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ORA (ORLANDO) S. BLACK

Harper County, OK Homesteader

Ora BLACK was reportedly born in Kansas 26 August 1883. His wife, Lola WALTON, was reportedly born in 1886, location not found. Ora was a son of Joshua and Lydia Ann (DAVIS) BLACK, also Harper County homesteaders. Ora's given name is found as Orlando in the book "Gardens of Stone, Harper County, Oklahoma", a record of cemeteries, funerals and newspaper articles.

Ora is initially found in Haddam, Washington Co., Kansas, where he lived with his parents on a farm purchased in 1892. The book "Sage and Sod: Harper County, Oklahoma" reports that he came to Harper Co. with his uncle, Melvin Davis, by wagon and team from Haddam, Kansas in 1904. The homestead papers obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration show that he made filing No. 25187 for a homestead on 29 Mar 1905 and gave his home as Haddam, Kansas. It is not know where he was living or what he was doing until that date, if he did arrive in Harper Co. sometime in 1904.

The original homestead filing was for the N½ of the SW¼, the NW¼ of the SE¼, and the SE¼ of the NW¼ of Sec 14, Twp 28N, Rng 25W. His affidavit stated that he was a native born citizen of the United States over the age of 21, a single man. On 17 Jul 1905 the Dept. of the Interior General Land Office in Washington, DC sent a letter to the Register and Receiver of the Woodward, OK Land Office advising that a Theodore T. KIMBLER had filed for the same property on 24 Feb 1904, and ordered that BLACK be notified that he had 60 days to show cause why his filing should not be canceled for conflict.

The next document in the file is a Power of Attorney given by BLACK to Charles Swindall to appear for him with an amended application. The Power gives BLACK's address as Wesner, OK. The amendment application is dated 29 Nov 1905 and requests alteration of the land description portion SE¼ of the NW¼ to the SE¼ of the SW¼. There is nothing in the file to show that anything happened to meet the 60 day deadline for show cause, nor what happened to the claim of KIMBLER. The amendment continued the claim for 120 acres of the total 160 acres that had been alleged to have been claimed by both parties.

The amended application states that in the spring of 1905, after making the original homestead entry he caused 15 acres of the tract to be broke out and 8 acres was planted to kaffir corn and a crop raised during the year of 1905. About the 20th of Sep 1905 and prior to the expiration of six months after making entry he built a dug out house 10 ft by 12 ft and covered it with pine lumber and furnished it with household and kitchen furniture and established his residence prior to 30 Sep 1905 and has since made the tract his home, and resided continuously thereon. The improvements were valued at $75.00. BLACK further stated that he went on the tract for the purpose of ascertaining boundaries and to examine the character of the soil prior to making the original claim. About the last of Sep 1905, BLACK discovered that he made a mistake in including the SE¼ of the NW¼ and that quarter lies further north than he thought the north boundary line was, and that it is crossed by a canyon and was unfit for agricultural purposes and could not be cultivated or improved and crops grown thereon, and was absolutely unfit for agricultural purposes and was worthless to him as he could not put the same to any beneficial purposes. Instead, BLACK claimed it was his bona fide intention at the time of entry to instead have claimed the SE¼ of the SW¼. At the time of the original entry and claim he relied on the boundary lines as pointed out to him by other persons as he was not able to have a survey made at that time.

The Woodward Land Office did not forward the application for amendment of the claim to Washington DC until 7 Aug 1906. It was not logged in at Washington until 29 Dec 1906, and was not officially recorded as an approved amendment until 12 Jun 1907.

In the meantime, according to "Sage and Sod" Ora had gone back to Haddam, KS and married Lola WALTON on 30 Jan 1907, at the home of her parents, the J. F. WALTONs. It was a double ceremony at which Mrs. BLACK's twin sister, Ola, married B. E. HARRIS. Ora and Lola came back to Harper Co. by wagon and a team of mules and lived with Ora's parents until they could build a two room sod house. In 1909 while still living in their sod house, Ora was sick for 7 weeks with typhoid fever and Lola was sick with it for 6 weeks. Ora's mother, Lola's mother, and Dr. Walker took care of them.

On 18 Mar 1910, Ora S. BLACK, now giving a home address of Yelton, OK, filed notice of intention to make final five year proof on his homestead claim in the County Court at Buffalo, OK. Proposed witnesses were George M. Allen, Christopher H. Allen, Leonard Job, and Edgar Cook. The notice was published in the Gate Valley Star of Gate, OK. for seven consecutive weeks commencing 28 Apr 1910.

BLACK’s final proof testimony affidavit, dated 4 Jun 1910, recorded the following information: His age was 26, birthplace Kansas (confirming that his birth date could have been the reported 26 Aug 1883). He was married, and his family consisted of himself and his wife. First actual residence had been established on the land 25 Sep 1905, and a house was built about 27 Sep 1905. Ora had been away from the claim only during the month of June and part of July 1906 working a harvest, and again from about 15 Dec 1906 until about 15 Feb 1907 to get married. By quarter, the following activity was reported, with total improvements valued at $500:

NW¼, SW¼: 8 acres planted in kaffir corn in 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909.
NE¼, SW¼: not cultivable, surrounded with ¼ mile 2 wire fence.
NW¼, SE¼: 20 acres planted in broom corn 1906, in kaffir corn in 1906, in wheat and oats in 1907, in wheat in 1909, surrounded by ¼ mile 2 wire fence.
SE¼, SW¼: 20 acres planted in kaffir corn in 1906, in alfalfa, kaffir corn in 1907, in kaffir corn in 1908, in corn and truck in 1909. Also in this quarter was a 16x28 sod house, well, 14x24 barn, chicken house, cellar, surrounded by ½ mile 2 wire fence.

BLACK also mentions in his affidavit that he had some stock on a quarter which he bought one mile south of the homestead. There is no other information found about this property.

Testimony of Leonard JOB indicates he was a brother-in-law. Edgar E. COOK's testimony indicates he was not a relative, nor interested in the land. BLACK received his proof certificate, serial No. 09528, Receipt No. 512701, Patent No. 169989 on 12 Jan 1911.

Regarding land locations vs. Post Office addresses given in the paperwork, a review of a plat map shows that the homestead was just across the road north of that of his parents, Joshua and Lidia BLACK. Ora's homestead is "T" shaped.

"Sage and Sod" says that in 1910, Ora moved to the "present location, so the children could be closer to school, which was Hickman Valley Country School and Rosston High School." The book also states that "Later Ora bought his father’s land and moved the house to their present location." It is not known what land is referred to by the term "present location". Rosston is today located in Sec 18-19, Twp 27N, Rng 25W, which is about 6 miles south and 3 miles west of the homestead location.

Ora and Lola reportedly had 10 children, according to "Sage and Sod". According to "Gardens of Stone" the first child, Irene, died 15 Nov 1910 and is buried in Pleasant Valley-Girard Cemetery in Harper Co. located in the NW¼, 17-28-24. Irene must have died near birth, because in the homestead proof papers dated 4 Jun 1910, BLACKs had no children. Also buried there are Ora and his wife, Lola, with a double stone. His birth year engraved is 1883, and his death date 23 Feb 1961. Lola's dates engraved are birth, 1886 and death, 1984. Both BLACK graves are in the 2nd row on the north side of the gate. The 5th child of Ora and Lola, Gerald J. BLACK, is buried in Laverne Cemetery, located 1 miles south of Laverne, and 1 mile east. His birth date engraved is 30 Apr 1914, and death 20 Feb 1994.

© 2003 - 2008 John Fiala e-mail:searcher@kdsi.net

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