Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: October 14, 1937
Name: H. M. Lindsay
Post Office: Anadarko, Oklahoma
Residence Address: 107 West Texas St.
Date of Birth: June 13, 1881
Place of Birth: Stonewall, Oklahoma
Father: J. (Joe) D. LINDSAY
Place of Birth: Kentucky
Information on father: died in 1933
Mother: Mary McBride
Place of birth: Arkansas
Information on mother: born 1860 and still living
Field Worker: Lillian Gassaway
I was born in Stonewall, in 1881.
My father worked in ROOK's mercantile store there.
In 1884, Mumford JOHNSON bought out P. A. SMITH's store in Silver City and he wanted my father to go there and manage it for him. He worked for Mr. JOHNSON for two years, then in 1886, Mr. Johnson sold out to his son, Ed, and my father. We stayed in Silver City until the railroad was built in Minco; this was in 1889. Father bought Ed Johnson's interest in the stock of goods and moved it to Minco, where he went into the general mercantile business. All supplies at this time were freighted in from Arkansas City by wagons.
While we were in Minco my father got the hay and issue contract with the government to haul all issue supplies to the different agencies and cut and haul all hay to the Forts for use in feeding their horses. Father kept this contract until the railroad was extended to Rush Springs. He also had a contract to furnish Ft. Reno with charcoal, which was their fuel at that time.
We lived in Minco until 1896, when father sold out and moved to "D" County (now Dewey) and bought a large herd of cattle from R. D. FANT, a cattleman who had cattle all over the Kiowa country, and drove them through the country to a ranch near Taloga. Mr. Fant also had the contract with the Government to supply the issue beeves for the Indians at different agencies. We lived in "D" county until the fall of 1899, when we moved to Chickasha, where father put in a meat market. He was elected to the office of County Clerk the first and second elections in Grady County.
Miss Callie GRAHAM was the first teacher at Silver City. She taught there two terms and was followed by Miss Meta CHESNUT, now Mrs. SAGER, Mrs. Sager later established the Almeta Bond College at Minco.
My uncle, H. Y. MCBRIDE, my mother's oldest brother helped to get the right-of-way for the Katy railroad through the Indian Territory, about 1871. It was the first railroad through Oklahoma. The Santa Fe came through about 1889. After the Rock Island was extended through Minco, my father had the first car load of wheat shipped out over that road and the first car load of binders shipped in.
One summer while we were at Ft. Sill putting up the hay for the Fort, I met Quanah PARKER's right hand man; Roudolph FISHER. He was a captive. Quanah Parker was the Comanche war chief, and Fisher was his chief warrior. When I first knew Fisher he had three wives, but I believe that one ran away from him. He was a good friend to my father and had great confidence in him. He has told me a lot of things that took place in his lifetime but it has been a good many years ago and I can't remember very many of them. He is now about eighty-seven years old.
Submitted to OKGenWeb by
Gay & Tim Wall
<t31892@nidlink.com>
02-2000.