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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only.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 Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.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 BLAKSLEY,' CHARLES. INTiBVIEW 10615

3 Form i i I BIGGRAJPHY FORM XRKS PROGRESS ADMTlvKT Indimw«Pi$n«o~ Hlfihory -xt^l^ot for Oklahoma 3LAKSLEY, CHARLES. INTERVIEW ' / / Field Worker'8 name / Mildred B. KcFarland This report made on ^dat<^) April 21, / 1. Name Ch»r1fla B.2., Post Office Adc - J.?.; ^ihaii, Qkl»hotBa 3. Residence adjro.sp y'o- ]*...".t Ion) Genefal Delivery. «* - ' 4. DATE CF BIRTH: Month Atlg11Ht. I*C 31 Y- <n' , Place cf birth C.M ^gn, Illinois. 6. Name of Father j^hr. S. RiaVaifty. Place cf birth Canada. Blaksley.?. Name of Mother M?yy K11 «n' KI rt.pat-h. ^ac e "* f birth Lisaouri. Other information about mother Notes or ".oropiete narrative by the field worker d«ahn^.v^th the life and st-ry if tno D rs^n intorvievj-d.,'<^fr>r i^o ".!^riuaj for sugzesbpd.tub iect.j v.* rj s;i <m. C'-;*'inw^ on flar.k she"ts if ^^^ry ^.nj at^.aob f^r.nly to Vnis 'f-nm. N'imber of sheets

4 393 HLAKSLEY, CHARLES. INTERVIEW , Mildred B. McFarland, Investigator, April 81, 193$. Inter*! ew With Charles Blaksley,, Oklahoma. Until four years previous to the Opening t>f Oklahoma Territory I had lived with my parents on a farm just a few miles east of Arkansas City. I had always wanted -to be a cowboy, so secured a job as one on the "Horseshoe Ranch", owned by M. E. Dane and I worked for ttfm four years. ~*> My parents persuaded me to make the Ran into Oklahoma with them and have a place of my own. Aa my mother was not strong, we decided she should stay in Kansas until we were settled so the rest of the family, drove a covered wagon to the starting line, while I rode horseback. 'He crossed the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River and camped overnight on April 21',we had brought farming implement s, beddi ng and a Dutch oven. We left the wagon at the line and made the Run on horseback and I staked a claim two miles east aw one mile

5 391 HLAKSLEY, CHARLES. INTERVIEW south of Alfred, which was later called Mulhall. United States soldiers W9re stationed every forty rods at the starting line. One man led his horse abotyfe===^ fifty feet across the line so as to get an early start but a soldier brought him back- and made him wait until everyone else had started. I passed oaoy wagons upset, with wheels broken off and some that were wrecked beyond repair. The owners would unhitch the horses acd finish the race horseback. The first thing I did after I staked was to dig deep trench and cover it with boards and sod to form a a shelter.' I began plowing the week after I was settled and planted about twenty-five acres in corn, pumpkins and watermelons. I got twenty bushels of corn to the acre, and the pumpkins were so plentiful we had to feed them to the stock. My mother came in July and by that time we had built a small log cabin. We made our furniture from tree stunps, poles and dry 'goods boxes. In the warmer months we dug a hole in the yard and lined it with stones and cooked our

6 395 HLAKSLET, CHARLES. on tms^and we drank water from the cijeek for alyears. In the fall of the first* year we men cut and hauled logs to the sawmill to have lumber sawed to build a school house which was called Prairie Flower School and was located just across the road from my home.?/hen the school district was changed I bought the building and moved it across to my place, and still use it for a granary, He received mail once a week at Mulhall; it was handed out to the people who were gathered on the station platform, I would stay on my claim the v required length of time^ then go into the Osage country and Vork to secure supplies for the winter^ I did this for seven years. In the fall after the cro-ps were harvested we would hold a big dinner and dance and everyone for miles around would come. I still own my homestead but live in Mulhall and rent it to my son.