Pioneers of Cooweescoowee
Present-day Nowata County, Oklahoma
by John W. Farrell
Solomon W. Cox was born in Ohio September 17, 1820. He married Anna Cooper, a
daughter of Sherod and Lula "Luley" (Wilkerson) Cooper, in Livingston County,
Missouri on August 29, 1839, and as they moved farther westward and farther
southward, they had several babies together. Those babies grew up, married and
had more babies. This is the story that ties them all together for the future
generations.
Solomon Cox's headstone sits, next to two of his Son-in-Laws markers, on a
hillside, about six miles east of Nowata, in a small, fenced-in area known as
Coker Cemetery.
We're not sure of just when and where Solomon and the rest of the family
crossed into Indian Territory, but since his youngest Daughter, Elizabeth was
married to the Cherokee Joseph C. Brown, and gave birth to their two Daughters,
Sarah Ellen in 1878 and Joanna in 1880, in the Cooweescoowee District, then we
would have to think that it would have been in the area of 1877 or thereabouts.
Alas, we are unable to find any of these pioneers listed on census or anything
else, but we know they were here. "Intruders" would not necessarily always
cooperate with census takers or law authorities.
So for the time being, how about we call them, the original "SOONERS".
The various censuses show that Solomon's occupation was primarily a Farmer,
although one census did show him as being a Shoemaker. At this time, we're
unable to determine just where in the Nowata County area that he had his farm.
Not long after Joe Brown died, Elizabeth married James Harvy "Jim" Ferrel, who
lived just long enough to plant the seed of his Son, Johnathan Asbury Farrell
before heading for his final resting place, next to Solomon Cox.
Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth married Robert Lincoln "Bob" Hall, and
proceeded to have several more children.
Solomon's Daughter , Amy Ann was married to James R.M. Renfroe up in Kansas
during this time and they moved into the Nowata area and raised a pretty large
family .
Solomon's youngest Son, George W. Cox married Nancy Williams, and their
family lived Southwest of Nowata somewhere near Oglesby.
So, in closing this biography, let it be said that we are still counting the
Descendants of Solomon Cox in the Nowata area, and will be doing so for many
more generations to come. If the headstones in the Coker, Nowata Memorial,
Oglesby and many more cemeteries could talk, they would attest to this.
Click here for more about Solomon Cox and Descendants
Submitted by: Mrs.
John Farrell
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