Muskogee Co, OK

Turning Back The Clock

By: C. W. "Dub" West (c) 1985

Muskogee Publishing Company, Box 1331, Muskogee, OK 74402

Snippets # 3

(Pg 17 & 18) Religious Services Began Around 1874 in Muskogee. We find no record of religious services being held in Muscogee until early in 1874. Sunday School services were held in Mrs Paxon's school building at that time. The first man to proclaim the word of God to this frontier village was later in 1874. There is a discrepancy as to who this was. ... Otto Zufall said it was a circuit rider living in Fort Gibson ... Another account, better documented ... was Rev Timothy Hill, the supervisor of missions for Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Indian Territory ... April 19, 1874 ...

Another Sunday School was reported in the Muskogee County Democrat Oct 21, 1909 - When History Was Making. It was an account of an address by Rev John Cassel of Ft Scott, KS. "the oldest missionary in the southwest" at the Sunday School Conference held in Muscogee on this date. ... "the next morning when I went to the stable (after holding services in Vinita the night before) for my horse, I learned there had been nine men hung within a radius of five miles of town for horse stealing and other crimes within a year's time." ... "I came to Chouteau and organized a Sunday School" ... "Muscogee was a small village of shanties with but few buildings deserving the name of a house. But God had several Christian men in the place. They had several meetings organized, but as yet had not perfected the plant. They had no material, no books or help. I invited about a dozen persons to a meeting at half past seven in a room built of boards, an unfinished box house white-washed inside in lieu of plaster. It was near the railroad; about a dozen persons were present. Among them I remember J S Atkinson, a merchant, who was made superintend of the Sunday school. I supplied the Sunday school with Bibles and other materials, and as I was reduced to the last dollar of traveling expenses, the cash, $14, was providential"

(Pg 18 -20) Two Barrels of Salt Contributed to City. According to Dr. Grant Foreman, Muscogee had the prospect of continuing as a small hamlet such as are many towns up and down the Katy Railroad. He further states that the fact that the Union Agency for the Five Civilized Tribes was built near Muscogee gave the little village the boost it needed.

Prior to 1875, each of the Five Civilized Tribes had its own agency. When it was decided to establish a union agency, Muscogee was chosen as the site.

The first agent to assume charge of Union Agency after a period of transition was George Ingalls. For some reason, Ingalls wanted to establish the agency on a site near Checotah. One possible reason was that he and the merchants were not on the best of terms. Another story implies that Ingalls was to profit considerably by locating the agency near Checotah. The only thing Ingalls lacked to clinch the deal was to obtain a sample of good water from the well located on the proposed site.

Here is where a bit of intrigue entered the picture. A number of enterprising Muscogee citizens, headed by Major Foreman decided to do something about. Early one Sunday morning Major Freeman and his associates transferred two barrels of salt from the Atkinson Store and hauled them to Checotah, where upon the salt was dumped into the well at the proposed site. When the water was tested it was found to be unpalatable. So Ingalls wired Washington that Union agency would be established in Muscogee. There is no record indicating whether Ingalls ever knew the trick was played on him.

The cornerstone of the Union Agency ... Agency Hill now Honor Heights ... was laid Aug 18, 1875. ... Rev J S Morrow, acting grand master ... representing the Masons of Indian Territory ... William P Ross ... E C Boudinot ... Samuel Checote ... made speeches. Joseph M LaHay, father of Margaret and Wauhilau LaHay, attended the affair as a boy and was impressed by the free ice water. .... Constructed at a cost of $5,435 ... used until 1876 when it was moved to downtown Muscogee on the northwest corner of 4th and West Okmulgee. It was then used as a residence for the Agents. .., Rev S A Martson was one agent who lived there. His son Ed Marston ... was the administrator of the Ford Foundation for a period. ... John Q Tufts was another.

... The building served to house a school for Freedmen boys for many years ... Alexander Hamilton Mike was later principal of this school. .. Between periods of neglect and deterioration, the building was used as a tea room by Mrs Alex Posey and Alice Robertson, as well as the headquarters for the American Legion and Boy Scouts. ... It's appearance was changed on several occasions ... how restored to its original look ... it houses the Five Civilized Tribes Museum ... opened April 16, 1966.

(Pg 20 & 21) Indian Fair Predates Current Fesitval. The Indian International Fair was held in Muscogee in the fall of 1874. It was a gala affair with representatives of the Indian tribes of the so called "wild" (plains) tribes participating, as well as those of the Five Civilized Tribes. ...

The fair association was headed by Mayor James A. Foreman, Muscogee's first mayor, with Joshua Ross acting as the first secretary. Robert L. Owen was later president of the group.

The big affair began with a parade with each tribe trying to outdo the others. The Sept. 27, 1918 issue of the Muskogee "Times Democrat' described the parade as being very colorful with each tribe carrying banners with various inscriptions and mottoes. ... The Cherokees and Creeks in the educational exhibits. Chief Ross had a good exhibit as did Tullahassee Mission. The Cherokee Orphan Asylum gave a concert.

Ella Coodey Robinson was the daughter of William Shorey Coodey, a prominent Cherokee who wrote the constitution of the Cherokee Nation. She was born near Frozen Rock and lived most of her life in Muskogee, living to be 99 years of age. She gives us the details of that first fair and subsequent ones in an article in "Chronicles of Oklahoma", Volume XVII, pages 41 3-416. She says the first fair was held at Cherokee and Cincinnati, but the location was changed to a location west of Spaulding Park in order to have more room.

" The men brought the usual livestock and farm produce, while the women's department had exhibits of preserves, pickles, cakes, bread, and needlework.

"The big attraction was horse racing. Race horses from the States were brought in to compete with those owned by the Indians. The women competed in horseback riding. She observes that the women of the "wild" tribes were in a separate division and always rode bareback. She says that the prize for the best horsewoman was a woman's sidesaddle, but that on one occasion a woman refused to accept the sidesaddle but took a man's saddle instead."

Mrs. Robinson says, "Belle Starr and her beautiful daughter, Pearl, were regular visitors and attracted much attention, partly because of their notoriety and also the way they were dressed. Belle always wore a divided skirt and a man's short and cartridge belt, and a white hat. They were quiet and well behaved and never seemed to make friends with anyone." Another source indicates that Belle rode in the horse races on more than one occasion.

"A bandstand near the racetrack was filled almost continuously with bands from Denison, Texas, Parsons, Kansas, and several Arkansas towns. ... Mrs. Robinson says "that there was no merry-go-round until the 1800's. She recollects, "It was a funny thing, operated by little mules that went around in circle. At first the children were afraid to ride it, but after they found they would not be killed, it was hard to get them off."

... She also looked forward to respond to the dinner bell at the Buzz Hawkins eating tent. She says she was a good dinner and could always get a good seat where she enjoyed a turkey dinner for 25 cents. She concludes, "With the passing of the Indian International Fair, one of the most outstanding and colorful features of Indian Territory life disappeared." ... [Photo pg 22 of Charles Lindbergh in 1927 when he attended the Fair in Muskogee]

(Pg 23 & 24) Clarence Turner - A Town Builder. ... Turner first came to the Muscogee vicinity in 1870 - two years before the birth of this frontier town. He was on his way from Fort Smith to Okmulgee. The second night of his trip was spent at Aunt Sara's Travern at the Creek Agency - Muscogee's predecessor.

Clarence was associated with his father, J.E. Turner, in the merchantile business in Okmulgee until 1875 when he and William Harvison bought the store.

He came to Muscogee, Sept. 15, 1882, purchasing hardware store of J.S. Atkinson, Muscogee's first store. Patrick J. Byrne, Muscogee's first mayor was associated with him for a period, but Turner bought Byrne's interest in 1887. In spite of two fires, he developed one of the largest wholesale and retail businesses south of St. Louis. In addition, he established one of the most complete lumber yards in the area.

When the first telephone in Indian Territory ... he was one of the stockholders, and the Muscogee exchange was in his store.

He brought the first commercial electric light plant to downtown Muscogee. He was one of the organizers and a member of the first board of directors of First National Bank.

He and General Pleasant Porter fenced the first "big pasture" for ranching in Indian Territory. It paralleled the Katy Railroad extending from Leliatta to the north line of the Creek Nation two miles south of Chouteau, west to Inola, south to the Gibson-Claremore Road, and east to Leliatta - an enormous amount of barbed wire.

He helped to finance the building of Henry Kendall College and contributed the lumber.

He built the first opera house and the federal courthouse and was one of the persons who offered to build the state capitol in Muscogee.

He held many offices of public trust, including being elected a member of the first city council, was treasurer of the Indian International Fair, and was president of the Commercial Club.

He was so prominent and popular that the "finest hotel in Indian Territory" was named for him, and just before his death, John W. Flenner eulogized him at length April 21, 1931, as one of the outstanding townbuilders and boosters of Muscogee and Indian Territory.

Mrs. Turner for many years was considered the hostess of Indian Territory. Her daughter, Tookah Turner Bagg, recalled there was a constant procession of prominent visitors in their home. ... Because of her gracious manner and ability to greet people, Mrs Turner was the official hostess for the Indian Territory exhibit at the St Louis World's Fair. [article includes a photo of Clarence W Turner]