was for several years in the merchandise business at Wheelock, but in 1883 moved his business to Bonton on the Red River. He married Miss Ida Lick, and lived on Red River until his death in 1887.

Jerry Gardner married first Rebecca Wilson, whom he divorced, and then married Jinny James, daughter of William James. As already stated he remained on the old homestead. Able to speak the English language very limitedly, he realized the importance of learning it, and he and his wife entered into an agreement when they were married not to speak their native tongue in their home except when absolutely necessary. He did this in order to learn the language, and after he had acquired a fluency in it the habit was so strong that he and his wife continued through their married life to speak it and their children never learned the native tongue.

In the meantime, after the death of their mother in 1871, Jerry Gardner and his two brothers had some of their interests in common, and Jerry remained at the homestead looking after the livestock for all three. That was the condition until 1882, when Jerry bought a small farm on Red River near Bonton, and set up in farming and stock raising for himself. He prospered, accumulated considerable property about him, cleared up a good farm, and in 1886 became sheriff of his county. This was apparently the high tide of his earthly achievements. Thenceforward his was a somewhat down-

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ward course. In 1887 his family was visited with an unusual amount of sickness, resulting in the death of two of his children. In 1888 the fullbloods of Towson and Boktuklo Counties armed themselves in bands and threatened extermination of the mixed bloods who were outnumbered several to one. Consequently the mixed bloods fled to Texas on short notice to save their lives, leaving their families and possessions. Jerry Gardner remained in Texas about six months, visiting his family only a few times and then only at night. Sending word to his wife by a friendly hand to met him at midnight at a lone pine tree that stood a short distance from the home, he would cautiously set out for the trysting place, while his wife, having previously made close watch for any of the hostile bands, would take her babe in arms at about ten o'clock at night and followed by her three sous, make her way through the darkness to the place of meeting and then sit at the roots of the tree in perfect silence. The breaking of a stick would announce his approach, but in order to guard against any possible mistake there was no communication until an exchange of signals was made. Speaking in a low tone, making a few inquiries and giving a few instructions, not being permitted to see the faces of his loved ones, Jerry Gardner would depart into the stillness of the night and would then ride his horse in all haste for Texas, swim- ming the Red River wherever he reached its banks. Along the south banks the Red River at every crossing was a saloon, and great quantities of "fire water"' were smuggled across the river into the Indian country. This only added fuel to the inflamed minds. During the civil war between the full bloods and the half bloods several were killed, including the agitators, before peace was restored. During this time Jerry Gardner suffered not only the privations already mentioned but also in- curred considerable material loss. In 1889 he lost his wife, and after that he showed little interest in any- thing and his misfortunes preyed heavily upon his mind. In 1892 he married Mrs. Ida Gardner, his brother's widow. However, he was never himself again, and he continued to decline in attitude toward life and in his material prosperity until his death in 1898. At that time he had a daughter living by his first marriage, Mrs. Susan Parsons of Millerton. By the second mar- riage there were two sons and a daughter, Alfred T., Edmond J. and Carrie. Alfred T. married Mattie Bartee and settled on a farm on Red River. Carrie became the wife of George Tyler, a farmer and stock man, and settled at Wheelock.

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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: 644

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644