Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: August 12, 1937
Name: Fred Palone
Post Office: Rt. 1, Westville, Oklahoma
Date of Birth: August 23, 1875
Place of Birth: Goingsnake District, Indian Territory
Father: Adam Palone
Place of Birth: Mary Susan Parris
Information on father: 
Mother: 
Place of Birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Gus Hummingbird
Interview #:
Volume 39

Fred Palone enrolled as one-eighth Cherokee was born in Goingsnake District in the Cherokee Nation, August 23, 1875. He was the son of Adam Palone and Mary Susan Parris, both Cherokees, of the Cherokee Nation. To this union there were eight children born, namely; Allie B., James, Mahaley, Lacie, Fred, Tom, Carrie, and John. There were all raised on what is now known as Ballard Creek, about three miles northeast of the present town of Westville, Oklahoma.

EARLY LIFE
Most of the early life of said Fred Palone was spent on a large farm that his father claimed on Ballard Creek. The farm consisted of about one hundred acres-a large farm of the early times. The farm lay just west of the Cincinnati Mountain, just across the line from Arkansas. The Palones moved on this place immediately after the Civil War. Some other Cherokees claimed this farm before the War.

The principal crops of that time were corn, wheat, and oats. The farming was done in the crude (sp) way; there were no implements to be found as we now have. There were no teams with the exception of ox teams. Most of the heavy work was done by oxen. They were very difficult to train to work.

There were no plows as we now have; the breaking was done with an old fashioned homemade turning plow. The small grains were all cut by man-power by the use of the old-time cradles. This was a very slow way of harvesting a crop. The Cherokees of that time would form working crews. Each man would arrange with several of his neighbors to organize town workings. Sometimes these crews would number as many as twenty men. Twenty men could cut about forty acres of wheat in a single day. Fred was about fifteen years of age before he saw a binder; his was over near Cincinnati, in Arkansas. A little later, Lew Williams-a white man who had married a Cherokee girl who lived near Westville-bought one. This Williams’ binder was the first he ever saw in the Cherokee Nation.

Several years afterwards Wash Lee bought the first threshing machine. Mr. Lee purchased this thresher in Arkansas. This was a horsepower machine. After the coming of the thresher, the Cherokee people sowed more wheat. Before this they used to beat the wheat out on a flat rock about three miles southeast of what is now Westville.

The country around Westville was a prairie country. When Wash Lee bought the thresher, this became a wheat raising country.

The Palone family never sold much produce from their farm, but usually had all the family could consume for a year. They also raised stock, which was usually sold to buyers from other states.

TRADING AND MILLING POINTS
Cincinnati was the nearest town, it was their trading; and also milling point. Cincinnati was also the main trading place for most of the Cherokees who lived in the Goingsnake District. Bob and Bill Ray (could read Day) were the early-day merchants at this place. Cincinnati is a real old place. According to the old timers, this was a town before the Civil War. There was a large government distillery located here. The mill was operated by Moore brothers. There was also a large tannery located near this town. Huge vats, where the hides were soaked, were there. The tanned hides were shipped to some towns to be made into shoes. Shoes could be bought for a dollar and a quarter a pair. Cloth was five or seven cents per yard. The farmers sold corn at fifty cents per bushel.

EDUCATION
Fred Palone received what little education he has at old Baptist Mission. This is supposed to be the earliest school to be established in the part of the Cherokee Nation. It is not known when this school was established. The old timers have told Palone that this was an old denominational Mission for a long time. School was finally started at this place, and children for a radius of about five miles came.

Among the old time teachers who taught this school are Carrie Bushyhead, later Qualls; Jim Bates, a permitted white man to teach schools in the Cherokee Nation; Mary Lassley and Dennis Bushyhead later taught at the Baptist.

Among Palone’s old school mates who are now living are Lee Folsom, Joe Folsom, and John Bright. Palone finished the fifth grade at this place; this was considered a fair education at that time.

CIVIL WAR
Fred does not know anything about the Civil War only what his father told him. Old Palone was a soldier in the Confederate Army. He took active part in the Battle of Bentonville, Arkansas. After this battle, his bunch went South and remained in the South until the war ended.

BATTLEFIELD
Palone knows of only one battle that was fought in the Goingsnake District; which was the battle fought near Ft. Wayne. He has talked to men who saw service in this battle. Lock Morton was one of the them. Another battle was fought just across the line, which was called the Battle of ‘Cross Hollow’ this was a small battle fought between Federal Scouts and a small army of Confederates. Several men were killed in this battle. They said Federal Scouts, a few days afterwards, hung two old men, who had remained neutral, to a gate post in front of their homes. This same bunch hung one of Mr. Palone’s uncles by the name of Old Malachi Parris. Parris did not join either side, the Federals caught him and hung him. This was in the summer of 1865. The women folks had to bury him. He is now buried on the farm of Carte Odles, just across the line in Arkansas.

Andy Palone, the uncle of Fred, saw service in the Battle of Pea Ridge. Later this Andy Palone, was killed in the great Zeke Proctor fight. Andy Palone was a guard at the Goingsnake Court House during the trial of Zeke Proctor for murder. He and Judge Alberty were both killed in this battle.

HORSE RACING
Palone was raised in one mile of the famous early-day race track known as the Parris Prairie Tracks. He has witnessed many horse races at his place. At one race the crowd was estimated at a thousand people. The race at that time was between horses owned by Zeke Proctor and Ned Still. The people at his race bet anything from pocket knives to saddle horses. The standing bet was two-hundred dollars. 

The Proctor horse won at this race. Sam Bright was the jockey for the Still horse.

CATTLEMEN
The most noted cattlemen of this part of the Goingsnake District was Lew Williams, a permitted white man, who had married a Cherokee lady by the name of Harnage. The said Williams operated what we would term a small ranch about a mile east of what is now Westville, Oklahoma. He usually handled about two-hundred head of cattle, but in those days he was considered a big cattleman. He did most of his trading with the Cherokee people, and marketed most of his stuff at home to buyers from other states.

Williams was admitted into the Cherokee Nation because he owned a saw-mill. Adam Palone, the father of Fred, worked out the lumber that was used in building the house that the Palone children were raised in. The mill at the time was located near where Proctor, Oklahoma, now is. James Phillips also worked out the lumber for his house at this mill. These two homes were the first homes to be built with the sawed lumber. They are still in good shape. The Phillips’ home is located about one mile northeast of the town of Westville. The old Palone house is located on Ballard Creek, about four miles northeast of Westville.

POLITICS
The Cherokees took a very interesting part in politics after they found out how important it was to vote your rights. They were only two parties in the Cherokee Nation; these were the Downing and the National. The Downing was the same as what we now call the Democrat and the National was the present Republican. They usually had hot elections. Most of the Cherokees voted for the man who would be more helpful to them. They were not like they are now, crazy over politics. Mr. Palone voted in the elections at the age of eighteen. The voting precinct was at the Old Goingsnake Court House, which was located on Peacheater Creek about five miles west of what is now Westville. The election was via voice or by voting by speaking the person’s name that you wished to vote for. The officers at this election were Jack Wright and Bill Wright. Tom Welch was running for sheriff that year. He supported Welch in this election and was elected.

Politics in the Cherokee Country have caused several killings. To hear the old-timers talk in those days, this was the cause of the separation that existed in that tribe. That separation still exists, and it will continue to exist as long as this world stands. The old Cherokees claim this caused the Railroads to come through the Cherokee Nation. Politics and this separation caused the allotment.

RAILROADS
Fred Palone was a young man when the railroad question arose, that is, the Kansas City Southern question. The treaty of 1866 had only allowed two railroads to come through the Cherokee Nation. When this question arose, the old Cherokee strongly opposed it. But this question was left up to the National Council to decide. The election of 1892 was one of the hottest elections this he ever voted in.

Dullhoe Crittenden had been a Councilman before this; in this election he ran for the same place on the issue that he was not in favor of the said railroad, which had been held at Siloam then for a year. Jonathan Whitmire ran on the Downing ticket favoring the railroad. It has been said that Whitmire was furnished the money by the railroad company with which to make the race. In this election, Crittenden was defeated. Richard Wolfe was not in favor of the railroad before the election; but as soon as he got elected, he voted for them.

Wolfe, the other Senator from this District was strongly opposed.

The railroad had been completed as far as Siloam .

PIONEER TOWNS
After the coming of the Kansa City Southern southward from Siloam, Westville began to spring up as a town. This was in 1894. The first building to be built at this place was the depot; next a lumber yard, which was established by Eli Alberty. Then a store was established by Tuck Alberty. The building was a hotel put up by a Mr. Bates. This hotel is still in use.

Before Westville was a town, the land on which it now stands belonged to two men name T. Williams and Dan Ross.

Many prominent men of the early days have lived in this town. Among these are Blue Alberty, Par Dore, Hollands, Foreman, Stills, and Eli Whitmire, a noted peace officer of the early days.

Eli Whitmire was the City Marshall at the time the Proctors, Scrapers, Turns, and the Albertys had their troubles with the law.

The boys were arrested and charged with riot. The leader, Joe Proctor, was sentenced but he appealed his case to the higher court. He never served any time for his acts.

ALLOTMENT
The Cherokees in this part of the Goingsnake District were opposed to the allotment. But as I have said before, all the poorer class of Cherokee- regardless of politics voted against this law. Still there were not enough of them. After the Legislators passed this law, the Cherokees were given a chance to a popular vote. A clan of Cherokees known as Night Hawks did not vote in this election, thus causing the defeat of this law.

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Catherine Widener <catz@kcisp.net>  March 2002.