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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma 
Date: Nov. 15, 1937
Name: Mrs. B. M. Austin 
Post Office: Chickasha, Oklahoma
Residence Address: R. #1
Date of Birth: March 22, 1887
Place of Birth: Indian Territory
Father: C. A. Cole
Place of Birth: Missouri
Information on father: 
Mother: Fannie Clark
Place of birth: Missouri
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: Jasper H. Mead
Interview #9189

I was born March 22, 1887, fifty long years ago, in the Indian Territory. The first place I came to which I remember, was Mannville, twenty five miles east of Ardmore. Manville along about that time was a very small place, with three or four stores, a blacksmith shop and a church house that was also used for a school house; in the summer time we had our classed outside the building under a brush arbor. This building was a very small frame building, built out of cottonwood lumber. It was about 14 X 24 with two windows, one on each sice, and one door which was located in one end. A large fireplace was in the other end. The country around Mannville was what I would call timber land with small prairie patches in it; the soil was white and sandy like.

The main water supply came from dug wells and springs; the bulk of the water for cattle came from the Washita River.

There was lots of ranch land and worlds of cattle. It looked to me like there were cattle everywhere.

There was plenty of wild game such as deer, turkeys, prairie chickens, wild hogs and black bears. My brothers caught a little bear for me one time when they went hunting and I raised it as a pet.

There were plenty of Chickasaw Indians around Mannville, but they never did give any trouble. We kids never thought of being scared of the Indians. My father was one half Cherokee, but he never would prove up. He thought that it was a disgrace to be part Indian. When he was on his death bed, he said if he got well he would go and prove up so it would help us kids, but he never did get well; so that being the case I am one fourth Cherokee with no land nor Government payments.

I have been a housewife and helpmate of Mr. B. M. Austin the biggest part of my life. We have always been farmers and are farming now.

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Pat Gee, September 2001.