November 20, 1850-April 21, 1890

Cynthia E. Gordon Couch
1841-1918

William Couch , led the Oklahoma Boomers in petitioning the U.S. government to open Oklahoma to settlement, and later became the first mayor of Oklahoma City.  Couch was second-in-charge to David Payne, leader of the Boomer movement stationed in Kansas. When Payne died before the lands were opened, Couch became the organizer.

William Lewis Couch was born November 20, 1850, in Wilkes County, North Carolina the eldest child of Meshach H. and Mary Bryan Couch. After the end of the Civil War M. H. Couch moved the family to Kansas, where William grew to manhood. While receiving only a rudimentary education, he was always an avid reader. Couch married his sweetheart, Cynthia E. Gordon, a Quaker eight years his senior on February 28, 1871 at Olathe, Kansas. In 1871 the couple located in Butler County near Douglass, Kansas, where they purchased a farm. In fall 1879, after hearing David L. Payne talk about the "free land" available for homesteads in the "Oklahoma Country," Couch became a follower of the boomer leader. Payne was most convincing about the fertility of soil, abundance of game, and other wonders of the land. Couch made several financial contributions to Payne's colony, helping to fund the fledgling enterprise, and became familiar with the country, learning the choice locations where he could claim his future homestead. Couch believed Payne's assertion that these were public lands free for the taking, despite government warnings to the contrary. The family returned to Douglass, Kansas, in 1882 so that William could be closer to his father. The elder Couch looked after the family while his son became more active in Payne's colony. By that time, the family had grown to five children: Ira, Minnie Alice, Eugene, Perley, and Albert. Couch's service to the boomers earned him a leadership position. In early February 1883 he led the "Camp Alice" expedition to the Oklahoma country after the boomers' earlier settlement ventures had failed. But this attempt, too, failed when the army arrived, arrested the would-be settlers, and placed them under guard at Fort Reno. Couch entered the forbidden land again in August 1883 and in April 1884. During the April 1884 trip Meshach Couch staked a claim near the present University of Oklahoma Health Sciences complex in Oklahoma City. David Payne's untimely death on November 28, 1884, thrust Couch into sole leadership of the boomers, a roll he did not want.After Payne's death, his associate William L. Couch assumed his leadership role. Couch, in December 1884, moved the Boomers into Indian Territory and founded Camp Stillwater on December 12, 1884

In the fall of 1886, William Couch arrived here on business, with a contract to build a siding for the Santa Fe Railway. With him was his wife, Cynthia. That descendant of Quaker colonists and Nantucket whalers had married Couch in North Carolina in 1871 and rode with him by covered wagon to Kansas.  Couch showed his wife the location of a camp and a spot he was keeping in mind for settlement. The site is 4 miles northeast of Choctaw, along Triple X Road. Couch was lured by a bountiful pecan grove, a stand of oaks, a gentle hill for a house. When Couch's dream of open land came true in 1889, he did not get the site with the beautiful trees. When borders were drawn for the opening, his choice lay outside the line.  Couch chose a spot near Oklahoma City instead, became provisional mayor and died a year later in a claim dispute. William Couch, himself a Sooner, was shot and wounded by a legal pioneer. Couch died on April 21, 1890, as a result of his wounds, and was laid to rest the following day upon the beautiful homestead where he had hoped to pass his declining years.

The widow Cynthia, though, had not forgotten the land. With her children, including teen-agers Eugene and Ira, she squatted in that area until land became available. Ira established residence there and filed a claim, then deeded 40 acres to his mother. In 1903, Eugene's daughter Edna was born there. In 1904, Ira's son Charlie was born. Charlie raised his family on the land across the road from the original homestead, the parcel that still holds the pecan grove. In all his life, he has never lived farther than a half-mile from the dream his grandfather dreamed in 1883.

By 1882 the family had grown to five children: Ira, Minnie Alice, Eugene, Perley, and Albert.



Various Oklahoman Newspaper articles

Mrs. C. E. Couch, 74 years old, one of Oklahoma's pioneer women, died yesterday at her home near Choctaw after having been an invalid for nearly eighteen months. Mrs. Couch was the widow of W. L. Couch, leader or Payne's colony after the death of Captain Payne. Mrs. Couch's husband died in 1900. Though Mrs. Couch's husband came into Oklahoma several times, the first time in 1878, she did not accompany him until 1885. Mrs. Couch leaves two daughters, Mrs. Minnie Alexander, Columbia, Cal., and Miss Irene Couch, who lived with her. Also three sons, Ira L., Choctaw, Alvert C., Luther, former county commissioner, and Eugene Couch, Choctaw.

William's wife, Cynthia died on March 2, 1918 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and is buried at Fairlawn cemetery.

photo courtesy Marti Graham, January 2009