OKGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of OKGenWeb State Coordinator.

Presentation here does not extend any permissions to the public. This
material can not be included in any compilation, publication,
collection, or other reproduction for profit without permission. Files
may be printed or copied for personal use only.
=====================================================================

JOSIAH HAMILTON DILLARD
Vol. 3, p. 1224

Foremost among the men who have made history in the Town of New
Wilson, and one of the pioneer business men of the city is Josiah
Hamilton DILLARD, who has been identified with Oklahoma and its
progress since the years before statehood. He has seen many changes
in the district now known as Oklahoma. The rule of the Five Civilized
Tribes has given way to the white man's government, though the Indian
is a factor to be reckoned with today no less than in earlier years.
All his life has been passed in this region, and in his younger days
Mr. Dillard has hunted wild game in forests that have since been
replaced with thriving villages and abundantly producing farms. He
has acquired a good deal of property and in Carter County alone holds
lands to the extent of about 1,200 acres. In New Wilson he owns and
operates a thriving hotel, carries on a mercantile business, and is a
stockholder in the First National Bank. Speaking in general terms, he
is a leader in the community and a man of wealth and influence.

Mr. Dillard was born in Southern Mississippi on September 14, 1860,
and is the son of Hamilton Dillard and his wife, Elizabeth LEFLORE, a
daughter of a famous old Mississippi family.

Hamilton Dillard was born in Mississippi in 1833, and died at Caddo,
in the Choctaw Nation Oklahoma Territory, in 1885. He came into the
Indian Territory from his native state in the year 1862, settling in
a community then called Doaksville, but now known as Fort Towson. He
was a farmer rancher and stockman all his life, successful and
prosperous, and he was a leader in the community that was the center
of his activities. A democrat, he served as county judge in the
Choctaw Nation, and also served as clerk of the court there. He was a
man of excellent character and he had the confidence and esteem of
all who knew him. His widow survives him and is living in the
vicinity of Caddo, Oklahoma. They were the parents of ten children.
Joseph George died in Lindsay, Oklahoma when he was forty-eight years
of old. Benjamin died in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, when he was forty-four
years of age. He was a farmer and stockman as had been Joseph G.,
above mentioned. The third child was Josiah Hamilton of this review.
T. W. is a farmer and now lives in Caddo. John died at the age of
twenty-two years, and Lillian was six when she died. Gil is a farmer
and lives at Old Hewitt, Oklahoma. James died when a young man of
twenty-six. He was a volunteer soldier in the Spanish-American war,
and died in the service. LeFlore lives in Hugo, Oklahoma, where he is
engaged in farming. Vera married Charles P. JONES and lives on a farm
near Wilson, Oklahoma.

Josiah Hamilton Dillard had his early book training on a bench in
the little log school house at Goodland, Oklahoma. He was later sent
to the Academy at Old Spencer, in Oklahoma, where he remained until
he was about nineteen years old. Up to the age of twenty his home was
the old ranch of his father, and at that age he married and launched
out on his own responsibility. He was better versed in farm lore than
any other subject and he quite naturally turned his attention to that
enterprise. Up to the year 1884 he farmed successfully in the
vicinity of Tishomingo, in the Chickasaw Nation, when he moved to
Pickens County, now Jefferson County, Oklahoma, there engaging in
farming and stock raising until 1888.

In 1888 Mr. Dillard located in Carter County, Oklahoma, bought a
farm and homesteaded a government tract as well. He has since been
adding to his land holdings in Carter County until today he has
something like 1,200 acres in that county alone. In those years he
farmed and gave a good deal of attention to stock breeding, enjoying
a considerable financial success in the enterprise and accumulating
properties here and there as a result. In 1913 he built a hotel in
New Wilson, then sadly in need of a comfortable hostelry and since
February, 1914, he has been running the place himself. He did not go
into the business as an experienced hotel man, but his natural good
judgement came to the rescue when he found himself the proprietor of
the place, and he has made a splendid success of the enterprise. Mr.
Dillard also owns and conducts a grocery house on Main Street, and
this, too, is a very successful business. He also owns two other
store buildings, though he is not interested in the enterprises they
house, and he owns and operates a wagon yard, owns another hotel
building and three nice residence properties in New Wilson.

Mr. Dillard is a democrat, and has always been the staunch ally of
that party and its principles and purposes. In the days of the
Chickasaw government he held certain offices under their rule, and
since statehood in 1907 he has held various local offices under the
present government. In 1907 he was elected constable, the first time
in Hewitt Township and afterward for the Township of Wilson, serving
three and a half years, after which he was appointed deputy sheriff,
in which office he served until Christmas, 1914, when he resigned.
Soon after he was appointed justice of peace to fill an expired term
and later was elected to the office in which he is acting today.

Mr. Dillard is a member of a number of fraternal orders, among them
the Woodmen of the World, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
the Masons.

In 1880 Mr. Dillard married Miss Victoria BUCKNER, the daughter of
P. M. Buckner, a well-known and prosperous farmer of Tishomingo,
Oklahoma, now deceased. Nine children have been born to them. Lee
Hamilton and Joseph Carpenter live in Wilson and are engaged in
farming. William Gray is manager of the wagon yard which Mr. Dillard
owns. Minnie married John MOORE and lives on the old home farm.
Beulah Mamie is with her parents. Cubby Fowler lives on the home
place. Floyd died at the age of about eleven years. Douglas and
Kirmet are attending the public schools.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Paul Grose, February 19, 1999.