Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections"

Annis Benson
5 years ago
Views:

1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only. Use of certain published materials and manuscripts is restricted by law, by reason of their origin, or by donor agreement. For the protection of its holdings, the Western History Collections also reserves the right to restrict the use of unprocessed materials, or books and documents of exceptional value and fragility. Use of any material is subject to the approval of the Curator. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. An example of a proper citation: Oklahoma Federation of Labor Collection, M452, Box 5, Folder 2. Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

2 BOWLIN, CHJLHL1S yjjmmmi #7608

3 BOfUN, CHARLIE. INTERVIEW L. W. ffllson, Interviewer September 81, interview with Charlie Bowl In, Bulbert, Oklahoma Charlie Bowliny states that he is a negro and was born in 1861, near the present town of Uuldrow, Oklahoma* Be does not know who his parents were. Bed was reared by the Cherokee Indians and some white people. Be has been oompelled to work ever ainoe he can remember* During the Civil ffar,bowlin alang with other negroes and a white man, named Captain Dunn were taken to Texas. Captain Dunn operated a ferry aoroes the Arkansas River near the present town of Fort anith, Arkansas, and lived on the Indian Territory aide of the river. Be controlled many aorea of.farming laafl near and around the ferry. Be returned to Indian Territory after the olose of the War when he wae about seven years old. A / / / / man by the name of Joe Bowers took hia, Mr. Bowers

4 B0WL3N, CHARLIE. Dff operated what was known/as the "Hint Mile Road House" on the old Military Ro«d whloh want from Fort Snlt Arkansas, %o Tort Oibrfon* Ho livtd here until grown* / MilitaryWd, Ft. aaith, Arkansas, / to Ft. Gibeon; Oklahoma. This Military Road was used during the C;vil War, and for 7 many years after. Soldiers wexw stationed both at /Ft. anith and Ft. Oib»oh f and/ this road wa/ ua«d /extensively by the soldiers 1& transporting supplies and men between the two fjtats. The road was also used by people who/lited along it and iadgrants coming into the territory, The Military Road orossed the Arkansas by a gerry*, owned l t different times by/captain Dunn, Gabs Payns, and Frank Morgan. It ran «l»ost due west, and when/nine miles out, which iae naer the present

5 21?- BOWUN, CHARLIE.. ' INTBH7IEW ' town of Muldrow, one cams to the "Nina Mile Boad Bouse". Toll plaoe oaught more people going east to Ft, Saith than It did those who wans westward bound, who wanted a plaoe to ksop their horses and for meals and lodging. Usually people stayed her* all 1 night, At early.daylight the horses were fed, breakfast sc rvod. They would hit oh up their teaas and reaoh Ft* Smith by dinner time the aaae day. Those westward bound usually fed their teams, ate dinner and continued westward. It might be fitting to say the ferry at Ft. f. ' Snith was firot a pole, and then a steam ferry. Continuing west from th» Nine Mile Road House, one oroaaed MTeral creeks, the largest of ifcioh was Sallisaw Creek. Creoles were always fdrdedi At a point up on little Vian Craek,about /nine milts northeast of the present town of Vian, was

6 30 * v.? Cl^PLIE. INTtFVIET:. 7C06 the John Drew home. An inn was operated he*-e where people canped and stayed all night. There w^s a large spring and a camp groumd at this inn. Ma*y times people would camp there and rest for days before continuing their Journey, either east or west. During the Civil Trap the soldiers used to camp there and the people later called the spring, "The Government Spring". John Drew stayed there for quite awhile, and left for the other side of the Arkansas Rfr er over at 'ebbers Falls* It has b$ en said that he went over there to start a salt works on Dirty Creek. \ After he left, the Inn changed-^handa many to John Drew*s> traveled the road farther west than

7 T BOffLIN, CHARLIE. JHTEKVISfl, 7608, in later ytere a town waa atarted near the Inn» called "Evening/Shade". and had a poat /office. Zt waa quite a little Tillage The laat tiae Mr. Bowlin waa orer that Way /the town had paated away but the old -poat offioe *ao still atanding. ^ After they stopped uoing the old Military Road ao nuch, a nun put in a ate go atand known aa ohllder'a Station* Thii atand waa looated near the present town of Sailiaaw, but to be more exact it was between Vian and Drake Prairie* Drcie Prairie la located s between Vian and Salllaaw. On Drake Prairie, aosse four or five mllea on tho ataga road^a man named Drake operated a big faxsi ' about ten ailea aquare and extending all the way < south to the Arkansas River. Be had a large marohandiee store and worked many white, colored and Indian familiea on hla fanu Be raited lota of cotton and oattie*

8 CH&RL2S. INTERVIEW Railroads. The St. Louis, Iron Uountain It Southern Railad Wilt through. Indian Ttrritory-in 1887 ana the aao City Southern through in 1894* The Kansas City Southern Railroad surveyed Us right-of-way through sens of Kr. Otbt Piyne's land end he objected, but they'continued to build tnyvay* Mr. Payne was much ired and brought suit agg&nst th«, railroad for ten thousand dollars* Es lost ths»uit«w Steamboats. Steamboats started ooaing up the rirer to skulley- Tille, Webber Falls and n«olbson a little later. By that I nsan son* two or th?ee yeari. Innediately after the Bar there were not many steamboats on t&e riter. The first boat to leave from Ft. Soitfc for ft, Oibson after the Ear was built at Ft* Saith, near the ferry, then owned by Gebe Payne. They named the boat

9 BOWLJN, CliAELIE. INTERVIEW. "Ft. Smith", This was a boat of light drought and was built so it could travel _the river ell the way to Ft. Gibson, other boats of the same make that followed were the Ozark, Ft. Gib a on, and the Dar&tnolle. Heavier -steamboats were the Border City,Mary \ > D., Ueotphia Backet, and the William Drew. The steamboats carried all kinds of merchandise, passengers, and some carried the mail./the principal " * - / landings were Pheasant Bluff, Skulleyville, Tameha and Webbers Falls.?hey could never get up the river farther than Ft. Gibson* Ports, There were Ft. Gibson, Ft. Coffey of Indian Territory, and Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections

Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections