Caddo- My Home Town

Of local interest...Moore Frank Haralson

M. F. Haralson, so ardently advertised in this and many other issues of the Caddo Herald, was Moore Frank Haralson, born in 1870 in Tennessee. In 1900 he and his wife of seven years, Mabel, were living in Denison, Texas with their two children Myrtle (6), and Earl (4). Frank lists his occupation as teamster.

1910 found Mr. Haralson, going by M. Frank Haralson, living in Caddo with his second wife, Mamie (or perhaps  Marie), Myrtle (16), Earl (14), Lawson (8), and James (1+). His occupation on the census lists “ice man” with a delivery wagon. He was a member of the Caddo Commercial Club. In 1914 his grocery business was listed in the Herald as “Haralson & Mattox”. In 1916 he was a member of the Bigger Caddo Club. In 1918 he attended the United Confederate Veterans meeting in Tulsa.

The 1920 census says Frank M. Haralson was born in Alabama, but since the 1930 census returns to the TN origin, I would assume this was an error made by the census taker. Mamie is listed as Mary. Earl, Lawson and James were still with them, and Frank was making his living as the manager of the Caddo Power and Light Company. In 1922 Earl is listed as a witness in the Thomas Craghead murder.

By 1930 they had moved to Ada in Pontotoc County. Moore F. Haralson was 63 and his wife was 57. James, 21, was still at home. Moore listed his occupation as retail merchant- grocery.

I couldn’t find a listing for his death, but have contacted another researcher and may soon have an answer.  

 

 

The Caddo Herald

August 1, 1913

Of Local Interest

 

Country produce wanted. Haralson.

If its groceries you want see Freeny.

Pierson & Laurence furniture, old and new. Phone 62.

Mrs. Calvin Robinson was in town Wednesday.

ELECTRIC IRONS smoothe out all ironing worries.

Fly chaser and Sprays for sale at the Corner Drug Store.

If you want quick action, list your land with J. H. Phillips.

An Electric Fan is the cheapest and most practical summer resort.

2 hay presses for sale cheap. Amos K. Bass

CITY LOANS- no stock selling, but straight city loans. See A. C. Chaney.

Miss Esther Heath had trouble with her car which had to be left at Achille.

Get an ELECTRIC FAN for your home, and be comfortable these hot days.

Mrs. Bryan Hill and daughter, Miss Lois, are visiting Mrs. M. F. Haralson.

Herman Hauer came down from Atoka and spent Sunday with homefolks.

Summer Laprobes and Fly Nets, sample lots, very cheap, at Finley Saddlery Co.

Mrs. Martha Ely of Caddo Mills, Tex. visiting her daughter Mrs. Sands.

Mrs. Sherrell of Atoka, visited her sister, Mrs. Art Wright, the first of the week.

Insurance can be written on your grain anywhere at small cost by A. C. Chaney.

Your Old Shoes made as good as New and a little better too, at Finley Saddlery Co.

Mrs. W. B. Booker is here from Wapanucka, visiting her son and family.

W. W. Boone and son, James, returned Wednesday from a week’s visit to Galveston.

Mrs. J. A. Beaird and Mrs. G. A. Crossett were Denison visitors Wednesday.

You get daily electric power in your residence for ELECTRIC FANS and IRONS now.

Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Ellison were here from Ada a few days this week, visiting friends.

Mrs. Jno. Crutchfield and children returned Thursday from a two week’s visit at Tiogo, Texas.

Carl Goodman came up from Greenville, Tex. last Friday and spent a few days with his mother.

Let the Caddo Power Co. furnish you with an ELECTRIC FAN- Prices are cheap this year.

For quick and honest service see A. C. Chaney, Real Estate, Farm Loans, and Fire Insurance.

A.C. Chaney can secure loans on your farm quick and without so much “red tape”. Better try him.

Keep cool by buying ice of Haralson. Also keep pleasant by buying your groceries of him. No disappointments.

Ladies, have Rubber Heels put on your shoes and see how they rest you in staining or walking at Finley Saddlery Co.

Make my store your headquarters and bring me all your produce. All perishable goods kept fresh and cold. M. F. Haralson.

Mrs. Mattie Bloom went to Denison Tuesday with the boosters and from there went to Sulphur to spend a few weeks.

Rays Realty Co., have several clients wanting to buy 40 and 80 acre farms near Caddo at once. List with us for a quick sale.

Misses Nola Shofner, Jewel and Wealthy Wright and Artiquetta Peters are home from attending the summer normal at Durant.

Andy Gravitt and Dr. Kay were here Wednesday from Kenefick.

Miss Oleta Kenyon has returned from a visit to relatives in Denison.

Miss Margaret Hogan was up from Durant last Sunday visiting homefolks.

For a stylish figure wear a Spirella Corset made to order. See Mrs. B. E. Homer, Corsetiere.

Must have it- your country produce. Highest prces paid for butter, eggs, and produce. M. F. Haralson.

Don’t let your horses and cattle wear their lives away fighting flies. Get Dr. Hess’s Fly Chaser and keep them off.

Sheriff Binion and family from Oklahoma City were in Caddo Sunday and Monday visiting the family of J. A. Wood.

 

 

 

 

 

Election, 1899

This sounds like a typical election day- the polls were open, but nobody voted. Or I should be fair and say very few voted. I’m not certain of Caddo’s population in 1899, but I assure you it was well over 183. Of course the “six months rule”, which I assume had something to do with residence, apparently barred a large number of people from voting.

Unfortunately the only person on the list that I have a photo of is Peter Bloom.

The Caddo Herald

April 7, 1899

Election

Caddo’s second municipal election “has been”. There were no tickets nominated and all the names were on the same ballot- nonpartisan. There were three entries in the race for mayor, four for recorder, three for marshal, and ten for alderman, of which latter five were to be chosen.

There were no issues presented for consideration of the voters and the candidates were all popular men.

A total of 183 votes were polled and there were a number of voters out of town, not to mention the large number of citizens of the town who have no vote under the six months rule, which was observed. The contest was interesting and apparently close. A statement of the elected officers is given:

Mayor: C. A. Manning

Recorder: E. G. Lloyd

Marshal: J. N. Jackson

Alderman: L. C. LeFlore, A. M. Russell, Wm. Richey, W. H. Markham, Peter Bloom

Crimes and Punishment

I am often surprised by the number of crimes reported in the paper. We like to think of the “good old days” when people were honest and upright and no one locked their front door and children were safe in their yards. I’m not sure that time ever really existed. I think that the lack of communication from one area to the next just meant that many crimes were unreported and unknown and therefore people felt safer than they actually were.

Today’s post is a brief glimpse of life in 1899 and reports a variety of crimes. I can’t be certain of the “disposing” crimes, but it is my understanding that this was usually related to getting rid of property- horses, cattle, land- that didn’t belong to you in the first place.

It is rather alarming to see that someone got 100 lashes for stealing a horse. After reading this description from an earlier post about 25 lashes, you can understand that 100 lashes could easily kill someone.

The culprit in such cases is stripped to the waist and held with his arms around a tree- there is an oak at Push-ma-ta-ha which has served for this purpose for many years. A man holds each arm of the prisoner and he is held firmly against the tree while officers lay on the lashes; each one laid on five in the instance mentioned. It is an ancient method of punishment, but it seems to have a good effect and is not open to the objection that imprisonment for a month or more is- that a man’s family is deprived of his support and the taxpayers of the county pay for him. There will have been others punished in similar manner by the time court adjourns in the forks of Boggy.

Also note that there are two women listed on the court docket.

 

The Caddo Herald

August 25, 1899

Local Items

Choctaw court for the third district will adjourn today.

A culprit convicted of horse theft got 100 lashes at the Choctaw court last Tuesday.

A tent show with its concomitant fakers and dirty fortune-tellers held forth below the railroad a while this week. They played to a good house.

Caddo dealers are getting assurances of a big business from over the Washita way this fall. The territory east has been coming to Caddo for a long time and excursions to other points always accent the difference between Caddo and other points in favor of Caddo.

The job office of The Herald has had almost all the business it could handle for the past three weeks and its matchless capacity makes that a big lot indeed. Folks who have printing done in The Herald Printing Office always come back- for it is better and cheaper than the others.

William Walker was tried Tuesday at Push-ma-ta-ha in the Third district court for the alleged killing of his aunt Susan Hart in 1896 over near the Green Walker settlement in Kiamichi County. Walker was arrested in the Chickasaw country in June and escaped from the Tishomingo jail returning voluntarily the flowing day to give up. He was turned over to the Sheriff M. W. Leflore of Jackson County, who is also third district jailor and has been confined since that time in this district. His case was set for trial last week, and Judge E. W. Everidge, district judge, being disqualified to try the case by reason of relationship to the deceased; Hon. J. H. Goforth was elected special judge. The prisoner was represented by Homer & Elting who interposed a plea to the jurisdiction which the special judge sustained, discharging the prisoner. Upon motion of the district attorney, Paul Harris, the case was reinstated and the judgment set aside by Judge Everidge, who set the case for hearing on Tuesday of this week. At that time Judge Will Durant was selected special judge and the defense was represent by Homer & Elting and Judge Duke. There was no evidence upon which to convict the prisoner beyond the merest circumstantial matters and the jury, after staying out 2 hours, returned a verdict of not guilty. The prosecution had retained A. R. Durant and Davis Homer in addition to the district attorney and his assistant, H. J. Bond. The case was celebrated widely and sentiment was strongly against the prisoner among a number of people. The case was a hard fought one and resulted in something of a surprise that there was no evidence against the prisoner.

The more careful a man is in buying the more skeptical he is in selecting his pants, the better we like it. He will then more fully appreciate the BUCKSKIN BREECHES. He’ll see at a glance how carefully they are made. When he puts his hands in the pockets he’ll find a printed guarantee which says: “If not as represented your money back”. They couldn’t be more- they’ll never be less.

Mrs. Mae Hamilton will open her school Sept. 4. Her ability as a teacher and governess is well known at Caddo; she solicits all her old patrons, also as many new ones as feel like giving her their support. She always treats her patrons right in prices and don’t have to cut under any one else to do so. Her charges are reasonable with one pupil to a family or where there are more than one. Consult her before sending elsewhere.

Territory News

Atoka Term of District Court

The criminal cases for trial at the September, 1899 term of U. S. court at Atoka are hereby assigned as follows:

Monday, September 11

_16 James Goodwin, larceny

_25, Ephraim Campbell, larceny

355 Zenus Allen, assault to rape

Tuesday, September 12

_26 Wilburn Wade, larceny

356 John Norman, embezzlement

366 Benj. F. Wylie, disp. mtg. prop.

370 Ben Dyson and ______, gaming

371 Hardy Burns, gaming house

Wednesday, September 13

377 E. J. Ramsey, disposing

378 E. J. Ramsey, disposing

379 E. J. Ramsey, disposing

380 E. J. Ramsey, disposing

381 E. J. Ramsey, disposing

383 L. A. Kaufman, disposing

___Harry Chon, int. and disp.

___Harry Chon, int. and disp.

___Harry Chon, int. and disp.

Thursday, September 14

312 James Simms, disposing

327 G. W. Sorrels, murder

369 Joshua Leflore, murder

Friday September 15

317 & 318 John Harrimond, disposing

3_3 Wm. Shinnall, disposing

374 Gus Wallis, disturbing peace

3_9 Elizabeth Marsh, mfg. beer

Monday September 18

382 Colbert Glover, murder

276 Jane Teague, con. death of bastard child

 

Wm. Smith suicided at White Bead Tuesday.

J. B. Lankford’s drug store at Atoka was burned Monday night. It was fully covered by insurance.

James Green was arrested at Durant this week on charge of murdering Judge H. Wall at Duquoin, Ill. Last August.

Miss Bettie, aged nineteen, the adopted daughter of Mrs. J. H. Franklin of Colbert, died Friday afternoon form an attack of the fever.

A number of gentlemen of Vinita are interesting themselves in the project of erecting a monument to the Rough Riders at some suitable place in the city.

A grand public fee school convention will be held in Purcell late in September with a view of making a presentation of the condition to congress.

R. W. McFarland, of Greenwood, has resigned his position as a member of the board of appraiser which is fixing the values of Choctaw lands preparatory to allotment.

Representatives of the Missouri Pacific railway are now looking over ground preparatory for the beginning within ten days of a survey for a line of the system from Caney, Kan. southwest through Oklahoma.

Cherokee council will meet in November. It is expected to be an example of a rough house for there are any number of schemes and snaps to be worked. The treaty will be the main thing however.

A prisoner in the Ardmore jail under the name of J. R. Freeman is said to be one Spotswood, who is under sentence of death in Bates County, Mo. for a crime committed many years ago. He has been identified by a Missouri officer.

The first execution under the auspices of the Federal government to take place in the Territory occurs at Muskogee today: Silam A. Brown for the murder of James Cuthbert, and Matthew Craig for the murder of Marshal Hendrick. (Oklahoma executions data base says Cyrus Brown.)

 

 

 

 

 

April, 1927

Matilda Manning was one of Caddo's great benfactors and donated the land for Manning School.

From Elaine Braly:

That same year, 1904, school board members kept their promise and work started on a fine new building. G. W. Phillips, P.W. Arnold, and H. M. Dunlap were members of that first school board. Douglas B. Williams, owner of a furniture and hardware store, and father of Cowboy Pink Williams, was another serving on the school board in those early years.

Mrs. Matilda LeFlore Manning, widow of Dr. Manning, and member of the prominent Choctaw family, LeFlore, gave five acres on the north edge of town for the building site. John Steger of Bonham, Texas, whose family later moved to Durant, was awarded the contract. The cost was $17,000. The building accommodated all 11 grades until 1912 when a separate high school was built.

The Manning School was considered a very fine edifice when it was completed in 1905. The three-storied red brick building was distinctive for its belfry cupola and its white Grecian columns. Stairway spokes were tooled in a classic pattern which was repeated in the heavy newels at the base and landings. In keeping with the ornate architectural style of the times, entrances had a border decoration of the sculptured egg and dart design with another edging of fleur-de-lis effectively completing the classic motif. The woodwork was solid cherry, the walls were robin’s egg blue.

Members of the Woman’s Music and Literary Club provided classic pictures for the school rooms and planted shrubbery and trees. The Czerny Music Club, a group of young women sponsored by Mrs. Ella Bilbo, donated a piano, which was in use when the school closed its doors for the last time.

 

Manning School was torn down in 1958.

 

The Caddo Herald

April 22, 1927

Easter Services Here had Interest of Many

Last Sunday community Easter services were held in Caddo. The morning sunrise service was well attended at the Presbyterian Church. At 11 o’clock services were held at the Methodist Church. The rain prevented the evening services at the Baptist Church. Rev. E. Hotchkin preached at the morning service, Rev. H. T. Wiles at the mid-day service. The large crowds enjoyed both services.

Easter Egg Hunt

It looked like there were five hundred little fellows on the high school hill Sunday afternoon to hunt Easter eggs placed by the Lions Club. Every child who participated found some eggs, some more than others of course. The approaching rain cut short the festivities but it was enjoyable.

Blue River Was Up

Blue River was on a rampage Monday and Tuesday. One rise after another made the river impassable for hours. No busses ran either day. Transfers were made at the bridge.

Boy Hurt by Truck

Orville Van Heusen, little son of Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Van Heusen of Durant, fell from the fender of his father’s truck on the highway near Caddo last Sunday and received painful injuries. Gashes and bruises on the boy’s feet were his only injuries, no bones being broken.

Matilda Manning’s Birthday

Last Sunday at the home of Mrs. S. J. Elliott, Mrs. Elliottt and Miss Cora Elliott served a birthday dinner to Mrs. Matilda Manning. Mrs. Manning’s birthday was the fourteenth of April, at which time she was 88 years of age.

Mrs. Manning is one of the old- timers of the Choctaw tribe and had lived in this country practically all of her life. She is the mother of Forbes Manning of Caddo, A. F. Manning and Mrs. Amelia Harris of Oklahoma City and one or two children who are dead. She has a large number of grandchildren.

The rest of the story...

This is what I posted earlier:

The Caddo Herald

March 29, 1929

Simpson is Killed at Coalgate in Office

John T. Simpson was killed Monday afternoon at Coalgate in his office in Cochran Grocery Co. Two shots were fired; one went wild, the other through his head. No one was seen to enter or leave the office. Officers are working on the case. Three years ago Simpson figured as principal in the case where he was kidnapped by Emmet Bales, threatened with death. At night in an unguarded moment Bales was killed by a shot from outside the house. Simpson was a most excellent man, and liked by all who knew him.

Here is what I found yesterday:

The Durant Democrat

June 29, 1926

Accomplice of Bales Held for Kidnapping Also

COALGATE: June 29- A charge of kidnapping was field Monday against Barney Hamlin, alleged accomplice of Emmet Bales, who was killed Saturday night after he had abducted John Simpson, wholesale grocer here, and attempted to extort $15,000 from him. B. L. Gassoway, County Attorney of Coal county, filed the charge.

Hamlin, a worker at a local junk yard, was arrested and placed in the county jail several hours before members of a sheriff’s posse laid siege to the home of George Trice, local attorney, where Bales had retreated with Simpson.

Family Kidnapped

Saturday morning Bales, accompanied by Hamlin, intercepted the automobile in which Simpson, his wife, and 9 year old son were driving to Henryetta for a weekend visit. The family was forced to go to an abandoned house on Bales farm about fifteen miles from Coalgate.

Bales, formerly manager of a co-operative store at Tupelo which burned several months ago, was attempting to force a settlement of $15,000 which he claimed that Simpson, as trustee for the store, owed him.

Henry, Simpson’s small son, escaped from the farm house and informed the outside world of his parents’ predicament. The Sheriff of Coal County went to the farm house and persuaded Bales to take the Simpsons back to Coalgate, but after arriving there and releasing Mrs. Simpson, Bales became suspicious and took Simpson to the Trice home. The attorney was absent.

Former Convict

After watching the house for several hours and withholding fire in regard for Simpson’s safety, several members of the posse entered the house and one of them, thinking Bales was reaching for a gun, shot him.

Bales was a former convict, having served a short term in the state penitentiary for the slaying of John Hall at Tupelo several years ago.