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GRIF GRAHAM
Vol. 3, p. 1339-1340

The opening of the year 1915 marked the initiation of Mr. Graham's
administration in the office of sheriff of Washington County, and his
eligibility for this position has been clearly demonstrated through
four years of prior service as deputy sheriff of the county. He has
been a resident of the present State of Oklahoma since he was a lad
of thirteen years, his parents having established their home in what
is now Washington county in the year 1892, when this section of
Oklahoma was still an integral part of Indian Territory. He has kept
pace with the march of development and progress, has been a loyal and
efficient conservator of law and order, and is a popular citizen and
valued county executive who is well entitled to representation in
this work.

Mr. Graham was born at Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri, on the 2d of
February, 1879, and is a son of Jonathan and Nannie E. (STULTZ)
Graham, both of whom were born and reared in Missouri, to which state
the Grahams removed from Tennessee and the Stultz family from North
Carolina, the lineage of the former tracing back to English and that
of the letter to German origin. The parents of Sheriff Graham
continued their residence in Missouri until 1892, when they came to
Indian Territory and became pioneer settlers in what is now
Washington county. Here the father became a successful farmer and
here he continued to reside until his death in 1906, at which time he
was about seventy years of age. His widow passed away in 1912, at the
age of seventy-one years, and all of their six children are now
living. William L. is serving in 1915 as mayor of the little City of
Wann, Nowata County, Oklahoma; Jennie M. is the wife of George B.
ADAMS, of Buffalo, Missouri; Annie E. is the wife of Benjamin F.
POTTER, of Sprague, that state; Lena is the wife of Frank SQUIRES, of
Bartlesville, Oklahoma; the subject of this sketch was the next in
order of birth; and Arthur R. likewise resides in Bartlesville.

The parents of the present sheriff of Washington county were
residents of Jackson County, Missouri, during the period of the Civil
war, when that section was the stage of the residence and activities
of many of the border desperadoes. The uncle of Sheriff Graham shod
the horse of the well known QUANTRELL the day before that notorious
character was shot and killed. Cole YOUNGER, whose name was in the
history of depredations during and after the war, was in the Graham
home the day of the battle of Lone Jack, August 4, 1863. The family
home was utilized for a time by Union military forces as a refuge for
their wounded officers, and when the Federal retreat ensued and it
was found impossible to remove the wounded comrades an attempt was
made by a Confederate soldier to kill one of the wounded Federal
officers in the home of Jonathan Graham, but Cole Younger at this
critical moment showed his humanity by preventing this atrocity,
stating that he would not consent to see a wounded enemy murdered.
Sheriff Graham himself attended school in Missouri with Robert JAMES,
a son of Frank James, whose name had gone down in history as that of
one of the most daring of bandits, but who was well known and liked
by many who came in personal contact with him, the subject of this
sketch having been well acquainted when he was a lad with this one of
the celebrated James brothers. He was acquainted also with Mabel
STONE, a daughter of Senator Stone of Missouri, at one time governor
of that state.

Sheriff Graham gained his early education in the schools of his
native state, and, as previously stated, was thirteen years of age at
the time of the family removal to Indian Territory. He continued to
be associated with agricultural pursuits in Washington County until
1905, when he established his residence at Bartlesville. Here he
continued in the employ of the Cherokee Hardware and Lumber Company
until 1909, and thereafter he served continuously as deputy sheriff
of the county until 1913. His excellent record in this position made
him a logical candidate for sheriff and he was elected to this
important office in November, 1914, as candidate on he democratic
ticket. His administration since assuming office has been
characteristically vigorous, circumspect and fearless, and his work
is fully justifying the popular confidence signalized by his
election. The sheriff is a stalwart advocate of the principles of the
democratic party and he is affiliated with the local organizations of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias,
the Loyal Order of Moose, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

In the autumn of 1909 Mr. Graham wedded Miss Orpha E. LEWIS, who was
born in Kansas and who accompanied her parents on their removal to
Indian Territory, when she was a girl.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Sherry Van Scoy Hall, October 28, 1998.