OKGenWeb Notice: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Presentation here does not extend any permissions to the public. This material may not be included in any compilation, publication, collection, or other reproduction for profit without permission.
The creator copyrights ALL files on this site. The files may be linked to but may not be reproduced on another site without specific permission from the OKGenWeb Coordinator, [okgenweb@cox.net], and their creator. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which they are presented, the notes and comments, etc. are. It is, however, permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use ONLY.


Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: September 13 1937
Name:  Mrs. Jennie Ward
Post Office: Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Residence Address: 416 Choctaw
Date of Birth:  July 2, 1864
Place of Birth:  Fort Scott, Kansas
Father:  Monroe Anderson
Information on Father:  farmer 
Mother: Margaret Franklin Anderson
Information on Mother:  born Iowa buried in Kansas
Field Worker:  Alene D. McDowell

Father -- Monroe ANDERSON was a farmer and died when Mrs. WARD was a small child.  He is buried near Alluwe, Oklahoma.

Mother -- Margaret FRANKLIN-Anderson was born in Iowa and died when Mrs. Ward was nine years of age.  She is buried at Niotaze, Kansas.

I came to the Indian Territory from Kansas, shortly after my marriage to Allen Ward, in 1882.  I was eighteen and Mr. Ward was twenty-one when we settled here. Mr. Ward leased a ranch from Ed CAMPBELL, near Alluwe, Indian Territory, where we lived for six months, then returned to Kansas, for three years.

In 1885 we returned to the Indian Territory and settled on a ranch about four miles southwest of Caney, Kansas, in the cattle business.  Our daughter, Alta, was then one and one-half years old.  We lived on this ranch for fourteen years.  Our son, Elwood, was born on this ranch.

In 1899 we removed to Bartlesville, where Mr. Ward operated a meat market for a short time, but gave this up and returned to the cattle business.

We then moved to the Gertie CARR Ranch, nine miles northwest of Bartlesville, in Osage County.  We resided on this ranch for three years, then moved to the Louis WILKIE place, four miles west of Bartlesville, also in Osage County, and lived there for a number of years.

I remember very clearly how we allowed our cattle to range, with no fences to mark the boundary lines, and in the fall there was a real purpose for the round up.  Our ranch in the Osage was known as the Lazy 7, and our brand was /.

When we came to Bartlesville, the town was situated on North Delaware avenue.  The town at that time was very small and had only a few frame buildings.  Our homes were all built of log or rough lumber, and most of them were one or two rooms.  Our first home was located on North Delaware avenue, and was built of rough lumber.  In the spring of 1900, the "new" town was started on Second street.  We built a five room house on the corner of Fourth street and Johnstone avenue, across the street from where the Hotel Maire now stands.  The City Service has a filling station on this
location now.

Mrs. Henry ARMSTRONG, mother of one of our early day teachers, Mrs. Carrie OVERLEES, lived where the Y.M.C.A is located on the corner of Fifth street and Johnstone and the late Mrs. Sam BOPST lived where the First National Bank is located at 329 Johnstone.  The John GRAY family lived in a house on wheels.

Mr. Ward was active in civic affairs and was one of the first county commissioners of Washington County.  It was during his term as County Commissioner that the bonds were voted for the present court house, however, he died April 4, 1913, before the building in which he was so interested, was erected.

Some of the early day settlers that helped to build our city, Bartlesville, were:  George KEELER, William JOHNSTONE, Frank OVERLEES, A. I. MORGAN, Henry CLAY, Nelson CARR, Dr. STEWART, Arthur ARMSTRONG, Sam BOPST, and Frank BUCHER.  Dr. WOODRING was our faithful physician for many years. These men have all passed on, but their memory lives on.  These men were all men of fine character and were much interested in growth and welfare of our city.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Gay Wall  <t31892@wind.imbris.com> November 2000.