- a - Form A-6-149) -JIOGRAPKY FOHM WO1JCS E<0GRESS ADMINISTRATION Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma

Transcription

1 EWIBD, FRAHK. SECOND INTERVIEW

2 - a - Form A-6-149) -JIOGRAPKY FOHM WO1JCS E<0GRESS ADMINISTRATION Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma 453 EWXHG, IRANK* SECOND INTERVIEW, Field Worker's nafc&nnaeus B» Ranck» This report made on (date) > Name gpante ffwlag 2. Post Office Address 3+ Residence address (or location) 4, Sfe^OTTH: 'Month Year 5, Place of birth 6. Name of Father Other information about father 7. Name of Mother 3 Other information about mother HLacfe/of bjrth Notes or complete narrative by the field worker dealing with the life and story of the ;.erson interviewed. Rcf^r tc^tiami&i-4lqk--sj4 ^csted subjects and questions. Continue on blank sheet;:- if'necessary and attach firmly to this form. Number of sheets attached ' A

3 EWING, H&K. SECOND INTERVIEW Linnaeus B.RSnok. Investigator, April 25, An Interview with Mr # Frank Ewlng* Hi/»glns, Texas. THE BOX T RANGE ( A mammoth early-day cow outfit of Oklahoma) One of the founders of the famous Itox T Ranch, one Tom.-.-ord, was the fatherein-law of ffr, Frank Swing who gave most of the data concerning the early-nlay history of the. Box T«It was about 1830 that Tossfiordand his cousin Charles, two prominent cowmen of the old Wwst, came up'from south** orn Texas bound for Dodge 'city with a very 1 j?ge herd of cattle. They crossed Red River at Doan's Store and drove on north through the "wild Indian country** Reaching Red c Huff reek which is in the southwestern $art of the prea* ent county of Ellis and west of Ainett, for a reasoa lown to Mr» Swing, his fstj ir«in»law Tea WoPd t and the letter's cousin and partner / tne d, Charles Word ped with their cattle and effected a clvision of them between the two owners. The entire nerd was rebrended after the dlvl*

4 BY.THG, FRAKK..SECOND IHTERVTSW. loess ion, Tom Word branding his end of them n Bo* T n, and hia former partner Charles Word branded hie part of tb» cattie"ok% These two *or&? wintered the cattle belonging to them respectively on Ked Jluff Creek and about the sur» rounding country, then the northwestern part of the Ghty* enne»arapaho ^oservatiees. and tbs southwestern part or^irite Cherokee Outlet* Mr. Ewing thinks that it was the year fol-> lowing end vhl& Word and Sord were atill on Hed HLuft with their cattle that they sold out the entire herd to the Dominion Cattle Company.. In this connection it is to to remembered that tha Dominion outfit vas one cf the origt* aal members of the old Cherokee strip Livestock Association ranging in the very southwestern part of the TbeJDarainion people stabile! ed ranch headquarter* oa Long Creek in the Strip and*not far from the site of th# present town of Shattu^c, Oklahoma* ( Incidentally and to interpose here, Tom Word ranched in the Strip late*,* that ie after selling to the Dominion Company with a partner named Bylor, the firm being known as Word, Byler ^ Company*

5 456 FRANK* SECOND INTERVIEW* / 3 They too, were members of the original Charokee atrip Livestock Association with range adjoining the Fort Supply Military Reservation on the northwest* Charles Word went to Texas and continued in the cattle business and died in Amarillo just a few years agoj The late MiUard T* Jfcrd of Axuott an early day cowman of this section was a cousin to Tom Word and a brother to Charles Word This cattle company continued for a short time the brands, Box T and OK. They ranged into Texas and into the -Cheyenne-Arapaho country as well as the Strip, their ranch headquarters on Long G»eek in the Strip. When all the cowmen and their stock were orieredout* of the Strip a few years prior to its open* ing in 1893, the Box outfit move their headquarters on across the line in Texas a few miles and re-established it on Wolf Bre«k, There after, however, a great part of their range, if not the greatest part, was in the Strip and the northwest corner of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Country. When the old H Steeple Ranch set up in this part, the fall of 1893, the Box T's were crowded further west, and when the H Steeple in 1894 completed fisn<&n# their

6 SWING, BRANK. SECOND INTERVIEW * entire range, the west fence line of the H Steeple Ranch was the the boundary line between it and the Box? Ranch, Nearing the turn of the century the settlers and nostora / i ( small cowmen^ crowded the Box T's out of the Strip aad the / old Cheyenne country and the rancn range became confined to / Lipaoomb County, Texas. Before retiring from Oklahoma, how* ever, the outfit changed hands and brands. The 0 K was dlo* continued and' the Box T adopted as the permanent brand of th«ranch. The Dominica Cattle Company sold to one Patrick Dofle^ This famous old ranch stills operated along Wolf Creek in Lipflocnb County, Texas* It is an Oklahoma Product, however, the ranch brand and all originating in what is now the state of Oklahoma* Following is the original brands of this old ranch and the one finally adopted; *