Muskogee Co, OK

Turning Back The Clock

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

Muskogee Publishing Company, Box 1331, Muskogee, OK 74402

Snippets # 15

(Pg 114) Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving season reminds us of the Pilgrims and the early experiences of that group. One of the unusual occurences of that period was the saving of the life of Capt. John Smith by Pocahontas.

The Muskogee area can boast of having been associated with the Creek Pocahontas, Milly Francis. The story of Francis came to light when Dr. Grant Foreman published "A Traveler in Indian Territory," the journal of Gen. Ethan Allen Hitchcock. Incidently, when he released the story prior to the publication of the book, the story was carried in many of the newspapers of the nation.

While stationed at Fort Gibson in 1841, Gen. Hitchcock visited Milly Francis, who told him she was the daughter of Hillis Hadjo, called Francis the Prophet by whites. She told him she was the one who had intervened to save the life of Capt. Duncan McRimmon in 1817 and that he offered to marry her, but she declined.

When Gen. Hitchcock found her, she was in a destitute condition, living in small cabin near Fort Gibson. He made a report to Congress and asked that a pension be awarded her. On June 17, 1844, Congress granted Francis a pension of $96 per year. "An testimonial of the gratitude and bounty of the United States for humanity displayed by her in saving the life of an American citizen who was a prisoner in the hands of her people and about to be put to death by her people. The act further provided that a medal be struck and presented to Francis' an additional testimony of the gratitude of the United States."

Matters moved slowly in those days, as is sometimes the case today, and it was nearly four years before the Indian agent called upon Francis to have her give him the power of attorney in order for him to collect the money for her. He found her in a dying condition.

... There has been considerable speculation as to the location of the grave of Francis. The Jobe sisters say that oldtimers were of the opinion it was north their home. A few months ago, a person whose surname was Francis, called me asking for all the available information concerning Milly. He said that he was supposed be a descendant of this famous person. [Drawing of a pair of praying hands]

(Pg 115 & 116) Teel Building Has Stable Past. The Teel Laundry Building has a very rich heritage. The western portion dates back to the 1890s. It housed the Rube Evans Livery Stable. The doors were originally the Dutchdoor type - the upper portion could be opened to provide circulation. Old-timers remember seeing horses sticking their heads out of the openings. Evans had a thriving business for many years and became one of Muskogees wealthiest citizens. He married one of the daughters of Captain C.B. Callahan, the last surviving member of the Confederate Congress.

The east portion of the building had two important uses before it became Teel Laundry.

With the coming of statehood, there was considerable pressure to have the county court house located on the east side of town. The fact that there were more votes in this group intensified the pressure. For this reason, this building was used as a temporary court house soon after statehood.

The same pressure that caused the court house to be located on the east side also resulted in the establishment of a bank when it was vacated as a court house. The vault still is in the building. The bank eventually was moved to a more central location.

John Teel came to Muskogee in 1913, establishing the Teel Wet Wash System. He moved to the present quarters in 1916. He was very innovative in the laundry business, making improvements from time to time. The Fair edition of the Muskogee Phoenix in 1941 featured Teel and a shirt ironer that he invented.

... Teel died July 7, 1974 .... [Photo of the Teel Laundry building]

(Pgs 117 & 118) Brown, Marston Go From Muskogee To Wall Street It is a long way from Muskogee to Wall Street and high finance, but two Muskogee residents, Edgar L. Marston and Fred E. Brown, made it - many years apart.

The Union Agency was established in 1875, housed in the building now occupied by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. The second full-time agent was the Rev. SW. Marston, who assumed the position in May 1876. He and his wife and son, Edgar, lived upstairs in the agency building.

Young Edgar, as well as his father, mother and Major P. Fuftin, were pictured in an article in the Muskogee Phoenix dated July 21, 1940. The article also said Marston's daughter, Jeannie, married Lawrence Tibbett, the noted opera and screen star.

Fred E. Brown Jr. grew up in Muskogee, graduating from Central High School in 1930.

His father was secretary-treasurer of the Southern Ice Co. His mother, the former Alice Washington, attended Henry Kendall College and Stephens College. Her father, Lawrence Washington, was a descendant of John Washington, father of George Washington. [following is a list of his achievements] ... Brown was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Statehood Day, Nov 16, 1982. John T. Griffin, another Muskogee resident, also was inducted to this prestigious group at that time.

Other persons who have lived in Muskogee or attended school at Bacone or Harrell International Institute and who have been inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame are as follows: Mrs. G.B. Hester (1928), Alice Robertson (1929), C.N, Haskell, Dr. F.B. Foe, Campbell Russell, Will Rogers and Gabe Parker (1932), Grant Foreman (1934), Clarence B. Douglas (1937), Carolyn Thomas Foreman and Patrick J. Hurley (1938), Judge O.H.P. Brewer and Mrs. O.N. Haskell (1939), Robert L. Owen (1941). Mrs. Oscar Stewart (1943), Yvonne Choteau Terekhov (1947), J. Howard Edmondson (1962), Donald S. Kennedy (1966), Willard Stone (1970), Mrs. Frances Rosser Brown (1973), John M. Houchin (1932), Woodrow Crumbo (1978) and James C. Leake (1979).

(Pgs 117 & 118) Roosevelt Visited Here. The headline of the April 5, 1905, issue of the Muskogee Evening Times was - President Roosevelt in Greatest City in the Southwest. The subheadline was: Spoke 10 minutes to 15,000 People about good Citizenship - Then Told Cowboy Story - The Great Crowd was a Surprise to Him. [remainder of the article is the President's speech] [Drawing of Roosevelt]

(pgs 118-120) L.W. Brophy - A Pioneer In Movies The Spring of '83 issue of Chronicles of Oklahoma had an article on the Muskogee's pioneer moving picture owner, Lawrence W. Brophy, by his daughter, Helen Brophy Geary. Lawrence W. Brophy cast his lot with the business community of Muskogee by opening the "Old" Yale Theater in 1908 to become a leader in the movie business.

He had come through Indian Territory in 1888 and often thought of returning to this area as he punched cattle in Kansas and mined coal, slate, and silver in Colorado. His mining efforts were successfull, but after 13 years of living in the open, he decided to sell out. He homesteaded in North Dakota where he ran a restaurant for a period and established a thriving grain and mercantile business, but a visit to the St. Louis World's Fair changed the course of his life.

For the first time in his life he saw a movie, and it captivated his interest. He went back to North Dakota and continued the operation of his business, but he could not forget that marvel.

In 1905 Lawrence married his childhood sweetheart, Alice Isabelle Freehery. He sold his property in 1906, and he, his wife and baby moved to Chicago for a short while. He remembered Indian Territory, soon to become Oklahoma, ... arriving in Chandler the day after statehood. ... to Muskogee Nov 19, 1907 ... was impressed with Muskogee's potential that ... he opened the "Old" Yale Theater Jan 28, 1908. ... Times-Democrat referred to it as "New Electric Theater, thoroughly equipped with chair seats, raised floor, electric piano, and will carry a series of moving pictures of the latest design." ... seated 230 persons and admission was 5 cents. ... "New" Yale was built in 1910 ... seating 1,000 ... expanded to 15 theaters in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. ... [Photo of Old Yale in Muskogee]

(Pg 120 & 121) Miss Liberty Gets a Facelift [article is about the history of the Statue of Liberty]

(Pg 121 & 122) Fricks Helped Build Area. The man who built the Spaulding Bridge, erected the old standpipe, and cleared the site for Greenhill Cemetery was important in the growth of Muscogee.

... Teck Fricks recently provided me with the following information concerning his father, C.W. Fricks, and his grandfather, N.B. Fricks.

C.W. Fricks was born Sept. 17, 1873 in Georgia. He came to Indian Territory in 1892. He married Ida Mae Hensley Oct. 15, 1899. He met Ida Mae while attending socials at Indian University (Bacone College). She had worked at the school since her 14th birthday.

After their marriage, they set up housekeeping in a two room log cabin on the Spaulding Ranch.

While working on the ranch, Fricks built the Spaulding Bridge north of Muscogee across the Arkansas River. This bridge was the first bridge across any of the rivers in this vicinity ...

While constructing the bridge, a flood caused the hole for the pier on the south end of the bridge to be filled with water. According to Teck Fricks, the water was bailed out with a gallon bucket, taking considerable time. At the bottom of the hole, they found a 32-pound flathead catfish. Ida Mae cooked the fish, along with plenty of cornbread, and invited all the neighbors to the fish fry.

... N.B. Fricks, the father of C.W., was one of the developers of Greenhill Cemetery...

Tack said that during ferryboat days, a flag was hoisted on a flagpole mounted on a mound north of Bacone College when someone wanted to be transported across the river. Persons wanting to go to Fort Gibson or Tahlequah would be taken to the east side of the Grand River, and persons going to Tulsa were transported to an area between the Grand and the Verdigris rivers.

C.W. also built the wooden bridge north of Jobe School. ...

C.W. farmed on the place of B.C. Tarvin for 20 years, and Teck farmed it another 20 years. During the winter C.W. hauled cord wood to the various merchants to fire their boilers. He says that on numerous occasions, he crossed the Arkansas River, which was frozen hard enough to support the load of wood. There are several stories of this sort from old timers. Who says it didn't get cold in those days? [photo C W Fricks]