Dr. Samuel P. Ross
The Caddo Herald
January 19, 1900
Mrs. Huldah Ross died on the 14th of January at the residence of her son Dr. S. P. Ross at Caney, in the 78th year of her age. She was a native of North Carolina but has resided for many years in Texas. She was visiting her daughter who resides at Caney when she was stricken down. About three years ago her husband was visiting their daughter when he was taken sick and died.
You may recall seeing the above item in yesterday’s locals. I was fascinated by the last two lines and decided to find out a little more about the Ross family. I’m not sure if the term “daughter” was a mistake and should have been “daughter-in-law” or if Mrs. Ross was indeed at the home of one of her daughters. I have just begun my investigation of her family and only know that she had at least six children according to the census. They were living in Texas and I’m not sure yet how many family members might have been in our area. However, I thought you might be interested in the few pieces of information I did glean from my files and from the internet in just a short time. Of course if I were documenting this for my family records I would want copies of the original paperwork if possible, or at least verification from two or more sources.
1880 Census, Fannin County, Texas
Samuel H. Ross, 63, born 1817 in Ohio
Hulda Ross, 57, born 1823 in North Carolina
Samuel P. Ross, 17, born 1823 in Missouri
(You can find the Ross family in the census from 1860-1930)
Marriage records, Illinois, Brown County (five of the Ross children listed on the census were listed as born in IL)
April 24, 1845
Samuel H. Ross
Huldah Briggs (daughter of Richard I. and Prudence Briggs)
The Caddo Herald
March 17, 1899
Dr. and Mrs. J. E. Stephens, of Allen, I. T., are visiting the family of Dr. Ross of Caney, I. T.
The Caddo Herald
January 12, 1900
Deputy Wm York went to Caney, ten miles south of Atoka, Monday and exhumed a girl baby that had been thrown from the early morning train that passes here going north at 5:17. The child had been found early Saturday morning by the section men and buried by them at the place where found. From indications the child was alive when thrown from the train. There was no clothes on it. Dr Ross, of Caney, was called and examined it and said it was living when thrown from the train. No trace can be found of the guilty party, but Mr. York is working on the case.
The Caddo Herald
May 11, 1900
Dr. S. P. Ross and H. B. Hardy were elected delegates to the Ardmore Convention and instructed to support Dr. Wolverton. (Note: the 1910 Kiowa census lists Earl Hardy as Dr. Ross’s adopted son.)
The Caddo Herald
November 9, 1900
Dr. S. Ross and little daughter, Mary, were in Caddo Tuesday. (Census lists his wife’s name as Maud and daughter as Margarette)
Criminal Court of Appeals of Oklahoma
McCarter v. State, February 16, 1918
(murder case)
Dr. S. P. Ross was listed as a witness to testify to the effects of intoxication and repeated alcohol abuse on a person’s sanity. However, he was never called to the stand.
Journal of the American Medical Association, 1919
Oklahoma
Pontotoc County Medical Society Officers
President- Dr. Leander M. Overton, Fitzhugh
Vice-president- Dr. Bedford F. Sullivan, Ada
Secretary-treasurer- Dr. Samuel P. Ross, Ada
Interviewed by Maurice R. Anderson for WPA, 1938
Indian-Pioneer History Project
Dr. Samuel P. Ross, born November 14, 1863 in Missouri. Parents S. H. Ross (Ohio) and Mary Briggs.
Residence- Ada, Oklahoma
“I was born in Missouri in 1863, but my father and mother moved from that state to Texas when I was eight years old, where Father farmed and raised stock.
I attended school in Texas and in 1880 taught school one year. However, I did not like teaching so went to work in a drug store and worked there for six years. I opened my own drug store in Houston in 1887 and operated my store there until 1895, when due to financial circumstances I quit the drug business.
In 1897 I came to the Indian Territory to make a new start, settling at Atoka to practice medicine. I sure did get plenty of practice, but not much pay for my services, although I was able to make a living and save some money. However, the life of a country doctor wasn’t a bed of roses then. There were not very many doctors in the Indian Territory at that time and when called on we had to go, rain or shine. Many a stormy night I have been called out to see someone and would have to ride horseback eight or ten miles with only a cow trail to follow. There were no roads or bridges across the streams then to speak of and many a time I have had to ride my horse off into a creek that was nearly out of its banks and would be soaking wet when I would get to where I had been called and sometimes by the time I would get warm and my clothes dried, the sick one would be all right. That was the kind of life we had to go through.
I only stayed one year at Atoka then went back to Texas to finish my schooling returning to the Indian Territory in 1902. This time I settled at Kiowa and practiced medicine there until 1911, at which time I moved to Ada where I now reside.
I’ll let you know if I find out anything else about the good doctor and his family…
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