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GEORGE S. MARCH
Vol. 3, p. 1132-1133

Among the men who have been observers of and participants in the
developments which have formed the history of Oklahoma, one who has
passed through many interesting experiences both in the earlier and
lawless days of Indian Territory and the young state and in its later
period of civilization and prosperity, is Hon. George S. MARCH,
former judge of Montague County, Texas, and now a leading member of
the Marshall County bar, at Madill.

The March ancestry extends back in this country before the
Revolutionary war. George O. March, one of the Colonial forefathers,
became a book publisher at Lebanon, Ohio, and Francis A. March, who
settled in Pennsylvania, became the father of Col. Peyton C. March.,
who assisted in the capture of Aguinaldo in the Philippines. The
maternal grandmother of Judge March-the mother of Clementine
Elizabeth (SORY) March-still lives at the age of ninety-four years,
and an interesting character of the maternal ancestry of the Judge
was Col. Robert HALTOM, his mother's uncle, who built the first
courthouse and jail, in Rush County, Texas. A. M. March, the father
of Judge March, who was a surveyor, was among the first settlers at
the historic site of Spanish Fort, on Red River, just over the river
from the Indian country. There he made settlement in 1857, nine years
after he had made his advent to Texas from Jackson, Tennessee, and
built one of the first log houses in Rusk County. Comanche Indians
frequently were on the war-path in that day and the log houses bore
"port holes" on each side, being thus transformed into forts for the
protection of the settlers against the hostiles. Mr. March was a
member of a party of Texans who participated in the last fight with
the Comanches, at Eagle Point, Texas, in 1876. Twenty years later he
died, and his body lies buried in the old cemetery at Montague, Texas.

As it appears in retrospection, the cattle range epoch of former
Indian Territory was one of the most fascinating periods of this
section's history, and tragedy frequently split the even trend of the
day's events. Judge March recalls the important facts of a fight
which took place during a roundup at Erin Springs, near the present
Town of Lindsay, in 1886, between two rival forces of cattlemen, when
his father, who dealt extensively in cattle in that section, accused
one Wyatt and Curg WILLIAMS and Frank MURRY of taking unlawful
possession of some 300 to 400 head of his cattle. Men on both sides
were armed, as were all frontiersmen of those days, and twenty to
thirty men were engaged, the result being that four or five were
killed. The after-effects reflect the spirit of the time: there was a
peaceful division of the herd and Mr. March secured all the cattle
that he had claimed.

The early education of Judge March was obtained in the public
schools of Texas. His first experience as a cowpuncher was secured
under U. S. JOINES, now a wealthy citizen of Ardmore, who was a
pioneer ranchman of the Indian Territory. The ranch was situated on
Mud Creek and from it drives were made every year over the Chisholm
Trail into states of the North. On one of these drives the man in
charge of the herd came to the conclusion that he had more men then
were needed and five of them (among them Judge March) were discharged
in a lonely and uninhabited region of the northern end of Indian
Territory. These men set out on their return to the Spanish Fort
country of North Texas and their lack of food and being forced to eat
green corn from roasting-ear patches near the southern end of their
journey, are incidents characteristic of the hardships of the day.
The annual spring roundups on Big Valley were among the chief events
of the time in the cattle country and many a young man was initiated
into the mysteries of cowpunching degrees while learning a new
occupation on these occasions.

After his cowboy days, Judge March returned to Texas, furthered his
educational training and became a teacher in the rural schools.
Finding himself adapted to this vocation, he pursued it with vigor
and increasing knowledge and later taught in some of the leading
schools of North Texas. In the meantime, he studied law and was
admitted to the bar in July, 1890, at Montague, Texas, and four years
later was elected county judge of Montague County, Texas, and as such
was ex-officio county superintendent of schools. During the four
years he filled this office he labored with Prof. J. M. CARLYLE, one-
time state superintendent of public instruction of Texas, in behalf
of a law creating the office of county superintendent of schools and
their efforts finally resulted in success. For twelve years Judge
March was a member of the executive committee of the Educational
Association of Texas.

Judge March returned to Oklahoma in 1901, being among the throng
that came from all over the southwestern country and made up the
population of the Town of Lawton, which was established during that
year. Here he found a return to the era of lawlessness, and after the
brief annals of the new city had been stained with the blood of many
murdered men, he joined the forces, 5,000 strong, of young Robert
GOREE, a party which marched down the notorious Goo Goo Avenue and
cleared the city of crooks and gamblers. Later Judge March returned
to Nocona, Texas, where he made his home after retiring from the
judgeship of Montague County, and there remained until 1910, when he
settled in the practice of law at Madill, which has since been his
residence and the scene of his labors. He has taken his place as one
of the most forceful, learned and thorough lawyers of the Marshall
County bar, and his connection with a number of important cases has
given him prestige and attracted to him a most important professional
business. Judge March served one term as city attorney of Madill and
during his administration the city hall was erected and the sanitary
sewer system installed. In Marshall County he became a leader of the
organization at Madill that, after five elections, succeeded in
securing the courthouse for this city, the election being won by
twenty-two votes. Later a magnificent courthouse was erected at a
cost of $75,000 and Judge March was the first man to try a case
therein. He is a member of the Marshall County Bar Association, of
the Madill Commercial Club and of the Madill Civic League, and his
fraternal connections include membership in the Knights of Honor, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, the
Rebekahs and the Woodmen's Circle. With his family, he belongs to the
Methodist Church. While the days of lawlessness have passed, a
glamour sets upon the country to this day, and there is an
interesting and singular twinkle in the eye of the judge who passed
through the epoch of the cattle range and who finds in retrospection
the material for many charming stories.

Judge March was married April 12, 1888, at Mount Enterprise, Texas,
to Miss Margaret WESTFALL, and they have eight children living: Miss
Lester, who recently completed a course at Chillicothe Business
College, Chillicothe, Missouri, and has chosen a business career for
herself; and Clyde, Mona, Marguerite, Lucile, George S., Kathleen and
John Abe, living at home. Four of the oldest have made perfect
records in attendance and unusually high grades in the public school
and two are graduates of the high school. The brothers and sisters of
John March are: John S., who for thirty years has been engaged in the
hardware business at Nocona, Texas; Mrs. Clementine E. MCNEW, of
Oklahoma City; Mrs. Rhoe MATLOCK, widow of the late Judge Matlock, of
Texline, Texas; R. L., who for twenty-five years has been a lawyer at
Duncan, Oklahoma; Mrs. Frankie HAGLER, of Nocona, widow of the late
Will Hagler; W. W., who met an accidental death while hunting near
Nocona in 1909; and Abe and A. M., who are pioneer hardware dealers
of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Dorothy Marie Tenaza on October 31, 1998.