Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: February 9, 1938
Name: Alice Hudson (Mrs.)
Post Office: Eagletown, Oklahoma
Residence Address: Two miles east of Eagletown
Date of Birth: July 7, 1875
Place of Birth: Eagletown, Oklahoma
Father: Philiston McCoy
Place of Birth: Eagletown
Information on father: Stockman and Farmer
Mother: Sukey McCoy
Place of birth: Near Eagletown
Information on mother: Housekeeper
Field Worker: Levina R. Beavers
Interview: #13178
 
MRS. ALICE HUDSON: FIRST INTERVIEW
It seems that caravans of Indian emigrants, under the guidance of United States troops, made their way across the southern part of the Territory to which they had been assigned and small companies of them would drop out from the main body and make settlement at intervals along the trail and Wheelock, coming next to Lukfata, was the last settlement east of Fort Towson which was the tentative end of the journey. However, it did not acquire the name Wheelock until several years later. A philanthropist of that name who lived in one of the eastern states and whose sympathy had been aroused in behalf of the Choctaws and who was a zealous Presbyterian selected the place to erect an academy for the education of Indian children and Wheelock endowed the institution with sufficient means to make it successful until such time as the Federal Government could come to the rescue, since which time the Tribal and Federal Governments have made this school one of the best Indian schools in the state.

MRS. ALICE HUDSON: SECOND INTERVIEW # 13179
This historic village (Eagletown) is located on a hill about a mile and a half east of Mountain Fork River on what is known as the old Military Road which passed through the county from the Arkansas boundary in a southwest direction to Fort Towson. After months of hard travel over mountains and across many streams a few of the Indians were anxious to end their journey and settled at the first desirable place they found in their new country. The place was given the name of Eagletown or rather "Eagle" to which word "Town" was afterward added; later on a high hill on the west side of the river Chief Gardner built a mansion in which he resided for many years.

On this road to the river bottom stands the largest tree in the state; it is a cypress tree and measures forty-three feet around at a distance of three feet from the ground and its top is on a level with the surrounding hills. The tree is now showing sign of decay. It has forks about thirty feet from the ground and in its many huge branches are homes for swarms of bees.

MRS. ALICE HUDSON: THIRD INTERVIEW # 13180
The old Fort Towson is situated on the east bank of Cates Creek, about one mile north and east from the present town of Fort Towson on the Frisco Railroad. Only small bits of the wall of the fort and two of the mammoth stone chimneys remain standing. There was never any wall on the north and west sides as none was needed, for the bluff on those two sides extending down to the waters of the creek is about a hundred and fifty feet. The level plain along the east side where Uncle Sam's boys in blue were wont to have their drills and military exercises in now a large and beautiful meadow on which many cattle and horses graze. The chimneys of this old fort alone are worth going to see. They are about ten feet wide, three feet deep and at least six feet from the stone floor to the arch and they form a part of the partition wall between the continuous run of rooms. A whole steer could be roasted at once in one and leave ample room for baking and boiling.

The old well from which the occupants of the fort took their water is still intact. It is about ten feet in diameter, walled up with stone and its depth cannot be determined by peeking in. 

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Sharon Olive DeLoache <deloache@intellex.com> 05-2000.