Caddo- My Home Town

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Someone sent me these lovely photos. If you have a relative shown here, or if you know anything about the purpose of these photos, please let me know. I think I may have posted one of them last year, but I don't recall seeing the other one before.

A Bigger Klan

I've only recently been reading The Bryan County Democrat, a paper established in 1900 by Robert F. Story and G.W. Archibald. It was published in Durant, but covers news from all over. The following article, from June 8, 1922, supports some earlier posts about the Klan activities in Caddo and other towns in Bryan county.

Big Class Initiated into Klan Near Here;

Blackwell Sees Cross

            The Durant Klan was again brought to public interest today by current reports that the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan last night initiated the biggest class taken in since the order was organized here. The initiation is said to have taken place south of Durant in a field bordered by a heavy growth of trees.

            Outposts were placed on the edge of the clearing and none but Klansmen were allowed to enter the place where the ceremonies were being held. It was said between fifty and seventy-five candidates were initiated and that between 250 and 300 witnessed the ceremony. The fiery cross, if one was used, could not be seen by those on the outside.

            The ceremonies were started at about 9 o’clock and it was said to have been midnight before the meeting broke up. Sixty automobiles, loaded with men, were counted entering the enclosure and at the end of the ceremonies all came out together.

            Reports current on the streets today, also estimated the strength of the Durant Klan at various figures between 500 and 1,000 and that meetings are being held regularly when candidates are initiated.

Blackwell, Okla.- June 3, (United Press)- Under a huge fiery cross, forty feet high and twenty feet across, standing on a hilltop, eight miles from here, six hundred men were initiated into the Ku Klux Klan early today. The ceremonies began last night at nine o’clock and continued until an early hour. More than 4,500 persons were present at the initiation, it was said.

Klan Initiates Big Class at Marshall

Marshall, June 3- The largest class that has been initiated since the Ku Klux Klan was organized here was taken in at a mass meeting of the Marshall Klan last night, according to reports current today. The crowd was so large that all could not get into the Odd Fellows hall where the meeting is reported to have been held.   

Caddo, I.T.

I've found several new online sources for old newspapers and I've been learning a great deal more about Caddo than what can be found in the local paper. It's interesting to read about Caddo from a different perspective and to understand that during the early years this was a "city" in an otherwise unknown and misunderstood frontier. Newspapers in Ohio, Iowa, New York, and other Eastern states carried regular news reports from "The Indian Territory" or "The Choctaw Nation" or simply "The Frontier". It is comical now to see a newspaper colunm in a New York paper that has news from St. Louis, New Orleans, Houston, and Caddo, I.T. I'm getting ready to post a lengthy murder case on Stories Too Long (next week) and I was amazed to read that a reporter from the New York Herald was here for the execution. Most Eastern papers simply waited for a telegram from someone here.

Anyway, here are some interesting items about Caddo that were published in other states. More to come.

Galveston Daily News

Galveston, Texas

Nov. 19, 1874

The business of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway has increased so rapidly at Caddo, I.T. that the company has found it necessary to enlarge their warehouse at that thriving town. They will expand it 100 feet sometime this month.

Evening Observer

Dunkirk, New York

June 10, 1883

Two bear cubs shipped from Caddo, I.T. to G.F. Lapham, Cherry Creek, N.Y. went through Jamestown by express Thursday morning. They attracted considerable attention.

Middletown Daily Press

Middletown, New York

April 13, 1892

Terrible Tornado in Indian Territory

Caddo, I.T. , April 13- A terrible cyclone struck Caddo about midnight Monday, sweeping houses and everything else in front of it, but luckily no one was killed.

The Daily Northwestern

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Sept. 13, 1892

A Bloodthirsty Tribe

More Trouble Occurs in the Indian Territory

Caddo, I.T. , Sept. 13- Seven men are reported to have been murdered since yesterday morning in the Choctaw Nation, incidental to the political war now waging there. Governor Jones, who is here, has summoned Indian Agent Bennet, Agent Wright, Lieutenant Governor Brant and a number of prominent Indians to confer with him. He has dispatched an armed force to the seat of  trouble and keeps a heavy guard round himself at the times.

The Daily Advocate

Newark, Ohio

March 11, 1893

Caddo, I.T.- Elias Loring, aged 28 years, a full-blooded Indian, was executed at Pushmataha court house yesterday for the murder of Susan Cravatt, and old woman living in a lonely section about 10 miles east of here on Jan. 3. Loring claimed the woman had bewitched him. The execution was carried out according to the customs of the territory. The condemned man was shot by a detail of deputy marshals.

Davenport Daily Leader

Davenport, Iowa

August 1, 1893

Caddo, I.T., Aug. 1- On returning home yesterday Wm. Corbett, a full-blood Cherokee Indian found his wife and babe dead in the yard. There is no trace of the murderer.

Bismarck Daily Tribune

Bismarck, North Dakota

Aug. 3, 1893

Found Wife and Baby Dead

Caddo, I.T. , Aug. 2- On his return to his home three miles west of here, Willis Corbett, a full-blooded Chickasaw, found his wife and baby lying dead in their yard, with one bullet hole in the head and three more in the body of each. There is no trace of the murderer, nor any motive known. 

Middleton Daily Argus

Middletown, N.Y.

July 23, 1894

Caddo, I.T., July 22- Deputy United States Marshal McLellan was killed while trying to arrest Gerald Bryan and his brother for robbery. A posse followed the brothers to a farmhouse and a battle followed in which Gerald was killed and John captured.

Bessemer Herald

Bessemer, Michigan

Oct. 10, 1903

J.B. McMillan, a conductor on the Katy road, was killed at Caddo, I.T. by a gang of tramps whom he was attempting to put off the train. His home was in Denison, Texas.

Washington Post

April 6, 1905

Caddo, I.T., April 11- Near Caney Switch, nine miles north of here, Solomon Fletcher and Charley Davey killed Cyrus Crouch, shooting 10 Winchester bullets through his head.

The Commerce Journal

Commerce, Texas

May 19, 1905

While dynamiting a stream for fish, near Caddo, I.T., Alva Smith was probably fatally hurt by the explosion of a stick of dynamite in his hand. His right arm was blown off, his left eye torn out, his right eye injured.

Far From Home

The Nebraska State Journal

Lincoln, Nebraska

July 10, 1899

The Emporia (Kansas) Gazette told this story the other day: Charles McPherson, one of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders was carried by Emporia the other day while on his way home from Las Vegas, where he attended the Rough Rider reunion. He came back here to take the train for Caddo, I.T., his home. He wore his Rough Rider uniform. He didn’t have enough money to complete the trip. He went into the Emporia National Bank and stated his case to Major Hood and wanted to give a small check on his home bank. The major didn’t quiz the man, but said, “That uniform is as good in this bank as a letter of credit. If you can show your right to wear it, you can have anything you want.” He produced his invitation to the reunion and got his check cashed in short order. He told a reporter for the Gazette, “Say, that’s an old soldier’s bank, and my uniform was as good as a bank book.”

A Clean Caddo

The Caddo Herald

March 14, 1913

A Clean Caddo

(Paper read by Mrs. D. O. Nail before the Civic Club on last Wednesday.)

Cleanliness is said to be next to Godliness. It's further said that people can't be gods, but they can be clean.

Cleanliness of body is important; cleanliness of premises is desirable and cleanliness of Caddo is devoutly to be hoped for; cleanliness in Caddo of life, cleanliness of thought, cleanliness of speech and cleanliness of heart is more to be desired than all these.

Therefore I would suggest for a clean Caddo that we purge our hearts of impure thoughts, our tongues of idle gossip and spiteful  sayings about our neighbors, our townspeople. If we would only look for it, we could find more good in people to talk about than bad. When we have sought and found this, we give ourselves more pleasure, our neighbors more delight, and our God more glory.

I would suggest for a clean Caddo that we keep our premises physically clean also; clean thoughts do not thrive well in filthy surroundings. Pleasant feelings rarely accompany  unsanitary environment. Therefore, if Caddo people will surround themselves with clean houses, clean yards, clean streets- and confine themselves to clean thoughts and clean actions as well as clean words- Utopia will not be far away from Caddo; and the pleasure of living in town will be so enhanced that paradise will cease to have any attraction to Caddo people.

The Civic Club can do much to bring about the desired accomplishments if we will devote our time and energies to the problems that immediately confront us and leave to others the untoward conditions that are theirs. Clean Caddo first, and the other things will be added unto us.

The Rest of the Territory

Sometimes you get a little bored with your own corner of the world, and you just have to know what the "rest of the world" is doing...

The Caddo Herald

November 17, 1899

Territory News-

Up in the Cherokee district Rev. Roberts will preach to the “Possum Trot” charge the coming year.

Eufaula is also indulging in her first public school. Both white and colored there have fine stone school buildings.

A petition for the pardon of M.S. Ballard, one of the Seminole burners, will shortly be presented to the president.

Mr. Hurt, a well-known farmer and stock man living on the Canadian, had about thirty cows stolen from him last Sunday.

Vinita Leader says: When prisoners are taken from the Muskogee jail, the papers down there call it “looting the treasury”.

The drug store of J.D. Lankford at Atoka was damaged by fire to the extent of about $1,000 Thursday. The fire originated from a stove.

The report of the steward of the insane asylum near Tahlequah shows that very few Indians go insane and that those few cost but little.

One view of it, Vinita Leader: Jim Williams, Catoosa, was in town Saturday. He used to be a newspaper man, but he quit in order to grow rich.

A laborer with a threshing machine outfit at Blackwell eloped with another man’s wife and children this week. It takes nerve to do that with winter so close at hand.

Ellis Childers, the Creek treasurer who was convicted in the Creek warrant cases, was taken to Muskogee this week from the penitentiary on a writ of habeas corpus.

Krebs item in South McAlester Review: Mr. Lipscomb, druggist at Milwee’s drug store, leaves Sunday for Caddo to accept a position with W. P. Woods as druggist.

The longest string of empty cars ever pulled out of South McAlester was hauled from this place to Alderson on the Choctaw. There were eighty-one cars, making a train a mile and a half long.

Edwin Ludlow, who is manager in chief of all the Choctaw Railroad’s successful coal interests, and has been since they first started, is now in Mexico on a prospecting trip of fifteen days.

A new weapon, Vinita Leader: One party of hunters were chased out of a field Sunday by the owner, but another party came on immediately after and hunted all over the place. They had a hypnotizer with them.

A $2,000 reward has been offered by the Katy and American express company for the capture and conviction of the man or men who assaulted and robbed the express messenger near Denison recently.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Jones, in his annual report, calls attention to the fact that the Cherokee school officers take care of their relatives, nearly all. He doesn’t think this is the best thing for the Cherokee schools. 

The celebrated Tittle cider case is coming up again. He holds a judgment with a face value of about $5,000 against the old town of Downingville and it will be seen whether the town of Vinita is liable for this amount or not.

Colonel Godman, the promoter of the Arkansas Central Railroad, says he has made arrangements to build a road form Hot Springs to Waldron and on to Heavenor to connect with the P. G. Thence to Howe to connect with the Choctaw.

Who Was Who in 1935

The Caddo Herald

May 3, 1935

Thumbnail Sketches

C.H.S. Senior Class of 1935

We give below brief sketches of the biographies of a part of the graduate this year of our local high school. Others will appear next week in this space. (The next issue of the paper is missing!) The information has been gathered by Miss Mary Meadows, writer for the Cats Paw this year.

Ross Eleene Braudrick: Caddo, Jan. 19, 1918; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Braudrick. Attended school in Tulsa, Shawnee, and enrolled here in ’31. Member of Glee club, quartet and Gold Diggers. Is interested in commercial work but has not decided where she will attend school.

J.E. Blanks: Whitewright, Texas, Feb. 4, 1917; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Blanks. Attended school in Colbert the first year, since then our schools have had the honor of his presence. He has taken an active part in school plays and has shown his great ability in dramatics. Further educational pursuits are not definite.

Delphine Ellis: Caddo, Aug. 5, 1917; daughter of Mrs. Delphine Ellis. All of her school years have been spent in Caddo. Has been a very good student, favorite study being American Democracy. Plans to take a business course in some school.

Cecil Flowers: Caddo, May 5, 1915; son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Flowers. Attended school at Midway and Carrol’s Chapel, enrolled here in 1929. Cecil was captain of our football team for the past year and was an outstanding player. Further education is indefinite.

Bertha Lou Harris: Sherman, Texas, Sept. 11, 1916; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. A. Harris. All her school life has been in Caddo. A member of the glee club and won first in soprano solo at county track meet in 1933. She does not yet know what she is going to do after school is out.

James Foster: Dec. 25, 1917; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Foster. spent all of his life here. Was a member of the football team for the past three years. He has shown that he is not afraid of work and has been an outstanding student in physics and we are all expecting James to someday be a great inventor. Does not yet know where he is going to attend school. 

Virginia Hogan: Caddo, Feb. 16, 1917; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Hogan. Our schools have been honored with her presence for 12 years. She was a member of the Gold Diggers club and is an accomplished pianist. Further education is not decided.

James Hamilton: Durant, on Aug. 10, 1917; son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Hamilton. He attended school in Durant, Kenefic, Carroll’s chapel and enrolled here in 1929. He was a member of our football team and made a very good showing this year. He is undecided as to what he will do next year.

Audra Honsinger: Caddo, on September 4, 1916; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Honsinger. Attended school at Vernon, Texas and Kiowa, and came back here in 1931. A member of the glee club the past 4 years. She has not yet decided where she is going to attend school next year.

Bud Jones: Caddo, Jan. 8, 1916; son of Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Jones. Has attended school in Borger and Denison, Texas, and enrolled here in 1923. He has played four years of football on our teams. Murray State school of agriculture will have the honor of his attendance next year.

Lera Lacey: Jan. 25, 1918; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Lacey. Enrolled at school at Carroll’s chapel until 1930 when she started to school here. Has been a member of the glee club for the past two years. She is still undecided as to what she will do next year.

Lute Jones, Caddo, Dec. 4, 1914; son of Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Jones. Attended schools at Denison, Texas, Maud, and Platter, Okla. and entered school here in 1929. Lute played football here four years and lettered three. He has not yet decided where to go to school.

Emmogene Jackson: Caddo, Oct. 11, 1918; daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cal Jackson. Has attended school at Pleasant Hill and entered school here in 1929. She has been very studious, ranking highest in grades in our senior class. Further educational pursuits are not definite.

W.E. McIntosh: Caddo, Aug. 7, 1918; son of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. McIntosh. W.E. has lived and gone to school here all his life. He is very studious, being a member of the State Honor society for the past four years. W.E. has shown his ability as he has served as president of our class for the last 3 years. He does not yet know where he will attended school. 

Class of 1935

J.E. Blanks

Cecil Flowers

James Foster

James Hamilton

Bud Jones

Lute Jones

W. E. McIntosh, Jr.

Leburn Sawyers

Robert Stapleton

William Ray Williams

Weldon Boydstun

Jack Rudisill

Clifton Hartman

Ross Eleene Braudrick

Delphine Ellis

Bertha Lou Harris

Virginia Hogan

Audra Honsinger

Esther Horn

Emogene Jackson

Mabel Jones

Lera Mae Lacey

Gladys McGee

Mary Meadows

Jane Moore

Doris Moran

Edna Owens

Myron Pitchlynn

Edith Smith

Mary Semple

Addylue Cates

Poor Baby

The Caddo Herald

September 9, 1899

Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre, movers from Walker county, Texas, camped on the south bank of Blue last Monday night. In the morning when Mr. McIntyre arose to make a fire, he discovered an infant apparently three or four days old in a box near his camp. Mr. McIntyre states from appearance it had been brought in a two horse conveyance, but could discover no tracks except of the vehicle and horses and thinks that the party who left it there set it out of the carriage without getting out. One of the tracks made by one of the horses indicted a broken shoe, half gone; another hoof has grown out in front; the other seemed to be unshod. Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre brought the child to Caddo and gave it to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. It is a pretty little girl and has kept quiet ever since it was discovered. When discovered it was attired in a neat white dress large enough for a girl of two or three years and wrapped in a piece of red flannel. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have no children and welcome the little stranger to their home.

Old Timers

The Caddo Herald

Friday, June 16, 1939

Many Old Timers are Yet in Land of  the Living and Doing

            While large numbers of people who once lived in Caddo have moved to other sites and climes, yet there are many who have been all their live in and near Caddo.

            Here are some old timers:

            Jess Maytubby was born near the town of Caddo in 1884. He is now cashier of the First State Bank.

            Dr. R. P. Dickey came to Caddo in 1893 and has practiced in the vicinity ever since.

            W.W. Boone came to Caddo in the year 1907, and clerked at the A.S. Rutherford Co. store. He has been in business as the firm of Boone & Styron for thirty years.

            G.A. Crossett, editor of The Herald, came to Caddo in 1899 and has been owner ever since.

            Henry Bass came here in 1900; he has been dispensing groceries ever since and has prospered.

            Jess Franks has cut many heads of hair and shaved acres of faces since 1896. He is still able to do a good job of either.

            Hub Meadows has been around the town some forty years and has had five children to graduate at CHS. He clerked and farmed and was in the grocery business; now he’s shaving the unshaved and unkempt.

            U.S. Markham came to Caddo in 1904, ran a racket store, then was postmaster several terms. He now has a nice racket store.

            Lake Brewer came to this vicinity in 1893 from about Gunter, Texas. He armed and ranched, was a clerk, then in business for himself, and is now serving folks with groceries.

            Finley Booker has been around the old town some forty years. He has made many saddles and harness, but of late years that business has no been so hot, so he repairs shoes.

            W.E. McIntosh has dispensed a good line of drugs some thirty years.

            Roy Barber has been in the ice business since 1916, helping to keep folks cool. He also trades a bit and has a meat market.

            Edw. Walters came to this country in 1895, was in the cattle business; later got into hardware.

            W.L. Guthrie came to the twelve mile prairie about 1896 and has been around ever since.

            John L. Boland has completed almost a forty-year term at Caddo. He was a clerk, then justice of the peace, then a lawyer.

I.Schaffer came over from Russia about 1904 and has been in the dry goods business ever since.

Bert Fryer has been here about 40 years, farming, then lumber.

Eric Holm came over from Sweden in 1890 while a mere lad.

Peter Maytubby has been in the country all of his 67 years of life. He was a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt in 1899.

Lump Reeves came to Caddo about 41 years ago and has been farming and raising cattle.

There are others who can qualify as old timers.

 

 

Confederate Reunion

The Caddo Herald

September 27, 1918

Off for U.C.V. Reunion at Tulsa

            Caddo will be well represented at Tulsa this week, it being the Reunion of the United Confederate Veterans, and meeting of the Sons of Veterans. These, with their women folks, form quite a large crowd.

            From Caddo the following are among those who went:

Mrs. D.B. Williams

Mrs. Sadie Powell

Mrs. Lizzie Johnson

Mrs. Vivia Locke

Mrs. J. B. Lyle

Mr. and Mrs. J. H. McCalman

Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Semple

Mr. and Mrs. Sims Braudrick

J. L. Sargeant

W.G. Ward

T. A. Alexander

B. P. Farmer

J.K. Bass

M.F. Haralson

J.D. Nickles

G.E. Johnson

Miss Ita Wallace

W. F. Blakney

W.W. Wright

Albert Matoy

Mrs. P.H. Boxley

Miss Dreda LeFlore

We know they will enjoy the trip.