Indian Pioneer Papers - Index
Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: February 18, 1937
Name: Ambrose E. Worley
Residence Address: Duncan, Oklahoma
Date of Birth: February 21, 1881
Place of Birth: Marysville, Texas
Father: Dick Worley
Place of Birth:
Information on father: US Marshal & US Deputy Sheriff; died 1921
Mother:
Place of birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Warren D. Morse
We came up the Chisholm Trail. First camped at Purcell near Wayne. We were on the road three months but went back and settled near Healdton. I was four years old then. We moved to Sandy Bear, near Robinson (Robberson?), when I was six.
I started wrangling horses up the trail, when I was seven years old. I made
two trips up the trail. The trip was when I was sixteen. We went to Dodge City, Kansas, twice. I was 18 on the other.
Some Indians stole some of our stock and we had a skirmish with them near Oklahoma City. At that time the post office was in a log house. Bill Stone was a big rancher on Big Bear Creek and had all the open range.
I have worked for the Goodnight outfit, Antelope, Subbs, Bill Washington, Metadore and Weatherspoon outfits.
We had a hard time crossing rivers. We would loose stock. Had five white men to get drowned. Jud White, Oscar, Caleps, Philips and Merrill.
We took about 5000 head of cattle on the first trip. It took forty cowboys on this trip. They last trip we took about 1900.
My father, Dick Worley, was a United States Marshal and U.S. Deputy Sheriff. He was connected with the law almost all his life. He died in 1921.
I moved to Duncan in 1900.
Transcribed for OKGenWeb by
Brenda Choate.