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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index
Indian Pioneer History
Project for Oklahoma
Date: Jun 22, 1937
Name: Sally Love Nash
Post Office: Rentiesville, Oklahoma
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Father:
Place of Birth:
Information on father:
Mother:
Place of Birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker:
Interview #:
I (Sally Nash) was born February 19, 1871 near where the town of Rentiesville now stands. My father was June Love, Chickasaw freedman.
My mother was Dorcas (Robertson) Love, Creek freedman. The creek Nation had no public schools in this district during my school age, therefore, the only schooling I received was in a subscription school established by William F. McIntosh with a tuition fee of $1.00 per month. Many months my parents didn't have the dollar; consequently, those months I missed school.
When allotments were made to the Indians and Freedmen, I drew m allotment near Council Hill. Through misfortune, I lost my allotment several years ago.
In 1904, I was married to Joe Hash, colored, of Texas. No children were born to us.
For several years, William McIntosh and his brother, John McIntosh were the only preachers in this part of the Creek Nation. They both preached at the old Honey Springs church which was a log structure that stood near the Honey Springs burial ground. The little log church rotted down and passed out of existence many years ago.
In the early days when the old Texas trail was the only north and south trail through the Indian Territory, Honey Springs was a noted camping ground and watering place for the travelers passing over the old trail. The trail crossed Spring Creek at the spring.
I saw the little town of Rentiesville come into existence and grow into a thriving little town. It was established by William Rentie, a Creek freedman, who at that time, was quite wealthy, a good citizen and was always ready to help anyone that was in need and worthy of assistance.
In the beginning there were several good families that settled and built homes in the little town of Rentiesville, people who were a credit to the community, but the tough element that congregated in the place made life so unpleasant that the better class soon moved away.
In 1908 William Rentie, being a county officer an the only officer of the law in the town, was compelled to arrest a man by the name of Garfield Walker, a Negro, for drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Later, for revenge, an uncle of Garfield Walker called William Rentie from his home one evening after dark, and Garfield, hiding in the darkness, shot and killed William Rentie. Walker was arrested and placed in jail at Eufaula where he was later stabbed and killed by another prisoner while in jail.
William Rentie was a good man and his death was mourned by all good people. His death was the result of lust for revenge by a ruthless killer, like many other similar crimes that were committed in the Indian Territory in the early days.
It seemed as though his death spelled the doom of Rentiesville, for since he was dilled Rentiesville has been going down, and today is nothing more than a ghost town.
Transcribed for OKGenWeb by
Moody Dawson, April 2002.
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