, D* mmnxa 6T60. 'l\. i~

Transcription

1 T., D* mmnxa 6T60 'l\. i~

2 - 8 - FAULKNER,, D. T. INTERVIEW.. * Form A-(S-149) niochaphsj FORM " '' *' ' WORKS H0GRE3S ADMINISTRATION, Indian-Pioneer >Hisiory Project for Oklahoma \' 676O Field Worker's name Grace Kelley. This report made on (date). July 19, 1937." 193 1, Namo D. T. Faulkner 2. Post Office Address Dewar, Oklahoma. 3, Residence address (or location) South of highway, next to last block. & DATE OF BIRTH: Month ' September Day 25, year 1859, 5. Place of birth Kentucky. 6. Name of Father Jim Faulkner. Other information about father Place of birth Tennessee. 7. Name of Mother Ellen (don't know) Place of birth Don't know. Other information about mother Xotes or--cor.;plt,te narrativo -by the field worker dealing.?"y '^ l.'jc end story of tho ^ernon interviewed. Rofer to Manual f"br r si.- x -.l :.\ : jto-'os and -^nti^n. Continue on blank sheets if ^necessary 'ind :=.oh firmly to, N-.imber of sheets att'ached 8.

3 ?AOLKNER. D* T* ' ' 'INTERVIEW., Grace Kelley, An Interview With D. T* Faulkner, Dawar, Oklahoma* Game to VIan in 1891, I oame to the Indian Territory from Arkansas forty-six years ago and rented a farm of ninty acrea about three miles. \ r from VI an. I had my femily wit^ font furaltur* lm eae covered wagon drawn by'horses* TLM III Thare was a railroad at Vian, the Iron fountain, which - later was called the Missouri Pacific* Three stores; T» F«Kennedy had the biggest store or trading store at it was called, Allen f s and Th» Red Store, a cotton n and a blacksmith shop* They had to have a blacksmith for there was vmore of that kind of'-work then than there is nof/j :ne drug store owned by Jake Brockoaa, but thoie were no banks until after Statehood, No free schools and I eouldnh afford to pay, so my children coulda't FO to school* I don't remember any church. Old Doctor Bryant was at Vien and Doctor Camp- bell at Gore, a few miles away*

4 FAULKNER, D. T, ' INTERVI-BW*, ", <. *. -8- *, '" ( M&R13S ON ILLINOIS RIVER AND ARKANSAS BITO. I rented a boat from Mrs* Foreman and ran a ferry at the mouth of the Illinois fliver on both streams for seven years, with a pole and oars* I had to.hire a man to help 123 me* When the 'river was up and the timber coming dorm we. epuldn't cross as we didn't have a cable. When the Ice was on the river, we couldn't cross either. In the year of we had a high water year* My crop was in the bottoms and. all of it, except twd, awes, was washed away. All kinds and classes of people crossed on the ferry; Indians f travelers, freight wagons, and Government wagons, ae that was when they" were- section!2ing this country*' The \ wagons of the Government were heavier and loaded heavier than the other wagons* One time a rotten place came in the boat and we hadn't noticed it until we had loaded a Govo^nnen*. wagon on, and it was so heavy that it broke through* We were crossing, before it started * eak<ng and we thought we wouldn't make the opposite back,but we finally did* When the water was up we charged a dollar a wagon but when it was down we Just charged fifty cents a wagon* Some days I'd make as high as ten dollars, but other days not so much* \.

5 , D. T. pepbrvibw, ^ '' "^ i. -5- ' ",.SWAMP FEVER AND MALARIA. The bottoms were not cleared up and all my money went for doctor bills, i It was a very poor place in which to lire, from a health standpoint* There was lots of malaria swamp fever.,. > HOME. We lived first in a log house and then in a frame house, and had home-made farniture, lye, and soap, $Pe had chickens and- sold eggs for from seven to ten cents a dozen,, ' BLA*K WALNUT BEDSTEAD.. X made a nice black walnut bed with spokes in the head arid foot. It was a pretty good bed if I* may say so, "'and' I was offered a dollar and a quarter for it. - ; * :. CHAIRS, TABLE, CUPBOARDS. Our chairs were made out-of ash, with hickory bark I bottoms. t f d cut a tree and*fet as straight limbs as I cmld, take e drawing knife and amooth them up. The bottoms were made of hickory bark woven on the chair. The chairs lasted for four or five years or sometimes longer, and the

6 »* " * ' v ' w. FAULKNER,'DL T.',, : " "'" * bottoms would last indefinitely, but.the chairs would get rickety after so long a time* If they nere carefully used they lasted longer than >.f ihrown around and not taken care of* ' - I managed to get boards and made cupboards by nailing a board to the wsll, and* putting shelres from it to the other wall.'fle usually built thtra in the corner to save room and save one v board* ' The tables were just lego sith boards nailed to form a top. Poor people have similiar ones for cook tables nov* ^ Vian was ray trading plabo for thirty-five years though I had another farm on Black Gum Mountain. Cotton in th«or. seed sold for -three dollars and fire cents,/three dollars " ond ten cents a bale. CHEROKEE TOW (TRIBAL) i 8 Red Bird Smith WQS -the boss (Chief) of the ^herokces and then Anderson Gritts, They had «tribal town (we called i t a stomp.ground} on Black(sum Mountain. Tbey'still use it. There wasn't much except on Blackgum which is.three miles fron Terrapin. There were deer, turkey and small I

7 FAULKNER, D. T. w ; I^TEBVIEW.' game there, and my boys hunted there* \ ' - ' J ' 'FISH. Whenever t got hungry for fish r put a hook in the river and caught what I wanted. or to sell, but just what I needed. I nerer caught for sport, There were no oil wells to ruin the streams then,* Td'o much enphasia Is put on ho.v» aany fish people?atch rather ythan on the salt water from the oil wells which Is ruining/tjee fishing. STSAKiBOATS. Gasoline and steamboats ran from Webbers Falls to Fort Smith carrying freight, flour, feed and all kinds of stuff* That was bad for«,the freighters*. MAIL "OACH. I There was a mail coach or hack, called the Old Express, from Vlan to Tehleqtiah...The old road is still there by Vian Creek, past Joe Brown's place, close to Cooksoa. WHERE WAGONS WE-?B B0TJGH5. There weren't any wagons made near Vlan, so we had to buy them at Fort Smith* Some were* oeda there and some

8 FAULKNKR, D. T.. INTERVIEW. 6780, '- ' i ' (the moat of them) were made in Springfield^ Kansas, and shipped to ForV'Smith were we bought then. ' RECREATIONS-, Be had roping contents',pienios, riding steer contesta, and old time square dances where the only music was a fiddle and guitar. There were no pie suppers nor literary meets in that country, isawmill. *"*' There «as a small samnill in the Sand Town bottom, but I don't reniember who owned it; cottonwood, walnut, -and sycamore ware cut,, We lired in one house built of Sycamore boards cut st this railtr* SPRINGS. Salt Springs wa3 on 3elt Branch between Vian and Gore. 3e crossed the -^r ek at John Williams store. Kettlos w«re still there wh^re people had ciade salt when we arrived at that place, < * 'BASCHBS. Bob Carlile had a big ranch north, and a little west of He didn't uae a brand but he used a dew-lap which

9 sfaulkner # D, T» INTERVIEW. ' ' 6760» means he out a notch la the meat that hung under the Mrs# Foreman, I can't remenfoer her first name, but I worked for her for years and rented her boat, had two sons, Sleo and Euan. She was a fine v?oman# She didn't own a ranch, but had a lot of cattle branded with a "5" that ran out on free range, OR TOWN MARSHALS. One was Ji v ra Gait, but I don't remember much about. The other was Ban Lee» On day he tried to take a t drunk Cherokee Indian to jail, and he wouldn't go* Hen Lee hit- him over the head. I think he used hi a gun for a v club, and "took him to jail and he laid down. Later that day the Indians brother came to, get him, and "Dan Lee vent Into the cell with th? Indian's brother and he f was still' lying on the oot, Dan took hold of hie foot and shoek 14. He looked at the brother and said, n Fo is deader'n a aoor i nail M»!Hie brother pulled his gun and shot Lee, the shot going in through the chin. He didn't die, but it's a wondor, and he id.ll always carr.y the scar. He is an Apo*- tiic Preacher now*

10 FAULKHHR, D* T. ' INTS^TIEW., 6760* UNITE STATE3 John Brown was a white man who was about three-fourths Indian* but passed as a white raaa. He worked out of Fort/ 1 ' Marshal Smith. He was a gpoa, or bad/ # depending upon how one believes, for he always brought baok His'iaan. - H e had to kill about four men, as that was the only way'he c.ould get them* COUNTRY SCHOOL* ' '^. -. There was a school called, *the Wilson Sohool^^^t a subscript!on,"""countfcy sohool, on Blackgum Mountain*