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HUGH HENRY
VOL. 5, p. 1898-99

There is a picturesque elevation in Okmulgee County known as "the
Hugh Henry Hill" which rises 192 feet above the general elevation of
the town at its foot. Crowning this hill is the home of Mr. Hugh
Henry, who has lived in this one Locality for fully forty years. He
is a quarter blood Creek Indian, having inherited that ancestry from
his mother, and consequently was given an allotment of the lands in
this part of the old Creek Nation. For many years Mr. Henry had
extensive livestock interests, and is one of the old time cattlemen
of Texas and Indian Territory.

That part of the ranch which he called his meadow land up to fifteen
years ago is now the site of the thriving little City of Henryetta.
The name was given to honor him as the oldest settler, and seldom has
a name been better bestowed as a token of honor and respect.

Hugh Henry is one of the picturesque characters still surviving from
the early days of old Indian Territory. He grew up on the frontier,
and early learned some of the pioneer virtues, to speak the truth,
zealously to guard his honor, and to do justice to his fellow men,
and to treat all under his roof with due hospitality. In the early
days his home was noted for its generous hospitality, and though he
lived in the midst of outlawry and violence he was always safe
because he treated others as he expected to be treated. His home
again and again served as a place of entertainment for United States
marshals, outlaws, train robbers, horse thieves, and bootleggers. In
fact he has had officers of the law and outlaws in his home at the
same time, and many a beef was slaughtered from his herd to provide
them food. He made it a rule and it was one thoroughly respected to
protect all persons who were his guests, despite their character or
vocation, and it was probably due to this custom that he never lost a
horse or any property by theft.

Hugh Henry was born in the "old stone fort" at Nacogdoches, Texas,
that historic building which had been the bulwark of the early
Spanish against the Indians and French along the Texas frontier and
which was the scene of a bloody battle during one of the early
revolutionary uprisings in Eastern Texas. In that historic place he
first saw the light of day January 13, 1848. His parents were Woodson
D. and Lovisa (HUTTON) Henry. His father was a white man and his
mother a half-blood Creek Indian. Both were born in Alabama, where
they married, and they came to Texas in 1832. Woodson Henry and his
wife's father, James Hutton, took thirty families of Indians into
Texas in that year, corresponding with the general migration of
Indians from the east to the west side of the Mississippi River. Soon
after the birth of Hugh Henry his parents moved to the Brazos River
in Hill County, Texas, and there the mother died when Hugh was four
years of age, leaving a still younger child, Patrick, then only two
years old. The six children were: James, Caroline, Parlee, Ezekiah,
Hugh and Patrick. Of these Mr. Hugh Henry is the only one still
living. After the death of the mother the father carried Hugh and
Patrick back to the home of Nancy Hutton, their grandmother, in Smith
County, Texas. There Hugh Henry lived until he was nine years of age.
His father having in the meantime married again took his two boys
home in Cherokee County. Hugh Henry did not like his stepmother, and
after two months he ran away and returned to his grandmother. His
father followed and carried him back home, where he received a sound
thrashing for his disobedience. A few days later his father went to
court, and the self reliant [sic] youth again made his escape from
conditions which he thought intolerable, but this time took an
unfamiliar route. He traveled west into Fannin County, Texas,
sleeping by the roadside at night. In Fannin County he met a Mr.
CANNON, boss of a cattle ranch, and the boy remained on that ranch
and had a good home with the Cannons for seven years, receiving only
board and clothes for such work as he could do. While there he became
an expert in all the arts and practices of the old time range.

He was only thirteen years of age when the war broke out, and in
1863 he joined John TERRY's regiment under Captain GLASSCOCK. He was
with his command until the close of the war, and to use his own
words, "had his last fun at the Mansfield fight in Louisiana."

After the war he started for San Antonio, Texas, and at Lampasas
Springs met his old friend and protector, Cannon, for whom he took a
herd of cattle north to Dodge City, Kansas, being paid $65.00 a
month. This was in 1866. In 1867 he was again in the Rio Grande
country, and in the fall of that year started north. On this trip he
stopped on the Canadian River and joined his uncle, Watt GRAYSON. Mr.
Henry had many interesting experiences in the early days, and during
the two seasons of 1867-68 he was out on the range hunting buffalo.
That was just about the beginning of the buffalo hide industry, and
Mr. Henry relates that the hunters classified the buffaloes into
three divisions. The pelt of the buffalo cows were unfit for
commercial purposes, and the leather and fur came chiefly from the
bulls. He remained with his uncle, Watt Grayson, as an employe [sic]
on the cattle ranch until the latter's death in 1875.

That was the year when Mr. Henry located on Coal Creek, near the
present site of the City of Henryetta. Here for fourteen years and
four months he was associated with Sam and Wash Grayson in the stock
industry. When he first started with the Grayson brothers he had only
sixty-two head of cattle, but at the end of the fourteen year period
had turned off the ranch and sent to market about 36,000 head. He did
his first work at wages of $15.00 per month, but was drawing $2,400 a
year when he gave up ranching. It was the coming of the railroad and
the founding of Henryetta which caused him to abandon ranching.

When Mr. Henry first located in this neighborhood in 1875 his
nearest neighbor was six miles away, and consequently he readily
deserves the distinction of being the oldest settler. He still owns
160 acres adjoining the little City of Henryetta, while his children
have their allotments nearby. He has a fine home on the hill already
mentioned, and for the past fifteen years has devoted his land to
farming and general stock raising. The approach of civilization has
been viewed not altogether with satisfaction by Mr. Henry, although
he recognizes its benefits. It is largely due to his inconsistency
with the restricted pursuits and customs of the populous community,
and even new he is planning to make his wife and children further
west into New Mexico and hunt up an unrestricted cattle range. He is
just as vigorous apparently as he was thirty years ago, and he can
use a Winchester with all the deadly accuracy which made him noted as
a sure shot in days gone by.

The first postoffice established after the railroad was built was
called Henry City, and when Henry BEARD became prominent in promoting
the town caused the change of the name to Henryetta, the latter part,
etta, being in honor of Mr. Beard's wife.

Mr. Henry was first married in Texas to Malinda Ann DICKERSON, who
was born in that state. She died at the old home in Indian Territory
in 1883. Of her six children two are now living: James of Payton; and
Luella, wife of John KEY of Henryetta.

In 1885 Mr. Henry married Arminta EXON, who was born in Warsaw
County, Illinois, in March, 1868. When she was four years of age her
parents came to Indian Territory, and she grew up in the Creek
Nation. To this marriage were born twelve children, nine of whom are
still living: Patrick, who lives at Ponca City; Mack; Sam, who died
at the age of eight months; Anna May, wife of Stephen GILLAM of
Henryetta; Woodson, who died at the age of twelve years; Hettie, wife
of Ed BURGEN, a full-blood Creek Indian of Okmulgee; Hugh Jr.;
Hilibymicko; Muskogee, who died at the age of three weeks; Tsininina,
who lives at home; Wynema; and Yahola.

It is noteworthy that Hugh Henry never had a day in school in all
his life, though he learned to write his name while riding in the
saddle. He appreciates the value of an education, especially in
modern times, and is giving his children the best possible
advantages. There is a photograph extant showing Hugh Henry in the
picturesque garb by which he was familiarly known to all the old
timers in this part of Oklahoma. He then wore his hair long, as was
the custom, and his locks fell to his waist, some of them being two
feet four inches long.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Sherry Van Scoy Hall, July 21, 1999.

SOURCE: Thoburn, Joseph B., A Standard History of Oklahoma, An
Authentic Narrative of its Development, 5 v. (Chicago, New York: The
American Historical Society, 1916).