Seminario teologico modulo 02 ap miguel angelo da silva ferr
PATH4-A,' W. A* BfPERV-IEW. 13242 ' - ' ' 421 · 425 PATILIA, Wo A. INTJSRVIEVY ,=13242 could not...
Transcript of PATH4-A,' W. A* BfPERV-IEW. 13242 ' - ' ' 421 · 425 PATILIA, Wo A. INTJSRVIEVY ,=13242 could not...
PATH4-A,' W. A* BfPERV-IEW." 1 3 2 4 2 '
- ' ' 421
PAT7LLA, iV. A. ' MAP OF MILITARY hOAD. ^ 1 3 2 4 2
^3 Parsons a
Cherryrde Moundr Valley
IndependenceBolton
CoffeyviUel — ««
ocrivem I 1 Sommei f«
StwdmanGerty
CHnPine -
Cttesbue"
Ajhland
•itenon?
ReyixMiy- — — , fine yaiiey fi—\-^ / _
- -FOREST
idloyr
Fewell
krnow
Stringtown Jumbok
Va
tiOmoie Bot01r o >
Milbum'
ushka ^ ^ .• • <
Hatfield
[Cove |
:eivcort J> S
~ Ethel
Caneyj,
I KenefiCp
Benlleyj
Matey
Rattan'
./Turner .Loolvou: "*
^°Hochetown @
"Xalera-
r ' Bojweil,ienmngton
Jscksoo
UticaAlbany
j o S i s i
faihant
New Glovero
itnarck O^GIc
4 • "
Grant)
Bukluklo
xaia _,
Garvif
) Shoals'
YuM,
,Kemp t Powdery
Woodlani) N e ; l e *
OHams
ParisDimple C
.H
^SKELLY;
J$fc-
lie, 11459 .fcl. 1269 .4fck, 1490 *fee, 23283 .K 1177 . . .Dk, 1789..\, U95 . . .law. 104 . .196.9Coffeyville,
ER. 1517 . .WATER,6WELL.6vail. "478 . .ord. '950 . .
fit:BIOC12.G6C MF15
A13,F14
D10
DI5G i lC16
Strang, 286 . .Stringtown, 558
|S*roud. 1894 . .CjifcSHUR. 4242Sw«t<3ter. 93f A(-%6QU AHjf^J
2495 •/£*<•Talihina, f(B2 .TALOCA, fl&>.TECUMSEH? i
2419 :Temple, 1182Terlton. 234 . . .Texola. 581Thomas, 1256 . .Tipton, 1459 , .T1SH0MINC0.
1281
.C14.H12.E10.H10..F4
.014
.C14
F(E. .H7.C l l. F4..E6..H5
H l l
Tom. 32 .115Tonkawa, 3311 . .B9TULSA, 141258..D12Turner Falls, 15.H10Turkey Ford, 17 . .BHTuskahoma. 213.G13Tuttle. 766 F8Valliant, 608 J14ySnoss, 518 . . .G10/erden. 587 . . . . FSP/ian. 900 E14VINITA. 4263 B13WAGONER.
2994 D13WALTERS. 2262'. .H7WATONGA. 2282.D7WAURIKA. 2368.H8-Wayne, 427 . . . .C9
Waynoka, 1840 . .C6Weatherford,
2417 H6Weleetka, 2042 El 2West Tulsa,
3096 . . . D12Wetumka. 2153.FUWEWOKA,
10401 FUW1L8URTON.
1524 F13Wilson. 2517 . . H9WOODWARD,
5056 C5Wynne Wood,
1820 . . . C9Wynona. 1171 . .C l lYale, 1734 . . . .D10
Yahola, 84 D13Yukon, 1455 . . E8
ARKANSASFort Smitn",
2°9O3 El 5Siloam Springs,
2378 C15VAN BUREN,
5182 .E15
KANSASANTHONY, 2947 A8ASHLAND. 1232.A4Coffeyville,
16198 A13COLUMBUS,
3235 A14
Caney, 2794 . .A12Galena", 4736 AT4INDEPENDENCE,
12782 . . . . A12LIBERAL. 5294.. A2Parsons. 14902 A13WELLINGTON,
7405 A9
MISSOURICARTHAGE,
9736 . ... .A15JoDlin. 33454 . .A15NEOSHO. 4485 ...Bl5
TEXASBONHAM, 5655 J12CMIicothtTTBIO. .H5
CLARKSVILLE.2952 i\*
CROWELL, 1946 .J4Eiectra. 6712 . . . J6GAINESVILLE,
8915~.> J10Iowa Park. 2009. J6HENRIETTA,
2020 MOlney, 4138 . . . J6PARIS. 15649 . ..J13QUANAH, 4464. H4SHERMAN.
15713 . . . .J11VERNON. 9137. . H5WICHITA FALLS,
43690 J7
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PATILU, W. A. INTERVIEW. ,. 13242
L. W. Wilson,* Journalist
March 14, 1938.
". Interview with Mr. ••<. A, Pa t i l l a127 North U Street, M
( My father1,' T. A . 'Pa t i l l a , who was bom in Indiana in
1329, and my.mother, a one-quertor Cherokee, born in Tennessee
in 1938, were l iving e t Paducah,. Kentucky, and traveled west
in 1372 "by steamboat by the way of Memphis, Tennessee, down
the Mississippi River to the mouth of -the Ark'.nsas "iver and
thence up the Arkansas to a vil lage celled Qz'ark, Arkansas,
ffhich was some thi r ty-e ight or, forty miles from 7 or t % i t h .
I was* nine months old e t this time. They farmed in Arkansas
unt i l the opportune time presented i t s e l f for their removal
to the Indian Territory to establish the r ights of my mother
in the Cherokee Nation.
My father and mother, with their children, eame to Okla-
homa by covered wagoht a distance of only seventy-five miles
from Ozerk, Arkansas,'by Fort Smith, and landed down on Less
Creek near the present to van of Nicut, *?hen 1 *?as in ray early
teens, which was about the yoar 1886. I grew to manhood in
this, loca l i ty and I knew everyone for miles in e< ch direction
/and enjoyed a l l the f ^ t i y i t l e s a t th&t time so adsptable to
young people. I attended church, dances, ba l l plays, hors©
423
PATILIA, W. A. INTERVIEW ' #13242
V
races and went fishing and hunting. Hy father farrped and,
of course, I assiated him all I could. He later acquired
many cattle and in handling cattle over the eastern part
of the Indian Territory I naturally acouainted myaelf .-.ith
all the ro-ids and trails.
Of course, our path was not a be-i of roses, for we
experienced many hardships, but with strong belief in the
future and,'with the co•xrage of real'pioneers, tog-th.r. with
the sprinkling of Cherokee Indian blood, my pi rents stuck it
Schools were scattered and c-hurch was held either in
the school house or under arbors.
Roads changed from time to ti-e, due to seasons and
high and* lov/- waters- in the rivers( but the'course pursued was
always in the sane general direction..
The Texas Road,when I traveled it, crossed Red River from
Texas at a ^oint about twenty~five miles northwest of Denlson,
Texas, and ran in a northtast^rly direction to the present t^wn
of i&ad. thence to four miles wtst of Brown, thenc to near Nida
a d thenc© to Folsom on Blue River, to Boggy Depot, crossir.g
clear Boggy Creek and continued northeast, leaving Goalgate
4JM
P&TILU, W. A. . INTERVIEW #13242
about fifteen miles to the lo f t . I t crossed tho highway
near Kiowa, thence north to McAleeter, thenoe to Masaey
and tuen east to u point about fifteen miles east of _
Canadian and then northeast acj*'Kis thf? Canadian River bo-
low the mouth of the North Canadian River to a point five
miles -u-t of Texana und then in a northern direct ion, and
crossing Li t t le and b ;g Klk Creelce and on to the cru fling
on Dirty Croek to one-naif mile west of tiu >1idlan<i Volley
Railr jed bridge. Krom tiiere i t ran north through the Ketst
side of Keefton, crossing?; Highway 64 about one and one-half
miles west of KooPton, continued northuaat to Btild Knob
which ia one-half mile east of the southeast cyn.er of Bruahy
i&mntaiB^ then nortn three-fourtha of u mile east of Uncle
Bud Ledbetter's pla"ce, then north.-.ucL ori..-fourth mile to
/Jam ifont^ont^ry's place and crossed ^oody JrueV near Ge rpe
Crittendon's place. I t passed tnr ^ugh tht- ol^ ReubonSvans ,i
f
ranch southWeat of i"*ro. en itock to on< - fou r t /mile v/o«t of/
Fro \.u riocfe r.nd then in a northeasterly direction to Rabbit* - * •
Ford, across the Arkansas River whiiih i s abqut 300 yards south
of the present Fr isoo Railroad bridge HSfhen.the Arkansas -RrWr
425
PATILIA, Wo A. INTJSRVIEVY ,=13242
could not be f-rded people traveled to.Kevins ferr.. at the
mouth of Grand River. Then the road angled northt-ust thrt-b-
fourths of a mile, thence north into 7ort Gibson. Leaving
Fort Gibson %Le road »vent north .^st the present Fort Gibson
water tower peeping to the east b-.nk f the Grand River for
about four^a^L83 until the mout". of xlower Crv'tk was reached-
Here Grand River was forded about one mile ea^t of th> present
Euo Grande Hanch and the road ran northwest vo one-'. .If nile
west of wagoner and then followed Jjhc- line of the »K&T Rail-
road to one mile west of Choteau n& continued northfend east
to tne east of i-ryor Creek an • then northeast to the ,big bend
on Grand River two rdles n.rthsest of ;trang« Froni there it
ran three miles west of Ketohum, north to Blue Jacket and
continued to t. o miles east of Welch9* then in a northwest rly
course to Chetopa,
I have been told by t-eoplt JV?JO lenev.-, tar. -lonr t'is
road many historical eve:.ts trans: .red. It lead to r,cnr t\.e
Confederate :ort at Fort ;/;>shita and near tl.e plvace wvere
General Lea^enworth died on t e ./ashita lUver.
At Big Boggy Depot m".ny of t e Or. tks took rofugfc during
f:a Civil tfar. Jake Sinrnons, now living at Haskell;waa one
PATILU, .!/. A. ' INTERVIEW
of t".e refugees, altho-.i/1:1. he was a fere boy.
The Texas Road crossed tUe old California T ra i l , e s -
tablished in 1349, a 'out flvt mi.'e' o.ith .or :,;cAlester. Near
this road,-a t Honey :'.prir.-s. ne-ir .>kta.Vi, m-.s foug;.t h
major batt le-of th< C ^ i 1 V r fow#.t ir. /Klehor.a and nviny
Confeder te Soldiers bil led in th, t .batt le Lre buried
t ' e r s . At /o r t Gibsoi, Tk.,.y thinrn he-;-iv .!• (t; ' t . i s .vaa the
hub o'' a l l the roads leadin • r.ort!1, eas t , sout;. <nd -'fit.
7\i6 t vm of >ryor recaiv. d i t s name <;ft- r oic i i i thavi t l i ryor
ancChouteeu vfter an old family from . t . Louis or the name
of Chouteau ^ho once orierated e tredint: po t b< "on th-.. r«~
Inioval of t^e Five Tribes from, the -test. Iv'uar Big Cabin, or
knownCabin Creek, was fought a minor battle/~?is the Battle of Cabin
Creek. I t was aloa": this t r a i l near Pensacola that tne Con-
federates intercepted a Federal w^gon t ra in enr jut-; to Fort
Gibson, taking n i l tv;e men prisonora and confiscatir,f;; a l l the
teams, wagons and a pp l ies .
Military Road - 1
This road ran south out o° the Kort Gibson bjrracks to
a point about one mile west of the present National Cemetery,
t\ence east past the cemetery *md ran in a soat..easterly3irec~
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I A T I L U J W. A. INTERVIEW • Jfc3242. . .
tion across Wild Horse Prairie, keeping between the moun-
tains at the foot ,of the present Braggs Mountain on the
highway*to Braggs, continuing on to the Illinois River
crossing above the upper salt works (Maokey oalt Works), ~*
From there it ran t; the upper end of Little Vian Creek,
near the present Circle &• Ranch and continued to the Bowers
place on Camp Creek north of Muldrow and crossed the Arkan-
sas River to Fort Smith near the present town of*Arkoma.
Military Road No. 2.
Fort Gibson to Cane Hill, Arkansas.
J *Leaving Fort Gibson this road followed a&rlitary Road
2\0, 1 to and past the National Cemetery 1 tr.en instead of
branching to the southeast it ran east /through the fi§gm of
jiaynard to about the present Cherokee County line, t ence in
a northeastern direction, crozsir.g Majynard Bayou a number of-
ti.-aes and ooming out near the old L5aA.e Seminary which/ was
about two and one-half miles south of Tahlequah. From there
it continued, e^st to x ark Hill nosth of the pro sent/FriscoRailroM dspotj east across the Illinois River on' ^he Ross
Ferry (If the river could not be~Cor^«d^and_thenoe to
ing, crowing Barren Fork Creek on th^ old bridge, Fron tb«re
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PATILLA", #. A, • INTERVIEW v #15842
the road ran northeast to a.point near the present town of
Tltanie aad then due east, which was about five miles north
of Earren and into Cane Kill, Arkansas, connecting with the
Military Road which ran through Arkansas to Missouri.
miitery Road !fo. 3.
Cane Hill, Arkansas?to itort Smith.
Leaving Cane Hill, Arkansas, this r--ad ran to Evansville,
Arkansas, traveled down Lees Creek in the Indian Territory to
tLe present Verona, crossed Briar Creek and over the Fatilla
fountain then "past the old Hugh Simpson farm and intersected
the old Military .Road Ifo, 1 at Pleasant ^-rovespring, near the
lleasant Grove graveyard,. It passed by the Montgomery Spring* i
between the >\» D# and John Blackard farms, the-icc southeast to
J&jt ield .Mountain on to Roland and the., za no i n v e s t to theC
Northwest end of Gra9sy Lr.ko, thence southeast by the old Dr.
Bell piece on tha east er.d o-f Grasay Lake on the OJtlet end
of the lake by Houston arid Ga^o iayne^s place and crossed the
Arkansas River about 500 feet saat of the Missouri-Facific
^.ailroad bridge, near or a t Yan Buren on Morgan's Fe^ry and
thenca into Fort Smith. .
429
PATILU, if. A , INT^RVISW , ia.3248
- 8 -
Military Round "No. 4"
Fort "Gibson to Fort Coffey snd Fort Smith.
This road left Fort Gibson on Military Ho-id No. 1 in*
a southeasterly direction to Braggs, thence southeast to Gore,
crossing the Arkansas Kivor on a ferry to ;7ebber Falls, thence
along on the south side oi" the river to the Vanr: Ferry, near
t e mouth of the Canadian Kivt.r, thence to Mitch and Sadie* '
i'rom there it ran to the ferry at Blaine then to"Tucker and
from, there to old Fort Coffey* From Fort Coffee the road ran
along the course of the Arkansas Rivur to Oak Lodge, thence
to Eraden and leno and on to Arkoaa, crossing the Poteau
River by ferry to Fort Smith, Arkansas*
Military Boad iio. 5.
Fort Gibson to Webber Falls,
' This road left l<brt Gibson on the old Texas' Road,
crossing at Kevin's Ferry if the-river was up, otherwise '
crossing at the fiaek FOrd on the Arkansas River in North
Goose Heck Bend, at tlie old John Chandler place,- now the
Br, Thompson farm« Brom there it ran s.outh one - half mile
near the Bill Harnagp Graveyard, passing 200 yards west Of
the Harnage home plAce, thence south to Renry (Squawk)'
430
PATILU, » . A, INTERVIEW
• 9 -
#13242 -
Nicholson's, which la a point near the Smith Ferry, one-timei
operated by Bud Smith* At this ferry a road led td~Braggs
across the ferry but th'e Military Road continued down tie
Arkansas River to the asnaer place and then left the river
for the upland a^out one-half mile east of the east end of
the old Rube Evans Ranch, thence s-outheast to one mile east
of the present town of McLain, thence in a southeasterly
direction to Webber Palls where it ran into Military Road
Fords and Ferries•
The Tollowisg ferries crossed the Arkansas River:
Same of Ferry
BrentBlaineTamahaSmithw&sMakinRogersNevineThompsonHarris
LeachersSimeon BrownScott -GentryQowttaLynchWealaka
Location
BrentBlaine BottomTamaha Landing9 mi • SB Muskogee4 mi. east Kuokogee, £ ml. above McMakin' Mouth Grand RiverMouth terdigris River2 mi. above mouthVerdigris River
North end Mill StreetNear Fern MountainOne mile east0&e mile southBigfcw BridgeNear Leonard
Near present town
BrentBlaineTamahaMuskogeeUuskogeeMuskogeeFort GibsonFort Gibson
MuskogeeMuskogeeMuskogee'HaakellOctetsWebber FallsLeonard
\
PATILU, ff. A. INTER-VIEW
- 1 0 -
The following ferries crossed the Grand River:
Name of Ferry Location Near Present town
MilitaryWagonerMcCraekenStrang
The
GoreCooksonBoudinotRossChewey
The
IhitefieldBrewer Bend
Near Barracks4 rai. No., and 4 mi.jeasiEast of Pryor, 6 mi.Kear Strang
following ferries crossed the
1 'and mi • northeastNear Standing Rock
•4 mi, east Tahlequah- 2 mi. east Park Hill3 mi. west Chewey
following ferries crossed the
Fort Gibsont 'fegon^r
Pryor>trang
Illinois River:
Gore;CooksonTahlequahPark HillChewey
Canadian River;
1 mi. inortheast 3hi W i e l d .'/hitefieldNear Bracken in BeHs itarrCanyon Brocken
• Near j ,pa th-N. Canadian TexanaOnapa 4 Mi, v e s t on K. Canadian Onapa
im Junt rorth 3tidham Stidhaa
I Tecall that there WGB one ferry about two miles
noriii of Okay on the Verdigris River, near a five foot falls
in the ri:ver. I t served the people between Wagoner and
Tallahassee ,. * , ' '" • • '
: v> The Childer's Ferry crossed the Verdigris River about
four miles *west of ..'agoner near tiie present high ay bridge
between Wagoner and Porter-.
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PATILIA, A1. "A. INTERVIEW IS242
• - 1 1 -
. Gfaost Towns.
I know of a town t h a t once e x i s t e d down i n t he
-, ' coaciunity where I grew up and I guess few peoplej
•„ "today, reotember that quiet, settled l i t t l e torn of
Eec^, which-once -^ss 8 flourishing-li"ttle metropolis
sf possibly .one-thousand people. - ' ' ' .
• <% Remy, in 1894, was buzzing" ^ th ac t iv i ty ; -I .do • '
- not recal l whether or not the place was ever mapped -
• as to s t ree ts and-alleys but do know thst i t was a
"mail distr ibuting, center, for miles and the post office
was run-by.Dr. S. P. Johnson. Row the place received
. i t s name I do not knoff unless the-Cherokee or United
States Government adopted the mame on. account of the
pos^ office. This l i t t l e ci ty todey could be loceted „
as about fivp miles-north of the present to«i of
Roland. I do not reca l l the date of the founding of *?emy,.
but do know that Bi l l and John Blaekard established a generi"
433
PATELLA," W. A, ** INTERVIEW ' #13242
merchandise store, that Dr, Hick operated-a drug store* and
that.Dr, Anderson «as a practicing physician there. The post-
master, S. p^ Johnson, also operated a store alon^ with thet ,4
post office* A sawmill and grist mill employed quite a fes?
men cutting timber, hauling iogs and operating the sawmill
and a number of men worked at the grist mill during the fafl
& and winter months-. These two mills were owned by Dr, John-
• son* The Tillage was, However, reliant on trade from the
farmers around it. The town passed out-.of existence along-
about 1896, some of the inhabitants moving 10 Roland, some
to Fort Smith, Arkansas, some to Sallisaw end elsewhere.
— N I know of tther towns but can't tell-much ofNthem ex-i
cept I reraember they pnce were.but are no more, I recall
Dogtown on Lees Creek about five miles south of Short ana"
the merchant, if I remember correctly was Joe Boyd.
The town of Ma>le, Maple Springs we called it,was^ at
an early date;a good village. It is still on the map as
• but it really is nothing at all and the same thing is.true of
Long. There is just one box house store st Long and I
believe there is any—stofe at all at Maples.
" - ,434• • •• • *
FATILU, W. A." •. INTERVIEW ; #13242-
« • ' ' - 1 3 - ."•; *^ - • ' .
The "Indian Territory,during the reconstruction -period
after the Civil ?/ar, was appa ently a hideout for outlets, due
to the Indian*s tribal form of government, I have been told
that in the late seventies gangs of outlaws discovered a cave
which later became known as "Bobbers Cave". It is located far
back in the hill country, about seven miles north of tfilburton.
The outlaws seldom bothered the citizens of the Indian Terri-
tory but preyed u; on the trains which carried lar^e sums of
Hioney. If you left the old outlaws alone and did not meddle
" with them they would be your friend. The outlaws of old would
take their loot and bury it and makv ajmap for the purpose of
returning some da.to get it. Some of these outlaws who used• r* -
the Robbers Cave were the Jame4'Gang. Dalton'Sang, Cole Younger
Gang "and elfe Starr aid her followers, I have seen these ganfjs
heading for the cave over the old Military Road No, Z that ran
T ast our place and at times I saw them in the BelleStai** 'anyon.
About four miles northeast of Fort Gibson there was
some few years ago, a trco-story hewed loe; houss that h.,d port
..oles you could n e ou4 of in every direction ard large enoug1.
to fire rifles through if need be• This house was constructed
simiSLar to the ones at the reconstructed barracks at Fort
• . . 4 3 5PATILUy iff. A. -INTERVIEW. 13242
-34- , '-
Gibson. I t could be located by following the" northeast
prong of Flowers Creek, going up stream from . i ts mouth.
I have seen this house s~orae two or three times and as
to being a robbers' roost that was told me by old timers
living in the immediate corranunity, I cannot say-as to
whet gangs frequented the place.
One of the Interesting spots occupied by the Spanish
when they were in this country, and which has been omitted
from h is tor ica l accounts of that time, is the location ofr
an old Spanish smelter that was built and. operated by the
Spanish long before the founding of Fort Gibson, and is in
the vicinity of.that city. Tnis smelter is loceted about
four and one-half miles north of ?ort Gibson, on the eest
bank of Oread Pdver shere Flowers' Creek empties into ^rand
River and a,bout six hundred feet up -Flowers Greek from i t s -
mouth ton the south side of the mountain. I t is "said there
were once four smelters near this location. That these
smelters sere built by Spaniards, is by word of mouth,
handed down from g-nerstion to generation and comes euthen-
tioally from one.of Oklahoma's oldest s e t t l e s , Mr. Kulbert,
the founder of the town of Hulbert. My f i rs t visi t to
this spo^ was some years ago and I found that i t was of
. « _ - 436
PATILU, W» A. JNTKRVItW . " #13242
stone construction and was built ty expert stone masons and
stone cutters.. The stones in thu wells are a tout fourteen
Inches aqu'are'&nd l,aid in mortar of pulvf-ri/ed limestone and
either* buffalo, d-er orvelk blood. The building in ab-ut
fourteen by sixteen feet. It cannot bo dot mined whit ore
was smeltered, but Xt could have been lead, copper, gold
or silver and some o.ld timers think it was gold. Sons hove
advanced the idea that the United States Government at one
.t.inje built and operated this sraelter, but this^iuea is ex-
ploded due t>o the fact that our Ooverrmur t has no record of
ever building a smelter in this loculity. "To further bolster
the theory thut the Spanish inhabited our state at this spot
at_ one time you will find, by exploring further up Flowers •
Creek some few miles, what is presumably a Spanish village,
as roany dugouts exist todaj- that - ere onca used for housin.g
.facilitias. One visiting in this co."munity can follow out
the roads leading away froni the old smelter to the southeast
to the present road to Fort Gibson, Whatever it was that was
sheltered must have been certej bacS to Mexico or transport-
ed dOvvn the Grand" and Arkansas Rivers by rov? boats and ganoss.
PATILU,' W, A, INTERVIEW - #13242
Crystal Cave,
Crystal Cave was so named by the people who live In
the vicinity. It would be well £ov those wlio get a thrill
out of seeking out and exploring ca,ves/ to visit this one*
I have been to i: ar.d entered but, being aped a .d iricapacitat-*.
ed, I sould not go through it as I would have liked to do.
It is located about four and one-half miles north of Fort•V--
Gibson on Slower Creek, a bo-7t one mile %p stream from the
mouth of the creek, at what is known as FloWr Creek Hfountain,
end about two hundred feet fros tin base of the mountain. The
entrance to the cave is about a twelve foot opening and follow-
ing back soiae distance in the mountain you conu, to a r-haft in
which there is a long, locust pols and by sliding down the
•pole you coma to a room with a ceiling of rock from which
~[ . ^ thickhangs formatioEB like icicles about'sixteen inches/at the roof,
tapering to a point of about one inch. This shnft is a death
trap to most animals, for once ~\£'*f se£ 5£pk ln the ontrariccr t
and .fall down the shaft they are doomed-4o_dj[e for want of. . - -
food because they cfimsot get out, I remember se«_iiir- a doad ""
at the foot of the shaft- the^last day I was there, • _~
438
PATILLA, B. A. . Iim-JPVUW #15242
-3.7 y .
Historic Three Forks. , •
~ I have visited the original spot :f the old Gsasre
and sometir.es referred to as the old Cherokee and Creek
Agency, located about two niles souti-Tof Okay, ar.4- about
five hun red feet west of the Okay and yort Gibson hi<-,h-
tfay. -Tais site can be exactly' located when you corae to
the old ?/ell located on the fan-i no\i occupied by an old-
negro naned H-: nr '-..Lurks * T:.t «ell is all tiiat remains
of<^he old agency. It is walled with rock and is as r^und
as a gun barrel , It is about eighty feet deep and has nc't
b .en cleaned out for the last thirty yearo, according to the
Old negro who has lived on the place all the tine, but the
wster is used"constantly by th< f^nily. It never ^oes dry
during t"he most severe "~outhsa T ie trading ;or: origir.ally
was about three quarters of a mile a-mth of the old agency
and was known as the Three .'orks Post. As "early as 131L
the operator of this post did a thriving business with the
Osages and other wild Indians> trading his v^ares for buffalo,
deer, antelope and other hides and rura o;? all kinds. About
the year 1816 Congress passed a bill appropriating money to
feed and o l o M ^ R ^ Indians from all parts of the Indian
431)
• . " . /
PATILLA, » . A. INTiT'vTE1.?
*~ - xs -
Territory( and the wild Indiana far and near wuro prevailed
upon to come to JThrue JTorkfl and -camp. The purpose "of this
.vas for no other reaaon f.ittn to. try to civilize tLem, In
dae time some ten or fifteen thousand Indians had gathered
h, of t.'.e Arransas JRi-ver-and cose o." the Yerdi^ris li v-. r,
later cam© the^-Creaks and Cherokeos after their removal,
who settled tc the oast and north of t!uia, thus Explaining/ 'r"
tho Osage and the" Creek and Cherokee agency, ^ u t 1820 the
Corsnissary wus discontinued ar.d Thrte ?orks post v."&s noved
to what «as called Three Forks uov Okay. /
The Cherokoes soon set up a Council ground near Fort
Gibson and *thc 0*ages and other Indians went "back to the;
Plains and the Creeks set up their Agency on t e south side
of Fern Mountain, northwest of Mu~kogoo.
The Cherokcf.-.s soon established jtlieir cr.pi'tal at
Tahlequah, and the Cx'eek Capital was a t Okiaulrte. I have
ha<f much experience with the Cherokeos,, I lived with the-r an-d I
an one-eighth Cherokee. None -of my folks ever received any
annuities* payments or allotments bec-.use of the i r Indianr
blood, but they were very instrumental in getMng many of
440
, ». A. INTHRVTKW $13242
the Cfyerokees enrolled' and filed during the days of the
Dawes Commission* '$th this Commission was one of my
nearest and dearest frisndB^ James A. Walker", who had direct
charge of all thu filings and engineering parties who sur-
Treyed off the sections, half-sections, creeks and made the
appraisements. **
I attended the old Belfo^t Church, on: of the oldest-
churches in the Indian Territ?>~y# ^