Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: March 21, 1938
Name: Mrs. Julius C. (Frances) Hampton
Post Office: Chickasha, Oklahoma
Residence Address: 1401 S. 14th St.
Date of Birth: November 4, 1872
Place of Birth: 1 mile of Clear Creek, Old Choctaw Nation
Father: Richard Harkins
Information on Father: born Clear Creek, 1/2 Choctaw
Mother: Lievisy Garland
Information on Mother: born Wheelock, Mississippi
Field Worker: Amelia F. Harris

Julius C. Hampton was born near Talihina in Blue County, Choctaw Nation in 1859. His parents lived at Talihina until the close of the Civil War in 1866. They moved to a farm fifteen miles east of Caddo in Blue County now Bryan County. Julius received his education in the neighborhood schools near Bennington and later went to the William FULLER School at Paris, Texas, for two years. in 1883 he married Peggy DOWNING, of Cherokee descent, and that same year he was appointed Circuit Judge under Judge Loring FOLSOM and served as judge from 1883 to the Fall of 1886-his wife died in the year 1888.

He was married the second time to Frances HARKINS a grand-daughter of Colonel Thomas LEFLORE, who was a member of the Ok-la-fol-laya clan of the Choctaw Indians.

Julius Hampton, my husband was representative of Blue County (now Bryan) and speaker of the house during Green MCCURTAIN's term as governor or chief of the Choctaws and acted as Governor pro-tem for one week during Governor McCurtain's absence because of sickness. The meetings of the council were held in the old Council house at Tuskohoma. I have an old copy of the Acts and resolutions of the Choctaw Council which were made during that time in the year of 1888. Also a part of a book of laws of the Choctaw Nation while Wilson JONES was governor of the Choctaws in 1891 and in this book is an act granting permission to Robert BENTON a full blood Choctaw and a resident of Sugar Loaf County, Choctaw Nation, to put in a ferry on Poteau River at the mouth of Caston Creek. I have heard Mother speak of crossing here many times in a wagon and the toll was 25 cents.

My grandfather, Thomas LeFlore, was born in Mississippi and came to the Indian Territory about 1834 and his land and home were near Wheelock at Millerton and during the war, his home was used by the Confederate soldiers as headquarters. There were many old cannon balls lying around in the yard and I used to play with them and people visiting or passing by would take these cannon balls until there are no more there. I visited the old home place in 1936 and could not find one ball. I also visited the old family cemetery which was a quarter of a mile away from Grandpa's house. There are graves here that are ninety years old with little houses built over them. Some had fences built around them all show traces of having been painted white at one time.

Grandfather's old home used as soldier's headquarters during the Civil War was a two story double house of hewn logs with a big hall running between the log houses and with rock chimneys built for both up and downstairs - there is nothing left of this home but rocks from the chimneys and a few trees- Grandfather LeFlore belonged to the Oklahoma Falaya clan of Choctaws. My parents lived on Clear Creek near Doaksville until I was about seven years old. Father died in 1877 and in 1880 I went to live with my aunt, Cornelia (Harkins) RICHARDS, on their farm twelve miles east of Caddo near Bennington. 

I went to the neighborhood school two years, then I was sent to New Hope Seminary for six years and I went in my studies as far as they taught there. I returned to my aunt's and taught a country school and the Government paid me $2.00 a month per pupil for the Indian scholars and the whites paid $1.50 per scholar each month. I taught one term and then married Julius C. HAMPTON - Reverend Lloyd, a Presbyterian Missionary preacher, officiating. This was in the year of 1898. We went to live on Mr. Hampton's farm one mile east of Caddo; he was in the cattle business and his ranch was on Blue River nine miles from our home. The Dawes Commission was in Caddo and had their offices under a tent. My husband registered our family for allotment while they were there and he also assisted the Dawes Commission in enrolling the Choctaws in the Chickasaw Nation. This was done at Ardmore and after the allotment of land our big ranch of twenty-five hundred acres was taken from us, and we were only allowed a hundred and sixty acres of good land. We sold our cattle and bought a building and a stock of hardware at Bradley. We also allotted land for our children near Bradley and after Mr. Hampton's death in 1931 I sold the stock of hardware and moved to Chickasha where I now reside.

I remember receiving several payments from the Government ranging from $3.00 to $103.00 supposed to be payments for our land and townsites. The payment of $103.00 was the largest payment we ever received. We had an agricultural fair every year at Caddo and the year before we left there Caddo had a "Corn Carnival". Bryan County at that time was known for its fine corn. In 1911 a queen was elected by popular vote and the merchants furnished the queen and her attendants with costume and a beautifully decorated float and there were many decorated floats in the procession going out to the fair grounds. This Corn Carnival was quite an event and always commanded an attendance of three thousand to five thousand people and lasted about five days. This carnival was held in connection with the regular fair and prizes were awarded for the best products.

Transcribed and submitted by Brenda Choate <bcchoate@yahoo.com > December 2000.