Garvin County Doctors

Garvin County Doctors

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These pictures and information are submitted by various people
and some are taken from the 1957 "Garvin County History"
which was sponsored by the Pauls Valley Chamber of Commerce
If you have a picture or info on a Garvin County Doctor please submit it.

The first medical doctor to practice in Garvin County was Dr. R. Glisan in April of 1851. He had previously been stationed at Camp Arbuckle, which was founded near Byars in McClain County in 1850. Because of rampant illness at the camp, Captain Randolph B. Marcy moved with the command to Wild Horse Creek in April of 1851, when the camp was located at the new site known as Fort Arbuckle, about seven miles west of Davis. Dr. Glisan remained at Fort Arbuckle until November, 1854, when he was ordered to Baltimore to receive a new Army assignment. He was relieved by Dr. Thomas H. Williams, the second doctor stationed at the noted post in Indian Territory. Dr. Glisan wrote a book, Journal of Army Life, published by Bancroft Company in 1874 (now out of print and very rare) describing his life at old Camp Arbuckle and Fort Arbuckle.

Dr. John Shirley, a native of Ireland, went to Texas after his marriage to Jane Patillo of Dardonelle, Arkansas, and was employed as a U.S. government physician at Fort Concho, Texas, and then at Fort Arbuckle. He also served the Wichita Agency Indians near Fort Cobb, established in 1859. In about 1869 or 1870, he moved to Cherokee Town, which was about two and one-half miles southeast of Pauls Valley on the south side of the Washita River. He was the first postmaster of Cherokee Town when the post office was established there in 1874.

About 1881, Dr. W.S. Ryan located in Whitebead Hill and practiced there until his death in 1886. He married Callie Worley, a daughter of John Worley, who came to Indian Territory and established the Criner Ranch near Erin Springs in 1872. John Worley was the father of the mother of Dr. Ray Lindsey's wife, Mrs. Gertrude Worley Patterson. After the death of Dr. Ryan, a Dr. Stowe, an old man, moved to Whitebead Hill. He later died and is buried in Sherman, Texas. A brother, Judge Lucius Stowe lived at Ardmore.

The early doctors at Whitebead included Dr. W.S. Ryan and Dr. Stowe in the early 1880's while later doctors were W.C. Thaggard, A.J. Robinson, S. Price Patterson and O.W. Ross.

Some early doctors of Pauls Valley were Dr. C.C. (Clay) Berry, who came here with the railroad in 1887. Dr. J.W. Davenport arrived sometime before 1889. Dr. Tecumseh Calhoun Branum arrived here from Sulphur Springs, Texas, in 1890. Dr. W.S. Burks, who had located at Fort Washita in 1854, came to Pauls Valley in 1893. He was mostly interested in farming and cattle raising. Later he was a director of the First National Bank at Pauls Valley. Dr. W.L. Miller came here in 1894. Dr. A.E. Davenport and Dr. Alexander W. Gray came here in 1897. Dr. James A. Young in 1898. Dr. T.J. Lee, father of Josh Lee, arrived in 1898. Dr. H.P. Markham came in 1899, and other doctors to son move to Pauls Valley were James R. Callaway, N.H. Lindsey, R.H. Salmon, A.S. Croker, J.W. Shelton, Andrew Struble, and many others.

A very early doctor of Erin Springs was Dr. Scally, who located there in about 1873 or 1874. Another doctor before 1892 was Dr. Whitwood. In the latter part of 1892, Dr. T.J. Frost moved to Erin Springs from Beef Creek (Maysville). Doctors that followed Dr. Frost to Erin Springs included Drs. Stum, Ewing, Gibson, T.J. Lee, A.P. Keever, Benjamin W. Ralston, DeBow, and James C. Matherney. The doctors who went to Maysville shortly after it was founded in 1902 were Drs. Price Patterson, W.C. High, W.E. Tanner, J.C. Rumley, G.W. Herrod and others.

The early doctors of Purdy included B. Ward, James W. Tucker and J.P. Morrow.

Lindsay was founded in 1902. The doctors who came there at that time included A.P. Keever, T.J. Frost and B.W. Ralston all from Erin Springs. Other doctors were S.W. Wilson, J.B. McClure, W.F. Haynes, and R. Elmore Looney.

Dr. John B. Morgan was at Foster and Dr. Ernest Sullivan was at Antioch, while Drs. Samuel L. Burns and E.L. Morton were at Hennepin in 1898. Dr. W.J. Maniss came to Paoli in 1893.

Dr. J.C. Isabell was at Wallville in 1898. Dr. G.L. Johnson was at Johnsonville in 1904. Dr. M.E. Robberson was at Brady in 1905.

Early Wynnewood doctors included Drs. W.E. Settle, Winfrey, H.P. Wilson, J.W. Shelton, Robert Lee Baker, E.E. Norvell, W.T. Slover, John T. Slover, Darst, Thomas Walker and others.

In 1899 doctors at Elmore City were Drs. James R. Callaway, T.J. Frost, N.H. and John K.Lindsey and probably others.

The first medical society was organized in the Chickasaw Nation of the Indian Territory on May 15, 1900 and was called the Chickasaw Medical Association. In 1902, Dr. J.W. Gilbert of Ardmore was the president; Dr. E.E. Chivers of Ardmore was secretary. On March 15, 1906, a group of Pauls Valley doctors organized the Washita Valley Medical Association, 17th District (Garvin County) in Pauls Valley. They were Drs. A.W. Gray, H.P. Markham, W. J. Maniss, A.J. Robinson, James R. Callaway, N.H. Lindsey, T.C. Branum and James A. Young. This association functioned until Oklahoma became a state in 1907 and the name was changed to Garvin County Medical Society under which it was still functioning in 1957 when this book was published.

The first officers of the Washita Valley Medical Association were Dr. James R.Callaway, president and Dr. James A. Young, secretary. While the officers of the Garvin County Medical Society for the year 1957 were Dr. John M. Moore, Pauls Valley, president, Dr. Morton E. Robberson, Wynnewood, vice president, and Dr. Hugh H. Monroe, Pauls Valley, secretary-treasurer.