The Story of Tom Hayes
If you have read the story of Mazeppa and Laura Turner, your remember that Mazeppa first settled in Stringtown, I.T.  Here, they took the orphan Tom Hayes into their home.  Tom was a year younger than Zep's first child Lizzie.  The very young Choctaw orphan was made a part of the family and moved with the Turners to their new home in the Arbuckle Mountains in the Chickasaw Nation.  

Tom and Mazeppa explored the Arbuckles together and discovered many amazing sights such Turner Falls and Honey Creek.  They explored every cave together in the area.  Later the Turner's moved to Strawberry Flats where Rock Creek flows into the Washita River.  

When Tom turned eighteen years of age, he built a one room log house with a lean-to on Rock Creek near the present site of the Arbuckle Lake dam.  He lived here for ten years taking care of his cattle and farming.  On August 22, 1895, Tom and Rosa Elkins were married by the Reverend Shaffield who was an early day Baptist minister in the area.  

The young couple continued to live in the Rock Creek area and through their Indian allotments and wise investments, their place grew and prospered.  They built a new, larger home which became one of the finest homes in the area.  All their children and most of their grandchildren were born on this place.  

Tom had a number of tenant families and soon saw that his children and the tenant families children were in need of an education.  Tom donated the land and the materials to build the Rock Creek school.  The school teachers lived with Tom as a member of his family.  Along with education, Tom realized that religious training was a necessity.  In Dougherty in 1899, he donated land and some of the materials and helped with the labor to build the Methodist Episcopal church which was used many years and was purchased by the First Baptist Church of Dougherty in 1942.

Along with his activities in education and religion, Tom was interested in community activities.  The Rock Creek singing classes were begun and singing were held with groups coming from all over the state and other states.  Jeanette, Tom's oldest daughter was the group organist.  

Regardless of race or creed, Tom always offered help to anyone in need.  The deeds he did for others were too numerous to recall.  The Hayes were most interested in education of their family.  All of his children and grandchildren attended college.  Tom Hayes name was always spoken with kindness and respect.  He was one of the most beneficial persons who ever resided in the area.

 

Contributed by Dennis Muncrief, November 2001.

reference: Sulphur Times-Democrat, Sept. 10, 1953