Time-Line
- 1541 Hernando Coronado travels into the area of Oklahoma. Their
ox cart ruts still visible in Olustee area. Oklahoma was the grazing ground
for great buffalo herds.
- 1803 Napoleon sells Louisana Purchase for $15,000,000. Texas is
still part of Mexico.
- 1819 Map. The 100 Meridian marked incorrectly.
- 1836 Texas Republic is formed. Veterans are given land.
- 1850 Texas surrenders her claim to all lands outside boundary.
- 1852 Captain Marcy explores the area of Red River. Claims North
Fork of Red River as main channel. Marks 100 Meridian wrong.
- 1857 U. S. Government surveys 100 Meridian, wrong again.
-
1858 Map. President marked incorrect 100 Meridian as line that
separated Texas from Indian Territory.
- 1860 Texas Legislature created Greer County, Texas, named after
James Alexander Greer, former Texas Lieutenant Governor.
- 1865 Cattlemen returned after Civil War to find over crowded
ranches with no market for cattle.
- 1873 Federal surveyors divided the Louisiana Purchase into
ranges, sections and townships.
- 1874 Last Indian raids into white settlements.
- 1876 Last buffalo herds seen in Oklahoma.
- 1877 First cattle herd crossed Oklahoma. George Boyd was a 17
year old cowboy with the drive and later returned to settle Greer County.
- 1877 The Dodge City Trail, also called the Western Cattle Trail,
began near Bandera, Texas, ran north past Fort Griffin, and crossed the Red
River into Indian Territory at Doan's Store. From there the trail passed
through Greer County, crossed the North Fork of the Red River, and entered
the Wichita Mountains between Soldier Mountain and Tepee Mountain. Passing
east of Gyp Spring, the trail went north and then crossed the Washita,
Canadian and Cimarron rivers. After crossing the Cimarron, most herds were
trailed onto Dodge City. Also called Old Texas Trail, Abilene Trail, Fort
Dodge Trail, and Fort Griffin-Dodge Trail.
- 1878 Cattle herds cross Oklahoma in great numbers.
- 1879 100,000 head of cattle cross the Red River. Corwin Doan
moves to Doan's Crossing with his Uncle James Doan who had established a
store and was supplying settlers and cattlemen. Corwin Doan appointed
postmaster at Doan's Crossing.
-
1879 Texas Legislature appropriated money for school in Greer
County, Texas.
- 1880 Cattlemen brought herds to graze in Greer County. Contract
beef providers hold cattle on Greer County ranges. Indians encounters are
peaceful.
- 1880 John Powers used "Jaybuckle" brand at JayBuckle Springs.
Samuel Houston Tittle was foreman of the "Jaybuckle" brand.
- 1881 John Zuber obtained Veteran's Donation Warrant No. 387 from
Texas and transferred it to Col. John M. Swisher.
- 1880-1881 Due to Texas drought cattlemen, "Cap" W. S. Ikard and
"V Bar and Bar X" ranch, Eph, Doc and Elam Harrold, and Eddlemans bring
stock herds to Greer County. Ikard paid Quanah Parker $125 a month for
protection. Denver and Ft. Worth railroad built to Vernon, TX.
- 1880-1882 Trail drivers in Greer County registering at Doan's
Crossing, TX were John Lytle, Noah Ellis, Ab & John Blocker, Harrold &
Ikard, Worsham, The Belchers, Ligon and Clark, Wiley Blair, Eddleman.
- 1880-1885 Sam White ran the "T Cross" and "O.M." ranches and John
Ledbetter and W. B. Tullis had "Z V" ranch in Ladessa Community. Pumphrey
and Olive ran "Bar 10" and "AT" outfits. Seawrights had the "Heart and TE"
brands. Other ranchers were B. W. Waters, Tommie Pennison, Luther Clark.
- 1882 Col. John M. Swisher hired Henry Sweet to locate his 640
acres "located on the Frazer in survey 89, west near Sand Station." (Letters
from Swisher to Sweet at OHS.) Sand Station was a camping place for hunters
and travelers near present Granite. Frazer River was the Salt Fork River.
- 1884 Attached to Wheeler county for judicial purposes, Greer
County served as an election precinct for Wheeler County, voting place was
headquarters of the McNulty & Pope ranch, known as the Y Cross.
- 1884 President Arthur issued warning against trespassing in
"Greer County" area of Indian territory. Troops from Fort Sill sent to expel
intruders, including about 10 families. Political pressure suspended the
threatened removal. Order revoked.
- 1884 W. B. Kiser came from Mobeetie, Texas with family and
located the Kiser's Salt Works, 28 miles NW of Mangum.
- 1884 A. S. Mangum employed Henry Sweet to locate land script and
lay out a townsite. Mangum did not have a patent yet. Mr. Sweet camped on
the south side of Mangum until his task was completed. Cowboys visited him
frequently. Then he returned to Texas and moved his family to Greer County.
- 1884 J. R. Crouch, professional hunter and character, moves to
Greer County.
- 1884 John McClearen has Veterans Land Donation on the Frazer,
sends his sons-in-laws to claim.
- 1884, November. J. B. Walker and P. H. Holt came to their claim
on Bittler Creek, 2 1/2 miles West of present day Altus. Built a one room
log cabin, stored provisions at Mangum, and returned to Texas for their
families.
- 1884 Mail line was from Fort Wichita, TX to Fort Elliott (near
Mobeetie, TX). Mail line passed through Greer County and is listed as the
Old Mobeetie Road in 1886 Commissioner's minutes.
- 1885 Henry Sweet asks for Post office and appointed post master.
Sweet established a store to serve cowboys in the area. Mangum gets nickname
"Tin Can City" from store covered with flattened tin cans.
- 1885, December 10. A. S. Mangum, owner of Veteran's Donation
warrant no. 907 was given a patent for 320 acres of land in "survey no. 156
on the waters of the Frazer."
- 1885, May 15. Land grants to W. J. Sowell, Isaac Reed, Silas
Edem, Mrs. Aria Mays, William Goodwin, John F. Toms, Mary Anne Abler, Robert
Fletcher, John M. Swisher, Venderfoot, Forastr Robinson, B. A. Vansickle,
Robert Price, Sophonia Cartkenbam, Hanes Cunningham, Sarah Conwell, Eliza
Garzley, James T. Cook, Samuel G. Everetts, Phillip Walker, Walter P. Lane,
Mrs. Aznbah Ward, John Mackley, Margaret J. Hays, Mariam Calley, Valentine
Bunch, Mrs. Sidney Cole, Mrs. M. N. Scott, Mrs. Sarah L. Cox, Mrs. Anna
Morrison, G. C. Shaw, W. N. Bishop, Mrs. Amanda Densmore, totalling 34,000
acres.
- 1885-90 Settlers of Frazer were B. T. Turner and sons, J. R.
McMahan, Joseph Cofer, C. C. Hightower, T. G. Braddock, T. A. Lawrence, J.
M. Hayes, J. M. (Uncle Gee) Russell, E. E. Russell, Elmer Barrett, Charlie
Munsell, Uncle Dan Simpson, Joe Brown, Stan Luikart, the Rush brothers, C.
R. McConnell, the Christian brothers, Ralph Hudson, Todd Simpson, Frank
Simpson, Green Cotney, G. N. Harvey, Jim Reid, D. A. Reid, J. F. Mack,
Wesley and Will Cox.
- 1886 A. S. Mangum died just after townsite was platted.
- 1886, June 10, Henry Clay Sweet and one hundred sixty two
citizens and voters of Greer petitioned Wheeler county court commissioners
to organize Greer.
- 1886, July 10, Cowboys and settlers organized county government
in Texas. Divided into 4 precincts for election, returns taken to Mobeetie,
Texas, then county seat of Wheeler.
- 1886, July 19, A. S. Mangum heirs, Robert, Wiley, Mary and Minnie
Mangum, met at Sherman, Texas and deeded all the odd numbered blocks in the
townsite to Henry C. Sweet, in payment for the surveying work.
- 1886, July 29, First Court session held in Mangum.
- 1886-1887 School land sold to build the
first courthouse in Greer County finished in 1888.
- 1896, March 16.
Ruling by U. S. Supreme Court that the true boundary of Mangum was 100
Meridian and South Branch of Red River and Greer County became part of
Oklahoma Territory.
