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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: 
Name: Mrs. Emma Price Roach
Post Office: 
Date of Birth: March 31, 1876
Place of Birth: West side of Grand River near Locust Grove
Father: John R. Price
Place of Birth: Park Hill, Oklahoma
Information on father: Born 1836
Mother: Katie McDaniel
Place of Birth: 
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: Frank J. Still
Interview #

Born March 31, 1876 on Westside of Grand River near Locust Grove.

Father's name was John R. Price born 1836 at Park Hill, Oklahoma. Mother, Katie McDaniel. Grandfather, James S. Price born in Philadelphia, Pa. Grandmother, Annie Wolf born in Georgia. James McDaniel, grandfather. My grandfather, James Price, was a ship builder. He went to California 1849 and stayed until after the war. He did all the woodwork on the Old Cherokee Capitol building. He put in the stairway, carved ornaments on the woodwork. While working on the capitol he fell and hurt himself and later caused his death.

After he finished the capitol he went to Park Hill and repaired the Murrell House. He carved the mantle over the fireplace that still stands. Grandfather was Scotch-Irish. He is buried at Bryant's Chapel cemetery near Pryor, Oklahoma.

During the Civil War, my father was the only boy his mother had so she put a dress on him so he wouldn't have to go to war. He scouted with the slaves. He was elected the first Justice of the Peace after statehood but would not serve so the office was given to Micheal O. Ghomtey.

My grandfather, James Price, had the first store at Pryor after the M.K. & T. R.R. came through Pryor. My grandfather, McDaniel went to Texas before the war but when the war broke out he formed a company, a Cherokee regiment, while in Texas. He was captain of Co. A. He was later stationed at Ft. Gibson. He took his company to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and fought in that battle. He was in several battles. He was in a bad battle near, Turley, Oklahoma. Also in a battle at Coffin Springs near Welling, Okla.

My grandfather, McDaniel, was one of the first delegates to represent the Cherokee people from Tahlequah, I. T. He was one of a committee to make a treaty between the Cherokees and Delawares. He died in Washington, D.C. and is buried in Arlington cemetery. He was a delegate when he died. They sent his old trunk back to my mother and in it was a picture of Sequoyah. Also a picture of the old Elm tree under which the treaty was made between the Cherokees and Delawares.

Sue Ayers, chief Lewis Downing's last wife, was my grandfather's secretary while he was in Washington and she wrote a history of the treaty on the back of the picture of the Elm tree. Sue Ayers followed Chief Lewis Downing here from Washington; she waited until his second wife died and then married him and lived with him until he died. Later she died and is buried at the old home now owned by Judge J. T. Parks, west of Tahlequah.

Chief Lewis Downing is buried on grand river in the Downing cemetery.

My father, John Price, was the first postmaster at Locust Grove. Mrs. Roach has an old bible published in 1840.

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Lola Crane coolbreze@cybertrails.com  November 2001.