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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: October 25, 1937
Name: Alford M. Atwell
Post Office: Mutual, Oklahoma
Residence address: 6 ½ miles east of Mutual
Date of Birth: March 21, 1868
Place of Birth: Adair County, Missouri
Father: <particulars about Father & Mother were left blank>
Mother:
Field Worker's name: Alson J. Chase
 
Alford M. Atwell lived with his family at Pratt, Kansas.

When the Cherokee Strip opened for settlement in 1893 he decided to make the race and get a home for himself and family.

He left Pratt, Kanasa, and went to the south line of the Cherokee Stripp, at a spot close to where Mutual now stands.

Being an old cow puncher, he was familiar with this country and knew where he wanted to locate. He made this trip horseback, so was mounted on his horse and ready when the signal was given. The place he wanted was four miles from the line; he made this four miles in twenty-eight minutes and staked a claim six and one half miles east of where Mutual now stands. He camped there that night and the next day went to Woodward and filed. He then went back to Pratt after his family. This trip was made in a covered wagon, bringing a team of mules, three cows, two dozen chickens and one pig. They also brought a bedstead and bedding and two sacks of flour. Flour then was 95 cents a sack.

Mr. Atwell build a dougoug 8 x 10 feet and dug a well; struck water at seven feet.

He did his farming with his team of mules. The first crops were feed crops of kaffir and corn.

In the spring of 1894, he planted an orchard of peaches and apricots.

Fat hogs sold for two cents per pound.

There was lots of wild game for meat, such as wild turkey, deer, quail and praire chickens. Fishing in the North Canadian River was also good. Mr. Atwell cut cedar posts and sold them to buy a seine to fish with.

From 1886 until the opening of the Strip, Mr. Atwell punched cattle all over this country.

In 1890, Amos Chapman, Indian Scout, caught Alford Atwell, with a bunch of others, on a hunting party. They had three deer and a number of wild turkey. Mr. Chapman took the game and started to take them to Fort Supply. On the way he left two guards with them and left. The guards went to sleep and the men escaped and were never bothered again.

In 1894, they had a three month's term of school in a cedar log house. The teacher was paid $25.00 a month.

Mr. Atwell still lives on his farm near Mutual and farms it himself.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Karol Dunshee <dunshee@home.com> 02-1999.