Caddo- My Home Town

Jews in Oklahoma

      

As a member of the Oklahoma Historical Society I receive their newsletter, Mistletoe Leaves. I was pleased to see Caddo mentioned on the front page! A collection of photos by David Halpern of Tulsa will be on display at the Oklahoma Museum of History in OKC from February through March. The exhibit is Prairie Landsmen: The Jews of Oklahoma, and includes 38 photos of Jewish people and places in Oklahoma. “Diverse in origins and occupations, the Jews of Oklahoma still share a common bond. Each is a Landsman (pronounced Lonts-mon), which means ‘one who comes from the same home town’.” Our most famous Jewish resident was Ben Siegel, who owned a variety store in the building that still bears his name. I read a brief article in the Caddo Herald (July 1922) about him liquidating his business and boarding the train to St. Louis. He had been in business 26 years according to the paper.

Other towns represented in the collection include Ardmore, Velma, Muskogee, Fort Gibson, Chandler, Ponca City, Tonkawa, Claremore, Enid, Nelagoney, Pawhuska, Chickasha, Hobart, Seminole, Collinsville, Hartshorne, Lawton, Erick, Bartlesville, Tahlequah, and Purcell.

The exhibit is on loan from the Sherwin Miller Museum of Tulsa. For more information you may want to view their website or just go see the exhibit at the History Center.

The Cooper Connection

This entry is from Greg Moore. His great grandfather, Cornelius Cooper was related by marriage to my dad's family. Cornelius married my great-great-grandmother Rhoda's daughter, Mary Frances Elizabeth(Molly) Alexander . It was a second marriage for both of them, so there are lots of other cousins out there. And it gets really complicated when you add the fact that Lottie Cooper was married to my mother's aunt's brother-in-law, Frank B. Trimmer. If you're lost, don't worry. I can't follow it without notes. There are so many people in Caddo who are "related" by marriage I'm beginning to wonder if we shouldn't all make sure our children and grandchildren marry "outsiders". Anyway, if you are related to the Coopers we would love to hear from you.

Cornelius Cooper

Birth: Mar. 8, 1867
New Georgia
Paulding County
Georgia, USA

Death: Nov. 10, 1927
Caddo
Bryan County
Oklahoma, USA

Son of James Neighbors Cooper and Lucy Ann Hitchcock. Married Susan Ellen Thompson on 11 Feb. 1894. Father of Oscar Levi Cooper. Second wife: Molly Alexander. Daughters included Alcie Cooper Breedlove and Lucy (Ann) Cooper Ray.

This photo of the Coopers is in the Indian Territory Museum. Cornelius is the tall man in the middle.

Rhoda Alexander

My great-great grandmother, Rhoda Pricilla Whitworth was born in Cape Girardeau Missouri in February of 1850 to Fields and Susan (Patrick) Whitworth. She married Thomas Anderson Alexander in 1868, in Butler Co., Missouri. She gave birth to nine children, but only four lived to be adults. She lived in Caddo for over 30 years, and operated a boarding house and restaurant.

She died tragically in a fire on March 13, 1931. Her death certificate is signed by Dr. Roy Cochran. This is her obituary from the Caddo Herald March 20,1931.


Burns are Fatal to Caddo Woman

Last Friday morning at eight o'clock at her home here, Mrs. T.A. Alexander received burns in some way that proved fatal, dying twelve hours later.

How the clothing of the woman became ignited is not known as she was alone in her home at the time and no one heard her cries of pain, but her son happened to go into the house at the time and found her trying to protect her face with her arms from the rages of fire. All that loving hands could do to ease the pains was done but she succumbed at eight o'clock from the burns.

The funeral was held Saturday afternoon at the church conducted by Rev. George E. Tyson, with burial in the Caddo cemetery.

Mrs. Alexander was a life long member of the Methodist church and was a constant attendant of its services as long as her health permitted and in her death the church has lost a staunch friend of sterling character.

She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Mollie Cooper of Oklahoma City and one son, Tom Alexander of Caddo.

The hearts of all go out to the bereaved ones of this good wife and mother.

*My thanks to Shirley Green for allowing me to use her photo of Rhoda. Shown with her are her grandchildren, Virgie, Alcie, and Lucy.

Beautiful!

This is a quilt recently donated to the Indian Territory Museum by my cousin Billy. It was given to her as a graduation present in 1952, by her grandmother, Mrs. R.L. (Clara) Simmons. The quilt was given to Clara by her employer, Mrs. Henry Bass (Ruby Mae Potts). Mr. Bass owned a grocery store in Caddo. The quilt was originally made by someone in Ruby’s family, possibly her grandmother.

I love the details and the color! Most of the quilt is in pretty good shape. I'm sure visitors to the museum will enjoy viewing it.

Murder

When I found this story I had second thoughts about even copying it. Then I decided that I would post it for three reasons: 1. It is part of Caddo’s history- good, bad, or ugly. 2. Someone from one of these families may have been trying to trace this story for years and come up empty handed because they lack access to the Herald. 3. Sometimes we need a reminder that the “good old days” weren’t always that good.

Caddo Herald, May 9, 1924

Mother and Babe Foully Murdered

"A horribly gruesome and hideous sight met the eye of John Gravitt, Jr., Sunday morning as he entered the home of his cousin, Feildon Gravitt. On the floor weltering in her own blood lay the body of Mrs. Fieldon Gravitt, her head horribly mangled, with brains oozing out, cold and stiff in death. On the bed lay the brained body of their two months old infant, its head horribly crushed, with blood and brains a mingled mass.

He immediately summoned aid, and the neighbors did all they could to make the bodies presentable for burial. The funeral was conducted at the home of Elder Mills, and the remains were buried together in Caddo Cemetery about 5 o’clock Sunday afternoon, Rev. Hardin conducting the ceremony.

Mrs. Gravitt was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gifford, who live about a half mile west of the Gravitt home in the Carroll Chapel Community. She would have been but sixteen years of age in September, having been married a year ago. She was a  handsome and amiable young woman who numbered her friends by her acquaintances. The father and mother of the dead woman naturally were prostrated with grief and horror at the manner of the tragedy.

Fieldon Gravitt, husband of the dead woman, aged 21, was found late Sunday afternoon asleep in a thicket some three hundred yards from the house. Officers and neighbors had searched all surrounding country throughout the day without result, until someone happened to go up this little draw. He was placed in jail at Durant, charged with the crimes. Apparently he did not know anything of the cause of his arrest, or that his wife and child were dead. It is stated that at times he was not exactly right mentally, and that perhaps it was during one of these unaccountable lapses that he committed the crime of which he is charged.

Gravitt had worked planting cotton until noon Saturday, when he took his team up to John Gravitt’s barn, fed them and went home. That was the last anyone saw of him until he was found asleep in the thicket. The crime apparently was committed about 1 o’clock Saturday afternoon. The people had eaten dinner, but the dishes had not been cleared away. A heavy iron poker, about two feet long, lay near the body of Mrs. Gravitt. It was with this that both heads had been crushed and mangled. There were no marks on the bodies of the victims of the madman. The bodies had lain so long unattended that it was judged by their condition that many hours had elapsed between the killing and the finding.

The whole community, neighborhood, as well as Caddo and Kenefick, where the parties to the tragedy are known, was grievously shocked upon hearing the news. Numbers of friends of the families so(can’t read) and the funeral was largely attended. The Gravitt and Gifford families were both highly respected people, and everyone was extremely sorry that such a thing could possibly happen."   

Abner McLellan

           As with many historical treasures, I came across this story quite by accident while researching something else. If you’ve haven’t discovered the power of Google I urge you to give it a try. I often research through my regular sites and sources, but sometimes I just take six or eight search words from my quest and put them into Google to see what happens. This week my other topic included the words “Caddo Banner”, which is the name of one of Caddo’s older newspapers. This newspaper story popped up from the Oklahombres Inc. website:

Caddo Banner, October 27, 1894
AB McLELLEN DEAD
Gerald O'Bryant, a Notorious Thief Killed Him,
A posse of citizens follow O'Bryant and kill him.
The Neighbors Refused to Assist in Burying O'Bryant.

All Caddo is sad.
     "Deputy United States Marshal Ab McLellan, one of the bravest officers that ever held a commission from the Indian Territory court, was brutally murdered last Friday night, while making an attempt to arrest Gerald O'Bryant, one of the most notorious theives (sic) that ever lived in this country.
     The O'Bryant family have given the officers and neighbors a world of trouble for the last year and have been in jail the greater part of the time. It was this family that caused Ab McLellan to accept a commission as deputy marshal. The people here well knew that he was brave and daring and would eventually break up the gang.
     Gerald was jailed some time ago, and while in jail he met a man named Dice. He represented to Dice that his father was a docter (sic) and owned considerable property, and that he would give Dice a bill of sale to enough of his property so that he could go on his bond and when he got out he would mske (sic) a bond for Dice. Dice took him up at his proposition, and in a short time after Gerald had reached home he sent a bond up for Dice. Dice came on to Caddo and went out to O'Bryant's house and found they had no property, no crop, and that the old man was not a doctor. The boys soon began to propose to him that they rob some stores near this place. Dice agreed to it, but notified the officers what they proposed to do. During this time John O'Bryant, one of the brothers, had been arrested and put in jail.
     A plan was arranged to rob Jack Basie's store, and Dice was to go to Basie's and work so that he could locate the situation. He notified Basie what O'Bryant wanted to do. Basie sent him to Caddo to notify Deputy McLellan; he and McLellan returned to Basie's, but they decided it would be best not to attempt the robbing of the store, and Dice was sent to O'Bryant's to lead him into stealing corn from old man Hester, who is a near neighbor to the O'Bryants. Deputy McLellan and Jack Basie were showen here they would cross the fence with the corn. As they came up, each having a sack of corn, Gerald O'Bryant climbed up on the panel where McLellan was hid. As he raised up, Gerald fired on him with a 45-caliber Colt's pistol, the ball taking effect on top of his right shoulder, ranging through his body and came out in his left side. McLellan fired two shots but missed; Basie fired one and missed also. O'Bryant ran off. Dice went up and learned that the boy had killed McLellan and then went to O'Bryant's house. Gerald thought he had killed old man Hester, and wanted to leave, but Dice tried to get him to go to bed, but to no avail. He wanted Dice to leave with him, and he promised him he would.
Dice gave him the dodge and notified a posse of citizens where they could find Gerald O'Bryant. M F Vandiver, Dr Dickey, Jim Mayo, John Gregory and Tom White went to Bradburn's and surrounded the house. At daylight they called Bradburn out and asked if O'Bryant was there, to which he answered, "No." They said they would search the house. When he went into the house Gerald slipped out to the lot where his horse was saddled and mounted it to ride off. They demanded that he surrender but instead he drew his pistol and reached for his winchester, when he was fired on by the crowd, killing him and his horse. The horse fell on him and they did not remove him from under it.
     McLellan lived until 12:30 that night. He was buried at Caddo Saturday evening.
O'Bryant who was only nineteen years old, was burid (sic) at home by his own folks, the neighbors refusing to assist in the burial.
     McLellan was very popular and the town realizes that it has lost an officer who can not be replaced.
     As soon as news reached town that he had been murdered, a subscription list was prepared to make up a reward, for the capture of O'Bryant, but before any one had time to take it around, news reached here that he had been killed. Had he been captured alive, the citizens here would have swung him te (sic) a limb and riddled his body with bullets. McLellan leaves a wife and baby to mourn his loss, besides a host of friends. He was so popular with the people here that all the business men signed his bond, making it worth many thousand dollars.
     The posse of citizens who killed O'Bryant surrendered and had their trial Monday. They were all acquitted."

          That article led to more research and I turned up a photo posted by C.M. Wright, one of the descendents of Abner’s extended family. The family gave permission to use the photo here. It shows Deputy U.S. Marshal Abner David McLellan (1866-1894) and his wife Susan “Susie” Black (1870-1958). The photo was taken sometime between 1893-94.

            A few more clicks led to Officer Down Memorial Page. It lists law enforcement heroes killed in the line of duty and includes Abner, as well as another marshal from Caddo (another blog).

            Browsing the genealogy websites led to more McLellan family history posted by Kathy Foster, a descendent of Susie’s extended family.

            This story, plus the information provided by these generous family members has led me to three other stories, more family information, and two other topics to research. I hope reading it is not only entertaining and informative, but will also encourage you to preserve your own family history and SHARE it with others. I plan to post more information about the McLellan family in a future blog. The photo of Abner and his wife will also be added to the collection of the Indian Territory Museum so it can be enjoyed and appreciated by others.

Slack/Naylor

Caddo Herald, May 18, 1923

Slack-Naylor (wedding)

At Durant last Friday afternoon Rev. Wallace M. Crutchfield united in marriage Rev. William B. Slack and Miss Marion Naylor of Caddo.

The young people returned to Caddo Saturday and are happily ensconced in the Methodist parsonage, where they have been receiving the congratulations of their host of friends.

This wedding came as a pleasant surprise to the friends of the couple, as such a thing had not even been hinted, and the closest friends were as completely astonished as their remote acquaintances; but all have been eager to offer congratulations and good wishes.

Rev. Slack is the pastor of the Methodist church in Caddo; this being his second year in the ministry; is a graduate of Southwestern and S.M.U; is a young man of high ideals and is consecrated to his noble calling. He makes staunch friends wherever he is.

Miss Naylor is the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Frank Naylor, of Calera, who was four years the pastor of (the) Caddo church. She had just finished her year’s work as teacher in Caddo Schools. Hers is a lovely young womanhood, rarely equipt (sic) as an helpmeet for her preacher husband. She is known, loved and respected not only by this community, but by all other places where she has lived.

To both the best wishes of the entire community and the church at large go out. 

Klan again

I ran across another article about the KKK. I post these because I find it fascinating that they received so much "positive press" at the time.

June 20, 1924, Caddo Herald

Klan Initiates a Large Class Thurs.

Last Thursday night Caddo people were entertained with a most thrilling and inspiring spectacle.

In the pasture just west of the City Park, some fifteen hundred Klansmen gathered for initiatory work. The scene was witnessed by some fifteen hundred or more people of Caddo and surrounding country.

About a hundred new Klansmen were made. The visitors were parked all around just inside the enclosure, the cars being there to the number of 500.

There was nothing but good feeling and good order throughout the evening. The guards were polite and considerate, affording every means for the people to see the ceremony, with no discomforts. Many women and children were in the crowd.

The Ceremony of Induction was impressively performed. The fiery crosses high in the air- the American flag waving in the breeze, lighted by electric lights, all gave proof that the men in charge were in earnest about two things: patriotism and Americanism. The charges to the candidates could be heard by the crowd, and these charges and admonitions were of every high and patriotic order. They told the candidates of the aims and purposes of the Klan: to promote peace; to assist duly constituted authority in enforcing the law; to protect the American flag; to protect womanhood and childhood; to preserve to future generations the immaculate and noble deeds of the patriots who wrested America from a monarchy, and the empires from a wilderness.

A thousand sandwiches were served to the visitors with ice water and pop. Such ceremonies are very inspiring and helpful to the country as a whole.   

William G. Ward

from Leaders and Leading Men

“Born November, 1847, in Panola county, I.T. north of Old Warren, Texas; is the son of Joseph Ward, a citizen of Newberry, and Elizabeth Thompson, daughter to Giles Thompson of Boggy Depot, I. T. Moving to Springtown, Parker county, Texas, in his youth, he remained there eleven years, where he received education at the public school. In 1865 he moved to Thompson’s Cow pen ( as it then called) in Blue county, where he lived until 1868, moving the same year to “Limestone Gap” where he married Eliza, daughter of Caleb McDaniell Beck, a Cherokee. During the war, while in Parker county, Mr. Ward joined the County Militia, at eighteen years of age, scouting all along the border until the close of the war. In 1870 and the two following years, he was employed tending his father’s stock, after which he moved to his present property, five miles from Caddo, where he has six hundred and forty acres in pasture and two hundred in cultivation. In 1889 he was elected representative for Blue county, and is now a candidate for re-election. In 1886 he join the Wheel and the second year became Territorial treasurer, and president of the subordinate Wheel of Blue county in 1890. Has eight children- four boys and four girls; the oldest being named Timothy, now twenty-one years of age.”

Rasbury Anniversary

I love these reports that list lots of names!

Caddo Herald , Friday, December 3, 1937

Pleasant Hill News
Mr. And Mrs. F.G. RASBURY Celebrate Their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. F.G. RASBURY, of Caddo celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary last Sunday by having their children and grandchildren home for an old fashioned dinner with all the trimmings and after the bountiful noon repast by visiting and receiving visitors thru-out the afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. RASBURY were married December 1, 1887 in Gravel Hill, Tenn., by Weaver CATHEY, Justice of the peace of that place. They have been residents of Caddo for many years and have earned the respect and love of all who know them.
The children who were present at the occasion Sunday were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. P.O. RASBURY and son, Jack Odell of Friona, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Grady RASBURY and son, Joe Neal, of Windom, Texas; Leaman RASBURY of Caddo and the daughters, Mrs. Bonnie EDWARDS and daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn NASH of Gober, Texas; Mrs. J.A. PIRTLE and children, Marjorie Allen, Jap, Willard and Haloise, of Dallas, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Haise CUNNINGHAM and son, Harold Tom, of Bonham, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. T.H. CUNNINGHAM of Whitewright, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. J.D. MAYTUBBY and sons, Billy Dink and John Lee, of Caddo; and Clara RASBURY of Caddo.

Other relatives and friends who were present at the dinner or were callers during the afternoon included: Mr. and Mrs. J.L. ELDEN, of Texarkana, Texas; Mrs. Nicie HUGGINS, of Honey Grove, Texas; Eugene and Mary HUGGINS of Honey Grove, Lorena HUGGINS, Big Springs, Texas; Kelly HUGGINS, Fort Worth, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Lee DALTON, San Antonio, Texas; W.A. BOUTATTE and sons, Jack and Billy Ray, of Honey Grove, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Frank STUTZMAN and daughter, Juanita Hope of Kansas City, Missouri; Mr. and Mrs. E.G. LATTA of Bonham, Texas; Mrs. Howard SMITH, Bonham, Texas; Landis HUGGINS, Quanah, Texas; W.B. LATTA, Honey Grove, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. C.H. WOOD, Windom, Texas; Mrs. Curtis JONES, Mr. and Mrs. J.E. PILLIOD, Mrs Tom STEVENS and Mrs. Myrtle McBROWN, all of Bonham, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph LAYCOCK, Windom, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Ray C. EDWARDS, Bonham, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. J.J. CUNNINGHAM, Bonham, Texas; Mrs. V.M. LUTTRELL, Windom, Texas; Faye GREEN, Quanah, Texas; Paul HUGGINS, Quggins, Quanah, Texas; Rev. and Mrs. W.T. HARRIS, Durant; Ernest HAMIL, Honey Grove, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Frank SPEICE, Windom, Texas; Mrs. Katie WIGLEY, Windom, Texas; R.B. EVANS, Ada, Okla.; and the following from Caddo: Mr. and Mrs. Haskell TAYLOR, Mr. and Mrs. H.F. BASS, Joe BASS, Mrs. M.B. TAYLOR, Mrs. E.L. PITCHLYNN, Mr. and Mrs. W.R. TAYLOR and Dr. and Mrs.L.M. NETTELTON.