147 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, February 20,1878
The Modocs – Strange Custom
Several Modoc Indians were again in the city yesterday and sold quite a number of bows and arrows. It is not generally known that only a small portion of the tribe have names, but such is the fact.
Shack Nasty Jim, Steamboat Frank, Scar-faced Charley, Friendly William and others of the tribe who have names, did not gain them until some incident in their lives entitled them to a distinctive title to designate them from the remainder of the tribe. – Joplin News
News Items
– Information from Ft. Dodge states that Indians are becoming very troublesome on the buffalo range and have driven many white hunters away. What right, anyhow, have the pale faces to steal the red mans buffalo meat.
– Carefully prepared statistics show that there are over 600,000 drunkards in the United States.
– Mr. A. G. Boone, agent for the Ponca Indians, who passed through here some weeks ago going west in search of a new reservation, was in the city Wednesday on his return trip. The location selected is west of the Kaws and the Poncas will move in a short time. – Ft. Scott Monitor.
• ••••
119 YEARS AGO Friday, May 18, 1906
Mason Grand Master in town
R. W. Choate, Grand Master Mason of Indian Territory, is in Eufaula this week holding a Masonic school of instruction.
DEMOCRATS WILL RALLY AT QUINTON The Democrats of Quinton have advertised a rousing mass meeting at that place Saturday, the 19th. Henry M. Furman, with his eye trained on a seat in the U.S. senate when statehood comes, and R.L. Williams, democratic national committeeman for the Indian Territory, are the speakers for the occasion and this in itself promises a big crowd.
WRIGHT SAYS EARLY STATEHOOD
Inspector J. George Wright returned to Muskogee Thursday after spending several weeks in Washington in the interest of legislation affecting Indian Territory.
Inspector Wright says the secretary of the interior will shortly issue a new set of regulations governing the leasing of oil and mineral lands in Indian Territory.
Mr. Wright also states that the general sentiment in Washington seems to be that Indian Territory and Oklahoma will get statehood before the close of the present session of congress.
• ••••
100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 5,1925
DECLARE LAND SWINDLER DESERTED WIFE, KIDDIE Checotah area families tricked into selling land
OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 31 – A letter was received today by the state real estate commission here from a woman in Mexico City who signed her name as Mrs. H.O. Johnson, in which she alleged that she was the wife of the man charged with promoting a fake Mexican land deal in McIntosh County, and that she had been deserted with a small child four years ago.
The woman declared Johnson had operated in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan and Ohio, besides Oklahoma.
(Editors note: Fifty-five families who had sold their homes near Checotah to purchase land in Mexico only to find they had been defrauded, disbanded in San Antonio, where they discovered they possessed no land which they believed they had purchased.
The party intended to colonize land in the southern part of the state of Vera Cruz for which they paid $2 an acre. Several carloads of mules, cows, hogs and chickens were taken with the colonists. The stock cars were stopped in San Antonio.)
• ••••
80 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 11,1945
Willie H. Palmer Awarded Bronze Star for Valor Pfc. Willi H. Palmer of Eufaula was awarded the Bronze Star medal for his heroic achievement in action in a recent ceremony of the 91st infantry division in Europe.
Carr Receives Silver Star
The late Paul Henry Carr, 20, of Checotah, has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for heroism aboard the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts during the second battle of the Philippine Sea last October in which he lost his life.
Carr’s widow, Mrs. Goldia Lee Carr, now lives at Tulsa. Carr was born Feb. 13,1924, at Webber Falls.
Pfc. Homer Ingram Gets Combat Badge
Pfc. Homer Ingram of this county has recently been awarded the combat infantryman badge by the commanding officer of the 186th infantry. Ingram received his award for action during the Palawan, Philippine Islands operation.
Hatchery Planned for this City
Announcement was made today of the location of a modern, up-to-date hatchery for this section of Eufaula.
The hatchery is to be located one-half mile west on highway No. 9, near the Kirby store. It is to be owned and operated by A.E. Kirby, local businessman.
The hatchery is to be of the most modern type, which includes electrical equipment. It is planned to install the necessary equipment to insure a maximum capacity of 50,000 eggs.
• ••••
75 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 15,1949
Some Progress Is Made in City Cleanup Drive Slowed somewhat by bitter cold and bad weather, the city council-sponsored cleanup program was making some progress this week and Mayor Bill Cowling announced that it would be continued as long as necessary to get the job done
Paul Toon Heads County Singers
Paul Toon was elected president of the South Mc-Intosh County singing association Sunday at an allday meeting at Hawkins Corner. Toon succeeds Bill Allen.
FARMERS WILL VOTE ON COTTON CONTROLS
The nations cotton farmers will vote in an agriculture department referendum Thursday on the question whether they favor return to pre-war production controls for the next year’s crops.
• ••••
65 YEARS AGO
Thursday, November 5,1959
Council Votes To Spend $21,000 For 38 Acre Plot All eight councilmen and the mayor were present Monday night when the city council voted to pay the Indian Department of the federal government $21,000 for 38 acres of hill land at the west edge of Eufaula, just north of the Indian Boarding School.
It was by far the highest price ever paid for a tract of land adjoined to the city of Eufaula.
• ••••
55 YEARS AGO Thursday, February 19,1970 Airman Gary E. Jones to Keesler AFB, Miss.
San Antonio – Airman Gary E. Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer A. Jones of Route 3, Eufaula has completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He has been assigned to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Airman Jones is a 1963 graduate of Eufaula High School.
Pfc. James D. Myers Visits With Family
Pfc. James D. “Boone” Myers, Camp Pendleton, California, visited over the weekend with his family and friends. He is to leave Camp Pendleton February 18 for a 12-month tour of duty in Vietnam.
SP/4 Michael G. Lundy to Vietnam Soon
SP/4 Michael Glen Lundy left Tuesday, Feb. 9, after spending a three weeks leave with his son, Michael Glen Lundy Jr., and with his mother and sister.
Before leaving for Vietnam, he visited several days with his brother, Major James I. Lundy and family in Canyon, Texas.
Lundy graduated from Eufaula High School in 1966 with high scholastic honors.
• •••• 33 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 12, 1992
Former Employees File Lawsuit Against County Six former McIntosh County employees have filed a $21 million lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Eastern District, against the county, the county commissioners and Vicki Hamm, the current county assessor…
The plaintiffs claim they were illegally fired when the new assessor took office following the election.
Senator Don Nickles Continues to Disagree With Corps of Engineers A new disagreement over shoreline management around Lake Eufaula has surfaced between U.S. Sen Don Nickles and the Corps of Engineers.
“We think they could do more with their money, and spend too much time mowing and inspecting docks,” Hazen Marshall, a spokesman for the senator said during a telephone interview.
• ••••
10YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Organization criticizes Bible distribution at schools
A Madison, Wise. – based foundation that advocates separation of church and state has taken issue with the alleged distribution of Gideon Bibles on School property in Eufaula, Checotah and Stidham.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation proclaims itself to be the largest national organization advocating for “matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism.”
Staff attorney for the foundation says distributing religious material on school property is unconstitutional.
Eufaula Superintendent Jeanette Smith said, “The bibles were handed out prior to the school day by outside sources, and only to fifth grade students who wanted them.”
Checotah Superintendent said, “I am currently investigating the allegations and communicating with legal counsel to determine what procedures, if any, need to be changed in order to comply with federal law.”
