Jess S. Bearden was born May 5, 1858 at Lacoon, AL and came to Indian Territory in 1893, where he farmed near Tecumseh.  In 1896he leased some land near Okemah and built a two-room log cabin.  He established a store and post office in his home.  Mail was carried horseback from Eufaula, I. T. To Wetumka mission, which was about two miles east of Wetumka's present site.  Then it was brought to Bearden and Arbeka, another trading post, nine miles west of Okemah.  In 1901, Tom and Wally McGee, former residents of the Chickasaw Nation, came to Bearden and formed a partnership with John Burke, establishing a general store two miles east of Bearden on the south bank of the North Canadian River.  Burke City sprang up, but lasted only about two years.  T. E. Standley, who had migrated from Arkansas to the Indian Nation, established a general store at Alabama Switch on the Frisco railroad two miles south of Weleetka.  Standley became acquainted with S. T. Palmer in Weleetka, who was also a native Arkansan.  They formed a partnership to buy the general store from McGee brothers and John Burke, moved the enterprise to Okemah, and founded the Creek Trading Company.

The first teacher in the Bearden area was Mrs. Jessie Adams.  She had thirteen students in 1896: Walker Miracle, Jim Miracle, Ben Strain, Heber Strain, Bertha Strain, Emaline Bearden, Frank Bearden, Roy Dunn, Jessie Adams (daughter of the teacher), Ida and Noel J. Maloy, and two Smith girls.  Bertha Strain later became the wife of Quincy M. Taylor, and their daughter Lillie Taylor was the first student to graduate from Bearden High School.  She was a granddaughter of Jess Bearden.  Noel J. Maloy was born at Fayetteville, AR and came with his parents, the Dave Maloys to IT in 1892.  They settled on the south bank of the North Canadian river two miles north of Bearden.

This page was last updated on 08/11/11

 

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