Beckham Co. OK - History of Carter, OK, page 11 ==================================================================== USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jerri Hodde ==================================================================== Descendants of Page Eleven Carter, Oklahoma Generation No. 1 1. PAGE ELEVEN3 CARTER, OKLAHOMA (BECKHAM COUNTY2 OKLAHOMA, BECKHAM1 CO.OKLAHOMA). Notes AN INDIAN GRAVE IN SO.BECKHAM COUNTY- BY:Marcelle HENDERSON**Near the end of the nineteenth century inold Greer County,O.T.,now a part of Beckham County,Oklahoma,Jesse BOBINSON,a homesteader,settled on land four miles north and one mile west from the well-known land mark,known locally as "Hay Stack Mountain."(1) The location of Jesse ROBINSON'S homestead was the east one-half of the southwest quarter of section33,T 8 N,R 23 W,I.M. The southern boundary of his land crossed some low foothills and ravines.Mr.ROBINSON began to fence his land;as he dug postholes,he noticed a low hill was covered with an odd formation,or pile,of rocks.The hill seemed to be different from the others,as it had huge round boulders that appeared to have been placed there at some former time.As Mr.ROBINSON was digging near the top of the hill,he was amazed to find that he had unearthed a complete human skull.Futher diggings at the site uncovered human skeleton.It lay underneath about two feet of red clay soil and judging from beads and other artifacts found with the burial,it was assumed that it was the skeleton of an indian.Within a few days of the discovery of the skeleton,other interested people had excavated almost the whole hillside.Down the slope from the grave were uncovered the bones of a horse and remnants of a saddle.No other human remains were discovered at this site.Pioneers who were present at the opening of the grave believed it to be that of an Indian Chief.Other artifacts found in or near the grave ,contributing to this belief,were skinning knives,butcher knives,axes,a pistol and cartridge,a .38 cap and ball rifle(2) and thousands of tiny white and colored beads.From buttons and buckles found with the burial,it seemed that the body might have been clothed in an army uniform.The pioneers assumed,and as a child I recall that it was told,that the skeleton was that of an Indian and that he had been buried,clothed in a Civil War uniform.In later years my uncle,who was present as a boy when this grave was opened,said he could not recall any pieces of cloth being found.**** Biographical sketch of Marcelle HENDERSON in Prairie Lore.October,1966,p 117.(1)"Hay Stack Mountain,"in south Beckham County,is only an eroded pinnacle of sandstone about 100 feet high,quite noticeable from the surrounding plain.(2)The author recalls that the barrel of the cap and ball rifle found in the Indian grave was used to tighten a barbed wire fence,and for many years hung,twisted in this fence.Ed.I might explain that Jesse ROBINSON'S land adjoined that of my grandfather on the west and that my father later inherited my grandfather's land,and that the tract is now part of our family estate.This,no doubt,explains my long continued interest in the Indian burial.We have always supposed that the Indian,who may have been a chief,was buried sometime between 1870 and 1875.My grandmother,Mrs.William SIMMONS,who moved into the community in 1902,was for a long time very skeptical about this Indian grave.She said she did not believe there was anybody buried on this hilltop.One Sunday while she was visiting our family,my grandfather,J.P.JOHNSTON,and some other men went to the Indian grave,disinterred the bones,and brought the skull and leg bones to the house.Needless to say,Grandmother had no more doubts that there was a grave on the hill.These bones were returned to the grave and carefully reburied.The site remained a place of interest for many,many years.About 1961 some high school boys reportedly removed the bones from the grave saying that they wanted to take them to a friend,who wished to examine them.So today the old grave on the hill is silent and empty....