Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: November 18, 1937
Name: R. Lewis Imel
Post Office: Bucklin, Kansas
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: 
Father: 
Place of Birth: 
Information on father:
Mother: 
Place of birth: 
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Elizabeth L. Duncan
Interview: #
Volume 60

Interview with R. Lewis Imel
Bucklin, Kansas

We started the store at Dayton, Oklahoma, in November 1897. We had planned for some little time to start a store here. There was already a blacksmith shop owned by A. A. Langdale and his daughter who lived with her parents and ran the post office in the home.

Not having enough money ourselves, Eli Prather decided to go in with us. He had been in the store business in the east before coming to Oklahoma, where he and his family now lived on the homestead which he had staked in the Strip opening in Kay County.

A store building was bought in Wellington, Kansas, and moved and rebuilt on the southwest corner of Captain R. J. Biggs' place, where the Dayton Post office and the blacksmith shop had become a community center. But before the stock of goods was purchased, Mr. Prather decided to venture no further.

Then a new deal was planned with Jim Tears as partner and a stock of goods was bought from his father at Bellmont, Kansas.

I had been sticking around home pretty close, but my wife and I talked it over and decided that it might be a safe to make a trip to move the goods if I had not to stay too long.

The $360.00 was dug up and carefully sewed up in an old coat. We arrived the second evening in Bellmont. The wagons were loaded the next morning and we started on the return. The two men, who followed. Each with a load, kept saying 'What made you drive so fast?".

In the evening of the fifth day since I had been away from home, we drove up in the yard at my home to hear the cry of a new baby. Our little daughter, Opal, had won the race and beaten me home. And the men that were with me said, "Now we know why you drove so fast."

Mr. Starr proved to be a very helpful partner. His straightforward, honest method of doing business made many friends. He organized a ban [sic] ball nine to play at Dayton on Saturday afternoon and also a brass band. We got the boys together and taught them music, and seemed to have a good time while he was doing it. That was a help to the community.

We could always count on Mr. Burcham, Luke Teachman, Bert Benway and others coming in after their mail about so often and staying for a chat with the crowd.

It was one day when a good crowd was in the store that S. M. Burcham gave this bit of experience. He and one of the neighbors decided to go over on the 101 ranch and plow sod. Mr. Burcham wondered what he could take to eat. That was a question. Finally his eyes fell on the old rooster. The rooster was properly prepared and they started out. They went by the store at Polk and his neighbor bought a twenty-five pound sack of corn meal, divided it and took part with him and sent a part back home, saying "It would have to run the family until he got home sod plowed." They arrived on the ranch, laid off their land and went to plowing.

Mr. Burcham said he noticed another man, on another plot, who could get up in the wagon at meal time, but would never build a fire. So they went over to him and he was sitting in the wagon, eating wild grapes. That was all he had. Mr. Burcham invited him to bring the wild grapes and come to their camp so they could all eat together. The man said he must finish the land and take the money to family who were depending on it. And yet these pioneer settlers were hopeful and cheerful.

The demand for good kept increasing as the people raised good crops and our stock of goods were gradually added to. We had a stock of general merchandise.

Mr. Starr decided to sail [sell] his interest in the store and put in all his time on the farm. We took his part of the store over.

It was at this time that we decided to try a stock of farm machinery. So a car load of machinery was bought in Kansas City, consisting of wagons, buggies, harrows, plows, wheat drills, and so on. Our stock at this time invoiced about $5,000.00 This car load of machinery sold very rapidly, mostly on time.

On account of my wife's health, we were compelled to move and change climate.

Mr. Eli Prather bought the stock of goods in the Fall of 1899. By the spring of 1900 we had collected in what was on the books.

We left Dayton, with a warm place in our hearts for the many friends we had made during the seven years we lived in Oklahoma. We are now located near Bucklin, Kansas, on a farm.

I most also mention A. G. Davis as mail carrier. Our mail route went from Polk to Pond Creek, zig-zagging to reach the different post offices. It was, I think, in the winter of 1898 that A. C. Davis (colored) made this trip with the mail to Pond Creek and back in an open one-horse buggy, changing horses twice, as his custom was, in a blizzard with high wind and snow with snow drifted roads, a distance of sixty-four miles and 20 degrees below zero. A. C. Davis never stopped for rain, mud or snow. He made the trip sixty-four miles, every day in the week but Sunday.

These names are the folks and families who traded with us at the Dayton Store from 1897-1900, taken from the ledger used at that time. We still have the ledger.

Allen, Wm 
Chaney, Chas 
Foust, Geo
Allen, Geo 
Clay, Henry 
Fearing, Albert
Bateman, Henry 
Carter, A. H. 
Fuls, John
Benson, John 
Corn, John 
Gilbert, Sam
Benway, Bert 
Cobb, Thomas 
Gilmer, Morrison
Burohaw, S. W. 
Cross, Bros. 
Gilbert, Wm
Bobbitt, J. W. 
Gruse, Floyd 
Garner, Gib
Brown, Tom
Campbell, R. J. 
Graham, W
Booher, W. T. 
Collins, W. A. 
Gray, A. L.
Baird, A. L. 
Caywood, Art 
Huffman, Mrs. Mattie
Brown, N. J. 
Dodson, J.T. 
Hockman, Lyman
Bobbitt, Howard 
Dodson, Geo
Hockman, L
Bobbit, George
Dixon, Clay 
Hockmar, E. O.
Briggs, H. J. 
Datis, A. C.
Housel, John
Bland, W. M.
Denford, Lee
Harney, Lee
Burcham, Ethel 
Denford, Chas 
Henshaw, Lee
Bocher, Frank 
Denford, Frank
Harney, J. A.
Brady 
Dixon, John
Howard, Wm
Bland, John 
Dickman
Hoisington, Mrs.
Barmon, Wm
Dunn, Will 
Henshaw, Pearl
Brown, Geo
Dorsett, Elmer
Howard, Lizzie
Barclay, James 
Dorsett, J. R. 
Harney, A. T.
Cowen, Geo 
Edmondson, J. H. 
Herron, Clint
Inguire, W. M. 
Meece, Iney
Johnson, J. W. 
Morris
Kirkpartrick, R. F. 
Null, Rachel
Kitts, J. A. 
Noble, M. B.
Langdale, A. H. 
O'Mealey
Lee, Mack 
Prather, Elie
Long, Wm
Peebler, Herbert
Lynch. W. W. 
Pruitt, Walter
Long, A. L. 
Porter, D
Lusk, M. J. 
Porter, Findley
Lansford, A. C. 
Porter, Wallace
Moulton, Frank 
Prather, John
Majors, James 
Prince, John
Mosher, Henry 
Race, Chad
McNeil, J. B.
Romino, A. B. (could read Romizo)
Miller, Eli 
Royse, Geo
Miller, Jim 
Smith, Wm
Miller, Wm 
Smith, James
Miller, W. S. 
Snider, Alva
Mowbray, Geo 
Shamp, Lester
Martin, W. P. 
Snavely, Levi
Marston, James
Snavely, John
McAlister, Levi 
Simpson, J. A.
Marston, Henry 
Smith, A. B.
Marston, S. A. 
Starr, J. N.
Majors, S. L. 
Snider, Glenn
Meece, G. M. 
Steel, P. M.
Miller, Dave
Servise, Floyd
Mason, C. P. (O. P.?) 
Thomas, James
Miller, Willie
Otterback, J. I.
Reece, Jeff 
Yacim, J. O.
Tyree, Henry
Woolcot, W. H.
Teachman, Sam 
Wade, E. W.
Vacin, Frank
Zody, W. K.
Waters, N. T. 
Hugh Prather 
Wooley, Joe
Warren, Susie

I was not present when the Sunday School was first organized in the sod school house south of the Dayton store a half mile, but my wife and I did attend after they had it in good running order.

There was a Sunday school in my sod shanty during the summer of 1894, but it only ran through the warm weather. This Sunday school was organized in 1894, in May after the opening of the Strip. One Sunday afternoon a large number of folks, neighbors were in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Prather. Will, Tom and Anna, young folks in the home, made things very lively and the folks who could sing gathered around the organ and Miss Anna played and they sang church songs. I t was very fine. All parts were sung soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

It was that afternoon that a plan was made to have Sunday school. Then the next thing was to decide where to have it. No school house was yet built and there was no public places of worship. Finally, it was decided that they would meet the next Sunday 2:00 p.m. and have Sunday school in my half sod dugent, with comb roof shingled and plastered inside.

So far so good, but how could be seat a crowd. Usually when more than one person came, he or she, sat on the bed. I say this was a question on Monday as I viewed the situation alone. No lumber to make seats and over twenty miles to the railroad and no funds to but with. I looked over the wood pile, selected the best small cottonwood logs, split them in the middle, bored holes and put in legs. They were rough but would beat standing up.

We told everybody we saw about the Sunday school on the following Sunday, which was a beautiful day. The bedstead, table, and so on were moved out and the log seats put in place. A horse was saddled and we rode up the Salt Fork Valley and made a circle swath, going from house to house. The people generally received the news gladly.

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Catherine Widener, May 2002.