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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only.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 Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.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 BIRDWILL, FANHI2 IHTSRV1SW,

3 BIRDWBLL, FANNIE ItfEBOTXBt Form A-(S-149) 171 #8360 rjocruiniy m.m V/OL.KS P~0G.USS /D::I;I STATION Iirdian-Piono'-r Hi3tor/ Project for Oklahoma Pisld Worker's naino (This report made on (date)_ Jimnle Birdwe11 August Nar?.e_ Fannie Birdwell :«Boct 01 fice Ad>rer,s / Capitol Hill Station, Oklahoma City. ;% / Resideace address (or location) 4. DATE OF BIRTH: Month / June Day -12 Year 1867 ;, Place of.birth Monroe t North Carolina. z, Nano of Father Tom Sander a Other information.about fa Place of birtl North Carolina of Mother MaH Pl^co of bi,r4h North Carolina* T information a >out Notes or complete narrative by the Ifield worker dealing *ith the life and-story of the person interviewed. Refer to Manual for suggosted subjects and/questions* Continue on blink shoeto if nocessarw and attach firmly to this form*^ Numberjof sh.ota attached

4 BXBDVSLL. nmtt mrsrtuff*. # An Interview with Tannle Bird*til, Oklahoma City* By - limit Blrdwell. Field Worker* August S8, ft**************************************** ** * ********* A STORT TOLD TOMX BT MT MOTHER. FAimiS BIHDWRlt. 172 I earn* from Horth Carolina by way of Texas with huabamd* ^! mat«a a tract of land in 1901, two nll«a touth of Coan«rriU«# The land wee raw land* We cleared it up and built a log house on it* It was located up on a little rlae from a spring branch that we carried water from, Juat a half mile from our house on.big Blue Creek was an old water wheel Grist Mill where* the folks all took their corn to be ground into meal* The Chlekaaav Indians were a friendly tribe of people* A fullblood was my neighbor and the best neighbor I erer had* I have forgot/her name but she would go day or night and help the whites with the sick. &e knew more home-made remedies to oure sickness with than most ' of the Doctors did at that time* Ottoe when my boy was bitten by a rattlesnake *he was at my house and she grabbed up a young turkey, wrung its neok Off and split It open* She then bound tbe raw

5 BIREWXLL, FANNH. INTKRVI1W. 2 it to the wound* When the doctor got out to the house he said that the raw meat had drawn all the poison out* We used to have a Mat box in the moke house, that we would salt neat in which was about four feet square* One fall an Indian had been to town and was drunk; he wae about the only bad Indian in our settle* sent* Be ease by our house and my husband waa out working* When I saw the Indian coning I did not know what to do, as he was counted rery bad* All at once I thought of the meat box and that it was about empty* I had fire children and I puctied myself and the ehil* dren all into the box* The Indian came in the house and went all through the rooms, out into the smoke. house and back into the house* we ought to be there somewhere* It looked like he knew We almost smothered in the box before he left* My husband worked for a rancher in his spare time, breaking horses* He would twist a horses ears, then I would hold him while my husband put on the sada die and got on* I was/pretty good rider myself and after my husband rode them once or twioe I would finish

6 BI&JWELL, FABHIE, INTERVIEW. *» 5, 8S60 the** Wt never tried to raise anything but some truck and feed stuff* tfe had a pretty hard life trying to reiae a little feed and food etuff and breaking horses' with five children to look after, We would buy a oow or steer onoe in a while and sometimes r a few horses* 'The man uy husband worked for would keep thea in his herd* We could run up to fifty head of cattle or hortft* in with the rancher's cattle and he would take care of them* Vhen we left him he^putfitted us with a complete farming outfit* ' There was lots of game where I lived but we did not have time to do much hunting* *M>**+****tt**^ ******** Mt*****M>***«*******************