USA > Oklahoma > Portrait and biographical record of Oklahoma; commemorating the achievements of citizens who have contributed to the progress of Oklahoma and the development of its resources, V. 1 > Part 89
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yards, buying and selling them, for he was an acknowledged judge of their merits.
On the day that Oklahoma was opened Mr. Fairchild came to the city of the same name, and for a few months was engaged in managing a restaurant. In the meantime he was carefully looking over the country, with a view to settle- ment in the best fruit section, or, rather, in that locality where the climatic and soil conditions hield out the best promise. In the autumn of 1889 he bought the southeast quarter of section 35, Britton township, and at once began making 'improvements upon the place. That fall he plowed six.acres of land. and set out a vineyard, and subsequently he increased the boundaries of the same to twenty acres. A fine orchard, comprising apple, peach, pear and plum trees, covers forty acres. About sixty tons of grapes are raised each year now, and manufactured into wine, and in 1899, from a twelve-acre tract, suf- ficient fruit was grown to make four thousand gallons. A specialty is made of Delaware and Catawba grapes, and all kinds of fruit are fur- nished to the markets.
Always having an excellent exhibit of fruit and wines at the Oklahoma street fair and. at the annual horticultural fair, Mr. Fairchild has been awarded' a number of premiums on the same. He is greatly interested in the prosperity of Oklahoma City, and, as an evidence of the faith which he has in its future, it may be said that he has made investments in real estate there from time to time. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Republican. His devoted wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Vorhis, departed this life in 1892, and left two children, Walter and Carrie. The son, who is a graduate of Lehigh Valley University, is a traveling salesman for an electrical supply company of New York City.
E LIJAH YOUNG FREEMAN, whose valu- able homestead is situated on the southeast ยท quarter of section 12, township 15, range 3 west, Logan county, is one of the energetic sons of Illinois, so many of whom are included among the representative agriculturists of this territory. He is a self-made man, and from the time that he was a miere boy he has depended upon his own exertions for a livelihood.
The first six years of our subject's life were spent at his birthplace, near Payson, Adams county, Ill., the date of his birth being Septem- ber 1, 1848. His parents, Eli and Rhoda (Young) Freeman, removed to Leon, Iowa, about 1854, and there the former became a prosperous hotel- keeper, also running a livery and feed stable in connection with the hostelry. He died in 1860. and, unfortunately, when his business affairs had been settled, it was found that little or nothing
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was left for the maintenance of his family. When he was fourteen years old our subject obtained a position on a farm, and for two years was thmus employed. At the age of sixteen years he joined a party bound for the Pacific coast, and, as he was considered too slight and young to drive a team, he was obliged to enter into an agreement to pay the expenses of his trip after he had ar- rived at his longed-for El Dorado. He faith- fully carried out his promises, earning the means necessary by working on farms, and about that time he beheld silver money for the first time in his life. He remained in California until 1868, and when he had made the long and expensive homeward trip, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, New York City, and by train to Iowa, he found himself in possession of barely $1oo in gold. Prior to his western trip, and while he was in the Golden state, he had made the best of his educational opportunities, and for a year sub- sequent to his return home, attended school.
In May, 1869, E. Y. Freeman went to Kansas City, where he applied for a position on the Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad. Starting with that cor- poration in a humble position, he gradually worked. his way upward, becoming an engineer in 1876. At the end of fourteen years with that company he left its employ in 1883, and then became connected with the southern branch of the Santa Fe system, his headquarters being at Ottawa, Kans. For years he was actively asso- ciated with the Brotherhoods of Locomotive En-
into Oklahoma, and, having located a home- stead, his present place of abode, he soon put up a hewed log house, to which he afterward added wings. He has made substantial improvements upon his place, and is progressive and thrifty in the management of his affairs. He did not aban- don railroading until the great strike of 1894. when he gave up his position, and, with relief. turned his energy into the quiet channels of agriculture. In 1872 he cast his first presidential ballot for Horace Greeley, but of late years' he has become a socialist. While a resident of Fort Scott lie joined Rising Sun Lodge No. 8. A. F. & A. M., and Fort Scott Lodge No. 22, I. O. O. F. He now belongs to the Protective & Detective Association, of Seward.
In May, 1873. Mr. Freeman married Laura Ida May, of Baxter Springs, Kans. Their eldest- born, Mrs. Kate Williamson, lives in Rosedale, a suburb of Kansas City, and her only child, Clarence, was born October 24, 1802. Minnie May, the second daughter of our subject, is pur- suing a course of study at Baker City, Ore., and Mary makes her home with her paternal grand- mother in Iowa. The marriage of Mr. Freeman and Carrie Bienway, of Yates Center, Kans .. took place in Fort Scott September 27. 1882.
She is a native of Berlin, Germany, and came to America with her parents, John and Wilhelmina (Miller) Bienway, when she was a child of six years. Mr. Freeman and wife have three chil- dren: Anna Pearl, born at Yates Center; Grover C., born at Emporia, Kans .; and Goldie Rutli, born at Ottawa, Kans.
O. H. EPLEY. Although his plans in life have been somewhat frustrated by ill- health, which has been overcome, Mr. Epley is now successfully engaged in the further improvement of his claim, located on the south- west quarter of section 6, township 22, range 5, Garfield county. Mr. Epley was born in Stepli- enson county, Ill., April 10, 1860, and is a son of C. G. and Hannah (Kelley) Epley, who moved to Cass county, Mo., in 1866. Here the father bought land, upon which the family lived until coming to Oklahoma.
O. H. was reared on his father's farm, and re- ceived a fair common-school education, to which he has since materially added by reading and observation of surrounding occurrences. In the spring of his twentieth year himself and father leased one hundred and sixty acres of land, and, before the lease had expired, O. H. had bought eighty acres of land, upon which he successfully carried on agricultural pursuits.
gineers and Firemen. In 1889 he made the run , of Iowa. She is a daughter of Willian W. and
September 2, 1883, Mr. Epley married Laura B. Hopkins, of Miami county, Kans., and a native Caroline (Roberts) Hopkins, and is the mother of one son, Roy W., born in Cass county Sep- tember 29, 1884. In 1888 Mr. Epley began to suffer from failing health, and, in the hope of re- cuperating in a different climate, and under changed conditions, he went to York Gulch, Mont. There he worked in the mines, and his wife, wishing to aid in the venture, turned her attention to cooking. After a time the heaith of the invalid was so shattered that yet another change was undertaken, and they removed to White Sulphur Springs, where Mr. Epley was soon on the rapid road to recovery. In 1893 he decided to avail himself of the opportunities in the new territory, and made the run with others similarly inclined, and settled first on Black Bear claim. There were several others there, with a rooted determination to make it their permanent abiding place, and in the morning of the next day Mr. Epley wisely withdrew from the con- test, and soon after located on a claim which has since been his home. In 1898 he bought the southeast quarter of section 1, township 22, range 6, and, in addition, leases a quarter section of school land, which is required to carry on his large farming interests.
In politics Mr. Epley is affiliated with the Re-
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
publican party, but has never been an office- seeker. Fraternally he is associated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of Cass county, Mo., belonging to Lone Tree Lodge No. 318.
W ILLIAM M. JOHNSON, a stock-raiser and agriculturist of Logan county, owns a farm located on the southcast quarter of section 8, township 19, range 3 west, also a claim of eighty acres on the southeast quarter of section 5, township 19, range 3 west, and the. northeast quarter of section 17, township 19, range 3 west. In addition he leases school land on section 16, township 19, range 3 west. Thus it is seen that he is a large land owner. his own territory being insufficient for his various needs, and the rented land being a necessity owing to his constantly increasing stock business. The home farm is well housed and well equipped and fenced in all around. Also . there is running water and every evidence on hand of a well managed, well regulated farming enterprise. Upon first coming to the territory in 1889 Mr. Johnson experienced some difficulty in regard to his claim, and, after filing a protest. returned to his home in Kansas. The following year he came back, bought off the occupant, filed his claim and returned home for his family and worldly possessions.
Born in Pennsylvania, Mr. Johnson is a son of James S. and Effie ( Hutchison) Johnson. also natives of that state. The grandparents on both sides were early settlers in Pennsylvania and were successful farmers, who made an impres- sion on the progress of the community in which they dwelt. The paternal grandfather was a hero in the Revolutionary war. The parents of William M. moved to Ohio when he was eight- een years old and settled on a farm in Jackson county. Their son had limited opportunities for acquiring an education, the only means of educa- tion in those days in the country being the early subscription schools. Besides William there were two other sons, Hutchison, who is living in Kansas, and Jacob, who was killed near Harper's Ferry in a skirmish. After three years of resi- dence in Jackson county, Ohio, the family move 1 to Gallia county, where William M. farmed until the breaking out of the war. lle enlisted in August of 1862 in Company B, Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and participated in the bat- ties of Winchester and Cedar Creek, and was. during the last eighteen months of his service. under command of General Sheridan. During the progress of the war he had a bullet shot through his hat, and a cup of coffee was shot out of his hand. He was discharged from duty at Baltimore, Md., in August, 1865.
Returning to his home in Ohio, Mr. Johnson resumed his occupation of farming. and in 1885 moved to Wapcllo county, where he continued in the same line of work for two years. He mar- ried Susan Hanlon, a daughter of Robert and Margery Hanlon, both deceased. To this couple have been born eight children: Richard is mar- ried, has four children, and is a farmer in the territory; Margery is the wife of Robert Nida, a farmer living in the territory; Margaret is married to Mr. Mckinley, a farmer of Okla- homa; Alvira is married to John Bocox, a far- mer, whose sketch is found in this book; Hutch- ison is married and has two children, and is also a resident of Oklahoma: Robert C., also living here, has four children; Elbert D. and Willian L. complete the family circle. Mr. Johnson be- longed formerly to the Grand Army of the Re- public, but neglected to procure his letter of transfer. Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The services of the church are held in the school building.
Mr. Johnson has taken an active interest in all that pertains to the welfare of the community in which his lot is cast, and he is regarded as an enterprising and well-informed man.
J UDGE CHARLES W. GARLAND. The history of the well-known Judge Garland, of Logan county, presents many features of special interest to the general public, and, by virtue of his sturdy, manly course in life, and his true patriotism and high regard for right and justice. hc is entitled to an honored place in the annals of his country.
A study of surnames often brings to light many curious old customs, and it often appears that some trifling service or some noticeable quality Or accustomed occupation of our ancestors in the middle ages originated the surname by which they and their descendants have been distin- guished. The Garland family lived in England for many a generation, and, prior to the Cru- sades, they were given a coat-of-arms, compris- ing a field of stripes, with a lion rampant, a uni- corn. a wreath, or garland. The first Garland who came to America was one Peter Garland. who was admitted to citizenship in Charlestown, Mass .. in 1637. One of his grandsons, John Garland, whose home was at Rye, N. H .. had three sons and eight grandsons in the Revolu- tionary war, and our subject's great-great-grand- father, Benjamin Garland, and the great-grand- father, john Garland, were soldiers of the Revo- lution, while John Garland, Jr., served in the war of 1812.
Judge C. W. Garland, of the tenth generation of the posterity of Peter Garland, the founder of the family in this land, was born April 6, 1843.
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at Rye. N. H., on land which has been in the possession of the Garlands about three hundred years. The parents of the Judge were John C. and Elizabeth (Speed) Garland, who were en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. In his boyhood our subject obtained a good education, and grad- ually a strong ambition arose in his heart, and he early decided to see something of the great west and seek his own fortune.
In 1857 the future Judge went to Atchison, Kans., where he entered the printing office of the "Squatter Sovereign," a paper which then had a wide circulation. After he had become familiar with the fundamental principles of jour- nalism, the youth accepted a chance to work for the government by assisting in driving a herd of cattle to Salt Lake City, and, arriving there, he thence proceeded to aid in driving cattle to Cal- ifornia. In October: 1858, he began working in the office of the Butte County Record, and con- tinued with that paper for more than a year, his wages being eight or nine dollars a day. Then he found plenty of employment in Portland and Salem, Ore., where printers were at a premium. Though naturally keen and resourceful in intel- When Oklahoma was opened the Judge was one of the multitude of home-seekers, and for the past eleven years has dwelt on his homestead, on section 2, township 15, range 3, near Seward. lect, the young man felt. more and more, the lack of more thorough knowledge of the higher branches of learning, and for a period he pur- sued studies in the Willamette Institute, at inter- . He was obliged to literally "fight and bleed" for vals teaching school himself.
When the Civil war broke out young Garland went to Fort Vancouver, Wash., where he en- listed in Company C. First Oregon Cavalry. He saw duty on the frontiers of California, Ore- gon, Nevada and Arizona, where the Indians, taking advantage of the internal strife further east, were constantly rising in rebellion. In 1864 the First Oregon regiment veteranized. and Mr. Garland was assigned to the post of orderly sergeant of Company C, Second Califor- nia Infantry. He served until the close of the war, and in 1865 was mustered out in San Fran- cisco and returned to his old New England home on a visit.
The attractions of the west retained a hold upon Mr. Garland, and he soon found his way to Colorado, where he became superintendent of a stage line across the Smoky Hills, and in addi- tion to this he also carried on a printing enter- prise. In 1860 he went to Jefferson, Tex., where he started the "Jefferson Jeffersonian," and for five years continued to conduct that popular journal. In the meantime he served as recorder and collector of the town two terms, and, during the reconstruction period. was aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. A. G. Malloy, of the state mil- itia, his rank being that of major. In 1872 he was admitted to the bar, and served as assistant district attorney, under his brother, C. T. Gar- land, who had been district judge there eight
years. Judge C. T. Garland had made a fine record, and, though he returned to his native state when his health was failing, and his death occurred there, the state of Texas, where he had so long resided and been identified, made ar- rangements to have his remains brought back and interred at Austin, in the state cemetery, and this was done.
In 1875 our subject located in Arkansas City, Ark., where he practiced law nine years and published the "City Journal." He met with sig- nal success in both enterprises, building up a large and lucrative practice and extending the circulation of the newspaper to a remarkable extent. In 1874, and again in 1884, the old ties of love and association 'drew him back to the place of his birth, and each time he lived there for some months. Fifteen years ago he became city editor of the Wichita (Kans.) "Eagle," and for a twelfthmonth was connected with that well- known newspaper. In the year 1886 he was in- fluential in getting Leoti constituted the county- seat of Wichita county, and he had the honor of . being the first probate judge presiding there.
his rights, however, for a Mr. Hunt hotly con- tested his elaim, and the local court at Guthrie gave a decision on behalf of Mr. Hunt. When Mr. Garland took the matter to the Department of the Interior, Secretary Smith reversed the de- cision, and severely criticised the opinions of the Guthrie court. The secretary was then requested to carefully review the case, but, having done so, he still held to his former decision. Later the attorneys of Mr. Hunt pleaded for a re-hearing, alleging that new evidence was to be produced. but the secretary overruled this motion. Strange and inconsistent as it appears, Secretary Smith. just before going out of office, signed an order reversing all of his former decisions, and thus placed himself on record in favor of Mr. Hunt's claim. However, when his successor had taken up the new duties of his office. Mr. Garland again presented his case, and the impartial administra- tor of justice decided that the farm was legally Mr. Garland's.
One of the most cowardly deeds in the history of Oklahoma was the shooting of our subject by a would-be assassin concealed in a barn ad- jacent to a field where his vietint was peacefully engaged in plowing. The bullet, evidently care- fully aimed at Mr. Garland's heart, passed through his left arm, breaking the bone, and thence cut its way across the front of his abdo- men. Two inches of the shattered bone had to be removed from the arm. Both of his horses
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also were shot, one of them falling dead in the harness.
While a resident of Jefferson the Judge mar- ried Mrs. Helen McKee, July 12, 1871. She is a daughter of Philip and Mary ( Pritchett) Johnson, and her birthplace is in Mecklenburg county, V'a. The elder child of our subject and wife, Coral, is the wife of Robert L. Hargrove, and their little son is named in honor of the husband. He is a prominent attorney of Madeira, Cal., and besides being the legal adviser of the Pacific Bank and its branches, he is himself connected with a bank. Ivy, the younger daughter of the Judge, was born in Arkansas City, was a student in the Madeira high school for a period and at present is living at home.
In 1895 Judge Garland was appointed by Gov- ernor Seay to serve as one of the county com- missioners of county "C." Okla. He also has been a justice of the peace here four years, and has been successful, in the majority of cases, in his endeavor to compromise disputes without re- sorting to trial. For most of the time during the past quarter of the century he has been a notary public, making the conveyancing of real estate a specialty. Politically he has been a truc-blue Republican since he cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln in 1864. He has long been affiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Knights of Honor. He has filled various offices in William Watts Post at Seward, and was captain of the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias, and occupied a number of chairs in the Odd Fellows order.
S AMUEL F. GARRETT. In company with thousands of the first settlers of Oklahoma territory, Samuel F. Garrett came here, hoping to retrieve his fortunes, and, like most earnest, energetic men, he has prospered in his efforts. He has been one of the real contribu- tors to the progress of this section of the terri- tory, and, in consequence, merits an honored place in its history.
A son of James H. and Martha E. (Kelley) Garrett, Samuel F. Garrett was born February 15, 1844, in Lewis county, Ky. He was deprived of his loving father in 1851. as death summoned him in the prime of his life. Six years later the mother became the wife of Nathaniel Foster. who lived just across the Ohio river, in the Buckeye state. The young man soon obtained a position as a deckhand on a steamboat, and in the early days of the Civil war he was employed as a watchman.
Patriotism has ever been one of our subject's chief traits, and, though he was but seventeen at the time, he enlisted in Company I. Thirty-ninth
Ohio Infantry, and was assigned to the leader- ship of General Sherman. His record as a sol- dier is one of which he may justly be proud, for he faithfully performed every duty and heroic- ally endured the hardships that fell to him, as to all. For a short time, in the fall of 1861, he was in the hospital. but with that exception he was not absent from his post of duty, and participa- ted in scores of important battles and skirmishes. At the end of four years, one month and nine days of service, when the war had been termi- nated, he accompanied the brave troops to Washington and took part in the memorable Grand Review. Needless to say, his comrades have ever had a warm place in his heart, and seven years ago, when the comparatively few remaining veteran's of that terrible strife met in the reunion in Washington he had the great pleasure of attending the ceremonies.
When his country no longer needed him in the army Mr. Garrett went to Leavenworth and en- tered the government's employ as a teamster. With fifty-six men he started across the plains to Salt Lake City, but ere they reached their des- tination twenty-one of their number were killed by Indians. In the ensuing February Mr. Gar- rett returned, driving a team, as before, and again luckily escaped his foes. He then em- barked on a steamer bound to Fort Benton and the head waters of the Missouri river. On the way he and another man had a little trouble with the watchman of the boat, and, though in a hos- tile and unknown locality, they disembarked at a landing. and, obtaining some lumber, con- structed themselves a boat, in which they made the long trip to Sioux City -- eleven hundred and fifty miles. On account of the Indians they trav- eled by night and sought a hiding-place by day, and thus it required several weeks to cover the distance. At Sioux City Mr. Garrett embarked on a steamer and went to St. Joseph and thence to Fort Leavenworth. There he once more be- came a government employe, and conveyed sup- plies to Santa Fe, N. Mex .- a six months' trip. On the return journey he proceeded to Fort Leavenworth via Denver. In 1868 he joined the engineers' corps on the Rock Island Railway; and was employed with them for two years, mak- ing Gallatin, Mo., his home and headquarters. When the railroad had been completed he em- barked in a mercantile business, but at the end of four months sold out at an advantage.
In 1872 Mr. Garrett visited his old Ohio home. and then took up some government land in Ma- rion county, Kans. About a year later he lo- cated in Peabody, Kans., and for a year or more conducted a mercantile establishment there. The grasshopper pest of that period and region de- cided him as to his continuance in business there, and again, in 1875, he went back to the Buckeye
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state. This move proved disastrous in the end, for he invested his available funds in a steam- boat, buying a two-thirds interest, and this boat, the "John Kyle," was lost.
April 22, 1889, Mr. Garrett started from Ark- ansas City for Oklahoma, coming on the third section train. Alighting at Mulhall, he obtained a claim four and a half miles from this town, and since that time he has made many valuable im- provements here. He conducted the first res- taurant that Mulhall boasted. and for several years has been the local agent for the Ferd Himes Brewing Company, of Kansas City. For some time he was employed as a clerk with the Cary Lombard Lumber Company. In the fall of 1898, while he was absent from home, visiting in Ohio, Mr. Garrett was honored by being elected to the responsible position of county weigher of Logan county. He has given satisfaction in every office to which he has been called, and every sheriff of this county has chosen him as a deputy. For eight years he has been a member of the city council, serving in the first board, and for four years acting as chairman of this honor- able body. Politically he is a stalwart Repub- lican, and fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias, a Mason, and. with his wife, is associated with the order of the Eastern Star.
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