- McCOLUM, JOHN S. INTERVIEW 10621

Transcription

1 - McCOLUM, JOHN S. NTERVEW ; \ - 1

2 3 - Form JL-(S-149) BCGRAPifY FORM XRXS PRCGR3SS ADMNSTRATON ndian-pioneer History Project for Oklahoma 224 MeCOLTJto, JOHlTS. NTERVEW Field Worker's nameethel Mae Yates. This report mad«on (date) April 29, Name John S. McColum, 2. Post Office Address Elk City, Oklahoma. 3» 4. Residence address (or location) \ DATE CF BRTHi Month August i " Placb of birth Mississippi Year Name lof Father John S. McColum Place of birthdontt know. 7. Name pf Mother Elizabeth McColioa place &f birth Don T t know. Other information/about mother.' Notes or complete narrative by the field worker dealing with the life and story of the pprson interviewed. Refer to Manual f r suggested subjects and {questions. Continue on blank # sheets if necessary and attach firmly to this form. Number of sheets attached / 5.

3 225 HeCOLDM JOHN S. NTERVEW Ethel fee Yates, nvestigator, April 29, 1938, An nterview with John S# ' Elk City, Oklahoma. "\ came with my family :from Erath, Texas, xp 1888 in one covered wagon with two horses pulling it and two- tied on behind. We crossed Red' River at a ford where we had to double teams to pull across. This was in an early day and times were squally. had to sit up one night to gstardnmy team* never did know against whether was guarding/ndians or horse thieves. But we had no other trouble and came on and took a lease near Chickasha on Salt Creek. " * *~ ~ - ~. _. planted a wheat crop and in 1889 made the Run* went on two days ahead of time and camped on the Canadian made the Run on a largevblack horse and a boy ran wit-h^md on another black horse. %~brotherr3 Bills, didnh^^p^ti any horses so let him take my wagon in which to make the ftu^>-^had trained my horse and thought that he was almost a racv^orae7^krik4nthe Hun my brother*' in-laitas^t^fb^^^-jrith^ev^we were all ine2~~up along \ ~x~

4 228 UoCOXM, JOHN S., NTEH?]5W the river and were supposed to be turned loose at twelve o'clock sharp. They were turned loose at El Heno at least thirty minutes before hand. You never saw so many people. They were just as thick as birds, tfell, we didn't get i anything, so went on back home and lived on this lease 1 until after the Cheyenne and Arapaho Run. came and moved «ome people over on their claim near Bessie in Washita County, and when we got there it was just after a hail storm, and everything w&s beaten down. 1 just didn't think that this country was worth anything so went back house. That Fall moved some more people over and then the blue grass had come out and the country was looking finei But a cowboy told us that we h&d better tetay out of there, that we couldn't make a "thing. However, went to Oklahoma City and filed, went back home and traded my team off for some oxen, tore down the lumber from, the shack and with my oxen came to our claim., flith the lumber built a temporary shack for our use until.could dig a dugout, 14 X 16. This was just dug dow.n in the \ ground and covered with dirt, with dirt steps that went down \

5 1. McCOLUMj JOHN S. NTERVEW \ > -3- into it. dug a fireplace back in the back ehd where we did - " \ our cooking* immediately began breaking sod w th my oxen. The reason had traded for these oxen was that" feed was scarce and could keep oxen cheaper than could horses. would plow until noon, then gq and eat, leaving themw the ; - \ -. plow, then at night turn them loose on the grass* broke \ sod until the land got so dry couldnh. just couldn\ f t get a job and money was scarce. So went to gathering buffalo bones and ( hauling them to Minco. sold these,$20.00 a ton and sometimes hauled twenty-fire hundred \ pounds. This is the first iaoney made after came on my claim. n this way managed to get groceries and make crop. After got my land broka, traded one of the oxen to a mer- ' chant at Arapaho, taking its price out in groceries. He went broke ao lost About half of that, There were lots of wild turkey when we first came here and when freighting lots of. nights we would camp on the Washita River and in*.the morning the turkeys would^ fly out of the trees and be"just thick all around, us. have been caughtout in many a snow storm while freighting, waking up in the * v \

6 228 McCOLUM, JOHkS. NTER! 10621, morning with my covers frozen stf.ff and my teams almost frozen to death. ^ My claim was betweeii Clin[ton and Bessie in Washita County and there was a l i t t l e cteek that ran.ihrough^my place. t made a little island that had a large* elm tree in the middle of it. made a dam across yhe creek t<i this island jand my wife would / 1 i ' go over under this Aree to, wash! This dam held'water for us and our stock as- well,and it also was where we took our baths. hauled the first corn j raised on my place eighteen piles and sold it for twenty-flip, cents per bushel.. A year or two after, we came here, was off freighting land my wife had gone to stay at her fathers when -everything we pad i in the dugout got burned* alwkys thought knew who set tjhis fire as had some outlaw neighbors, and they thought that t! Ti ' ([ didn't approve of them. The neighbors made up thirteen dollars in money and gave us enough» household goods to keep house. soon built"s~ three-roopi sod 2B&, plastepiag i^fe- inoide gyp. t looked nice injside bn,not so'good on the outside. 'About 1896 bought,a claim that joined' mine and got some pigs-and corn in the deal, so thought would raise some hogs. '' '! ] ' ' -. for market. took th,e very pest care of them.and when they. i-... v /

7 229 MeCOLTJM, JOHN S. \ NTHT7EW weighed about two hundred, loaded them up and took them to Minco; but couldn't get a bid on them, so took them to 1 Beno and sold them, for two cents a pound. raised some of the finest wheat, when took it to market got sixty cents per busliel for it and with this money bought flour for one dollar a hundred pounds* sold out this claim and moved to Cord ell where - put up the first gin,that was in Cordell. t wasn't long until learned that could get a second filing so filed on a * \ ': claim out near Cordell. didn't keep this claim long until sold out and moved near Clinton. After farming there a while sold out and went southeast of Foss. The year was in the Foss vicinity t was twelve months between rains and didn't make a thing, so moved on the flats south of Foss where we lived three y.«rars._n 1908 took a lease on the Washita River and stayed there five years, then selling' out and moving on -lrdjan_.creete between Carter_agd_Sayre n 1921 we moved to Elk City.a*nd that is now my home.