Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections

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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only. Use of certain published materials and manuscripts is restricted by law, by reason of their origin, or by donor agreement. For the protection of its holdings, the Western History Collections also reserves the right to restrict the use of unprocessed materials, or books and documents of exceptional value and fragility. Use of any material is subject to the approval of the Curator. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. An example of a proper citation: Oklahoma Federation of Labor Collection, M452, Box 5, Folder 2. Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

2 - AUSTIN, '. 1. ^T-ZWILW 918&

3 - 8 - BIOGRAPHY FOHM WOtfKS PROCk&SS ADMINISTRATION Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma Form Ar-(S- AUSTIN, B* M. INTERVIEW 9185 Field Worker f s nsme Jasper H, Mead This report, made on.(date) November '. Nsuiie B» M, Austin. Post Office Addi-ess, Okaahoma 3. uejidence address (or location) Rout # 1 4. DAK-OF BIRTH: Month 3. rl^:e' of birth ' Tennessee Day Year , ' Ife.r.^ ci 1 Father W# C«Austin Ot^er information about father 7. y,zs of MotherTharaa Howell Ox,.2T information about mother Place of birth Tennessee Died at the age of 69 I lace oi' Died at the age of Nct.-.. or -jd^ilete, narrative by the field v.crxer dealing ^ith the life.and Ttory o: the person intervipv/ed..^efer to Lanual for su^esbed subje:ts 'ir.i.-?^ti^r.so Continue on blan.k sheets, if necessary and atuacr. iinnly tc a -:.:> :':r.., i-lu:..cer of sheets attached -

4 AUSTIN^ B.M, INTPIHVIS*/ Jasper H. Investigator November 9, 1937 Interview with B. M. Austin Chickasha', Oklahoma I was born in the s-tate of ^ennesyne, -august 3, \ 1884, fifty-thr*»e y<>ars age. I camp to Indian Territory when I was tw*»lv yoars old. "^he first plac4 I landed i ma at i«exington just across the rivor from Purcoll. Lexington^ forty-o&» y<=>ars ago was just a v^ry small place all Wi,>oden frante buildings with plank sidewilks jad a mud hole for a str^ot. There W rt re elp^^n saloons in l^xington^ nine in town and two dovm.on thp sand bar. The Christmas ^vs of.th* first ye.»r I *as thers the street was crowded until you could hardly g«>t up and down it. I saw svpn fights going at the saran timr>. Lexington wts whit you.vould call an inl.nd town, th<- closest railroad bfc»ing it I\iro=>ll and it whs the Sar.ta?e«They say it \ras thr» first railroad to ly> built across Indi an T»rritcry. TJie land out around i^xi'njton was what I would call prairie land, covered with tall gruss and 1 Worlds of cattle. I have seen th» grass tall enough that you could take the heads and tie them together ove.\ a horse's neck.

5 0(0 AUSTIN, B* M. * INTERVIEW, 9185 One of the large xenches close to Lexington was called the William's Ranch. It had fine grass and lots of cattle on it* Ranch work paid $25.00 a month, beard and. room, but most of the people that landed there were interested in getting a lease so they could start farming* There were lots of deer and prairie chickens around there* I have seen prairie chickens so thick in trees they would break the limbs off* I never did see any buffalo-they were farther west on the Plains* The main water supply came from shallow dug wells, I have taken many a drink out of an old wooden bucket and believe w& } it was real water* I have seen what they call Tepee Indian towns, one hundred of them i& one town* This was at Mcdoud, I have seen the Indians at that Mme in jbheir native dress, when they had their real stomp dances* I lived at-a place one time where there was en Indian trail about fifty yards in front of our house with a gate across this trail and the last Indian through, would/ shut the gate* The Indians would travel from one of t.es Tepee towns to *:he other* They never tit veled much in the

6 iojotin, B. M. INTERVIEW day time, but they would travel all night. X have slept In our front yard many a night when hundreds of them would pass with their fe^tfiers on* S3e never were afraid because we t any thing of it* I have been a farmer all my life end I no^/xive eleven and a half miles northeast of CHtckaeha on an Indian lease*