Stories from the past
147 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 22, 1877
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Report of the Sioux Commission
Washington, Dec. 22 – The report of the commission to negotiate an agreement with Sioux Indians, as made to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, shows that their first council was held Sept. 7, 1876, at the Red Cloud agency, with the chiefs and head men of the Ogallala Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapahos, who represented 4,910 Indians, who were then present at the agency.
Red Cloud and others of the chiefs met them upon their arrival with a warm welcome and said: “We are glad to see you. You have come to save us from death.”
LAWS OF THE MUSKOKE NATION Humanity Under Ex-President Grant
••••• 120 YEARS AGO
Friday, July 24, 1903
WILL HOLD THEIR LANDS Reunion of Confederates at Durant returned to the place of the assault and instituted a search. The boy and buggy were soon found but the team had been stolen.
••••• 100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, April 10, 1924 Be it enacted by the National Council of the Muskoke Nation: That 5 of the Indian neighborhood schools of the Creek Nation shall, and are hereby to be discontinued, before, or on the 1st day of February 1877. The Superintendent of Schools shall use his discretion as to which particular schools shall be discontinued.
Be it further enacted That the sum of $2,500 of the surplus common school fund now in the treasury, and the sum accruing from the discontinuance of the aforementioned five schools ($2,000), be and the same is hereby appropriated o send 18 Indian male youths to school in the States. The said youths shall be selected from the several distracts as follows: From North Fork, 4; Deep Fork, 3; We-wokee, 3; Muskogee, 3; Co-we-tah, 3; Arkansas, 2 Regarding the remedy for the evils in the management of Indian affairs, the commissioners submit that they are not to be found by again placing the care of the Indians in the War Department. The commissioners recommend that it is wise to continue the human policy begun by ex-President Grant.
We believe that the facts will prove that under this policy more has been done in the work of civilization than in any period of our country.
Creek Children Cannot Be Deprived of Their Land Judge Raymond has handed down another important decision denying a natural guardian the right to lease lands belonging to a Creek Indian minor or to mortgage his land. After citing a great many authorities and statue quotations denying the right of other than a legal guardian to rent the lands of the children said: “I do not think that congress ever intended that parents in the Creek nation, who are designated as natural guardians, should have the right, without regard to the right or interests of their minor children, to rent their allotments without the direction of the court and take the proceeds to pay their private debts.”
The second annual reunion of the Territory Division of Confederates will be held at Durant on August 6, 7 and 8, and that town expects to entertain the gallant old veterans in such style that they will not soon forget.
There will be Indian ball games, a green corn dance and speakers of national reputation will be present. The railroads will give reduced rates.
MAN HELD UP WITHIN HALF A MILE OF HIS HOME The Checotah Enquirer of the 21st says: City Marshal W.L. Odom received a telephone message from Oktaha this morning advising him to be on the lookout for three men who robbed Mr. F.E. Rork on the highway near his home last night.
The message stated that Mr. Rork and his little boy were driving from Oktaha to their home on the Wineblood farm. About half a mile from home, Mr. Rork got out of the buggy to open a gate and was attacked by three men who were lying in wait.
He was rendered senseless by a blow and when he came to he found he had been relieved of $90 in cash and that his team, buggy and boy had disappeared.
He went home and not finding his outfit here he Chief of Police Cleared of Murder Charge Chief of Police Jim Rushing was cleared of the charge of murder in district court here Wednesday afternoon when he went on trial for the killing of Cleo Fields, a negro, in this city on Feb. 28.
Rusing was found not guilty based on the shooting being in self-defense.
TOM CONNORS IN AUTO SMASH UP Tom Connors, well-known Indian man about town, stepped in David Burdine’s taxi early Tuesday afternoon and drove the car off at a high rate of speed.
Meeting Judge Frank Montgomery on Broadway, who was driving into city from the east, Connors drove his auto right into the Montgomery car badly wrecking both machines.
The Indian was arrested by Chief of Police Rushing and placed in the city jail, charged with drunkenness.
Tom Price’s Letter to K.K.K.
Checotah, Okla. April 4, 1924
To the Cyclops Checotah Klan, Checotah, Oklahoma, Sir: In pursuance to your request that I wrote you a letter giving reasons why I have resigned from the Ku Klux Klan and demanded that my name be stricken from the rolls of the order, I wish to say: 1. When I became a member of the Klan I was of the opinion that it was both American and Christian in its teachings and principles, but upon becoming a member, the first lesson taught, or attempted to be taught to me, was both un-American and un-Christian in that I was instructed to commit perjury before the courts of the land, when I should be questioned as a juror, on my membership in the Klan.
2. I was instructed under the heading of “Our Neighbor’s business” to boycott all aliens, even though they might be my very best friends and neighbors.
3. The Ku Klux Klan is not only trying to usurp the authority in our state and county, but they are usurping the authority in our fraternal and religious organizations, and destroying the peace and harmony which has heretofore existed therein.
Yours very truly, TOM M. PRICE
••••• 80 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 30, 1944
Eufaula Marine Honored
One of the most coveted awards of recruit training, the Honor Badge of Efficiency, was presented to Pvt. Paul R. Casey, 29, by Col. George T. Hall, Commanding Officer of the Recruit Depot at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, Calif.
Private Casey is the husband of Mrs. Elizabeth Lolly Casey, who lives on a farm near Eufaula.
This award is made to the man who, in the minds of his instructors, has shown particular aptitude and efficiency in military training.
Robert Venator Missing in Action
Robert Venator, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Venator, former Eufaula citizens, but now living on their farm 15 miles west of the city, was reported missing in action somewhere in Italy Friday.
The young soldier was born and reared here and is well known throughout the southern end of Mc-Intosh County as one of the county’s most promising and progressive young farmers.
His father, Ben Venator, was court clerk of McIntosh County for 20 years.
Sgt. Lloyd Bogle Awarded Air Medal
At Eighth AAF Bomber Station, England – The air medal has been awarded Flight Officer Hubert C. Burks of Shidler and Sgt. Lloyd W. Bogle of Hanna for “meritorious achievement” on five flying fortress combat missions over enemy Europe.
Burks, 22, copilot, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Temon Burks. A graduate of the high school at Hobbs, N.M., he was a student before he entered the service Sept. 13,1940.
Sgt. Bogle, 22, radio operator, is the husband of Mrs. Emadel Lola Bogle of Eufaula and the son of Mr. and Mrs. T.E. Bogle of Hanna. He is a graduate of Hanna high school. He entered the army Nov. 16, 1942.
••••• 75 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 3, 1949
Boarding School Will Commemorate Interior Department Anniversary The Eufaula Indian Boarding School will hold a public reception and open house next Thursday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., Miss Eva Lewers, principal, has announced.
The occasion commemorates the 100th birthday of the U.S. Department of Interior, under which the Eufaula school is operated by the Indian Bureau.
Reburial Rites For Marine Today
Reburial rites for Abe Frank Shutta will be held at the Tom McIntosh home west of Eufaula Thursday afternoon with interment in the McIntosh family cemetery near Hawkins. The Rev. John McIntosh will officiate.
Born Sept. 12, 1912, in Duni, N.M., Abe Shutta entered the US. Marine Corps Sept. 9, 1942. He was a member of the 3rd Paratroopers. He was killed on Bougainville, Dec. 9, 1943
Nichols Body Is Due Next Week
The body of former District Representative Jack Nichols, killed in an airplane accident in Egypt in 1945, is due to arrive in Eufaula Friday, March 11, the quartermaster’s office, Fort Worth, Texas, has advised his family here.
••••• 65 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 22, 1959
Eufaula Dam Gets Record Outlay
Appropriations for flood control navigation, power and reclamation projects in Pres. Eisenhower’s proposed budget for the 12 months beginning July 1, include $13,400,000 for the Eufaula reservoir.
Some of the money will be used in relocation of highways and utilities, as well as construction of the dam. However, the federal funds for relocation of highways must be met with state money.
Cold and Snow Hit the State
Three inches of snow and light rain, totaling .24 inches of moisture, fell on Eufaula and McIntosh County Tuesday night.
The mercury dropped to 13 degrees above Tuesday night.
Sen. Stipe to Introduce Major Appropriation Bill Sen. Gene Stipe of Pittsburg county said Monday he plans to introduce a 30 million dollar appropriation bill to finance relocating of highways round the lake areas.
Stipe said Oklahoma must put up money if it wants modern roads built around the new lakes being constructed in the eastern part of the state. He said the federal government will replace outdated roads in kind, with improvements financed by the state.
••••• 18 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 19, 2006
A GATHERING STORM
Hundreds Pack Elementary School to Defend Lake Eufaula
More than 400 people attended a meeting of “Save Our Water, Lake Eufaula Co-chaired by Karen Weldin.
Due to a long drought, the lake was dramatically shrinking.
The meeting was called to discuss ways to save the lake.
City puts moratorium on bulk water sales Water has replaced oil as Oklahoma’s liquid gold, especially in the Eufaula region.
“Water plays a very important role in industry and our personal lives,” said Eufaula Mayor Dean Smith at the January Eufaula Public Works Authority meeting.
Because of the obvious importance of water, Smith said, “It came to my attention we need to look at this program (bulk water sales) and make sure our bulk rate is appropriate; and that it is monitored correctly.”
••••• 10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Town hall meeting to air issues of changing form of government It has been four months since the subject of changing Eufaula’s form of government was first brought up.
At a special meeting held on Sept. 23, at the urging of a number of local businesspeople, Mayor Selina Jayne-Dornan invited Mike Nunnelry to speak to the council about switching from a mayoral run town to one run by a city manager.
Nunnelry, the town administrator for Mannford, is a spokesman for the City Manager Association of Oklahoma.
