Beckham Co. OK - History of Carter, OK, page 7 ==================================================================== 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 Seven Carter, Oklahoma Pioneer Generation No. 1 1. PAGE SEVEN3 CARTER, OKLAHOMA PIONEER (BECKHAM COUNTY2 OKLAHOMA, BECKHAM1 CO.OKLAHOMA). Notes CARTER PIONEERS --- A.O. and Beulah CAIN- BY: Mrs. L.STREET*Mr. and Mrs. A.O.CAIN are pioneers who came to CARTER area,in December,1898.She was Beulah JONES,the 17 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Alex JONES.Three families from Chico,Wise County ,Texas,came in Covered wagons and were about ten days on the road.My family was one of the three.Since we had no shelter on our claims,we stopped in a vacated dugout near Cloud Chief.We were there over Christmas and had Turkey and dressing in spite of poor conveniences.We stayed there until the men folks came and built our dugouts which were three feet below the ground and three feet above with shingle roof.The men then came back,and moved us to where there was not a house and only one dugout to be seen."Out on the lone prairie,where the coyotes howl and the wind blows free."The first public gathering we attended was a singing in a dugout several miles from where we lived.The night was dark.No roads and I don't see how we found our way there and back.At this gathering Beulah JONES met her fiance to be.A.O.CAIN came from Itasca,Texas,with his parents,Mr.and Mrs.CAIN,about the same time we came.He was then 18 years old.Some time later,a romance developed,culminating in their marriage Oct 10,1901.In 1902 he filed on an eighty acre tract where they lived until 1909.Mr. CAIN'S father died August 2,1910.He then sold his 80 acres and moved to his father's claim.Mr.CAIN later took over the farm where he and his wife Beulah lived to rear three sons and one daughter.The daughter ,now Mrs.Leona FOWLER,is a schoolteacher in the Dallas,Texas schools.The oldest son,Clarence,is a groceryman at Loraine,Texas.Alton is sales manager for a Sales Barn at Elk City,Oklahoma.Joe now owns and operates the old homestead.**Mrs.Lafayette STREET,Carter area Pioneer,is a very proficient writer of pioneer,historical articles.******* HOW ONE PIONEER COUPLE BRAVED THE DANGERS FOR A HOME IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA- BY: Lucinda JONES STREET- In August 1898,my husband,LaFayette STREET,in company with other men came to Western Oklahoma in search of a home.They were renters,low in finances,from WISE Co.,Texas .They had to make the trip with a wagon and team.All filed on a claim except my husband.He decided on a claim which then had a rejected application on it.After that application was rejected my husband made another trip to Oklahoma City and filed.In November,those men with their families started on there way to Oklahoma in covered wagons to their claims.We had no place of refuge when we arrived so we stopped at an old vacated dugout near Cloud Chief,Oklahoma,until the men could get material together and build dugouts in which to live.This move was in one of the worst winters I had ever saw.On our way to Oklahoma we had to lay over a day or two on account of weather conditions.We were out in the open but one of the men,who had been over the road before,knew where we could get a little protection in a wooded section.We drove to that area and camped until the weather moderated.Then the men proceeded to drive on.Cloud Chief was about 50 miles from our claim where we were headed,so my husband and father came back after me to go do the cooking while they built the dugouts.Don't know how in the world I would have made it outside with an 11 month old baby.We brought all of our household belongings in two covered wagons with a chuck-wagon box fastened on behind in which to bring our groceries,dishes and cooking vessels.When it came lunch time,the hinged door would be lowered and used for a table.On December 28,1898,we drove over the hill down into the valley and located on our claim,which was to be our home,and proceeded as best we could to make a place to live.*** (1) Dear Mr.CORWIN,In answer to your letter of January 16th about legal description of Homestead of Mrs.L.STREET,E 1/2 of SW,and West 1/2 of SE of Section 6,8 North,21 West.In other words this homestead is in the center of the csouth half of Sec.6,8N,21 W, Beckham County.Also this would be approx.two miles south,and three miles east of the town square of Carter,Oklahoma.Mrs.STREET is in her 90's,and lives alone (1968) on this homestead,and writes some for the Sayre and Elk City papers,although she has a married son and a married daughter,living in about one-half mile of her.Jack DENBY.**** All we had for a shelter was a hole in the ground without any cover.When night came I fixed our bed in one end of the hole and my baby and I went to bed.The weather had cleared and warmed up by that time.The hole which had been dug preparatory for the dugout needed trimming out so my husband and father proceeded to do that by lantern light.While they worked alone to do that,sometimes clods of dirt would fly over and hit my bed.We stayed only one night.The next morning we could see something in the north we thought must be a storm.We took warning and moved into another dugout with a couple who came to Oklahoma with us.We stayed there several days until the storm was over.Then the men went to Weatherford for material with which to finishthe dugout and a carpenter to help.Our dugout was built three feet below the ground,three feet above with boxing lumber and a shingle roof,one door in the south,one window in the west,and one in the north.It was comfortable,but oh!that dirt floor..We had to haul water fromthe ceeks in which cattle drank as they roamed the country.As soon as my husband finished breaking sod,we got help and dug a well 39 1/2 feet.Imagine how happy was I when I found out we had reasonably soft water.Neighbors came for miles to get water---especially to launder.When we got located,our possessions were 2 cows which had been given us by our daddies,a wagon and team,what we could bring in 2 covered wagons and $143.00 in money.$20.00 of that went for feed,$34.00 for wire,$34.00 for dugout material and $5.00 for a sod plow.Farming tools in the first year were a turning plow,a sod plow and a hoe.We lived in a dugout 2 years,then built a two-room box house,added one more room and porches as we got able.Our two cows were already bred and when they freshened we had no protection for the little calves so they were brought into the dugout until the storm was over."Where there is a will,there is a way." Range cattle roamed the pariries.Sometimes the prairie fires got the little calves.My husband had to go to Weatherford for dugout material,200 miles for second hand wire and cut cottonwood post on the creek to build a fence.Not a house and only one dugout was in sight.The dugout was then owned by Mrs.Odie POARCH LOVE,now deceased.The farm is now owned by O.J.DUGGINS,deceased.A soon as other settlers arrived,dugouts and brush arbors were built for religious services and other "get-togethers."Before there was ever a church built,a revival was held under a big tabernacle at Christmas time.With curtains down,straw or prairie hay on the floor,a stove onthe inside and lanterns for lights,we kept comfortable.The service was held while the old year went out and the new year came in.For a doctor we had to go ten miles.Dr.Joel D.Baker was our family doctor and he lived at Wood,which was later changed to Port*(2) Our Postoffice was also Port and neighbors would take "time about"going in and bringing one another mail.During our first winter in Oklahoma,we sat by a little 4 cap cook stove placed in one corner of the dugout to conserve space.The dugout was 14 feet wide by 28 feet long.Many times I've had to burn greencotton-wood wood.In the meantime we made room for two women who had come and filed but had no place to live.After that winter my husband built a little fireplace in one side of the dugout which was much better than what we had.In the summer,I would clean out the ashes,line it with clean newspapers,place the mile and butter there and place wet clothes over the contents.The draft up the chimney kept it cool."Where there is a will there is a way."Some folks would let their milk down the well in a covered bucket to keep it cool.Others would dig a hole in the ground on the north side of the buildings.After we got financially able to build a 2 room house,the dugout was raised up and moved over to make the top of our first barn,with sheds on each side to protect the stock.We used it for years and then in some way it caught fire and burned.Some thought it was spontaneous combustion.In it we lost 7 or 8 hundred bushels of grain,all the harness,our meat,pork (as we didn't have a smoke house ) and some flour.Scattered feed all over the ground made it all the more hazardous as the fire from the barn fallingcaught and spread to four or five big ricks of stacked feed which also burned.Neighbors came to our assistance but having no water,nothing could be done to save the barn and feed.No insurance to replace the barn.The first year on our claim we had 1 bale of cotton and enough feed to feed the team,two cows and calves.My husband sowed his cotton and feed broadcast.That year he plowed into,and killed some sixty snakes,while breaking sod.We did our best to have an orchard but drought and hailstorm made it difficult,but we kept planting and setting new trees every year.--- The first public gathering we attended was a singing in a big dugout where lived some brothers and sisters who came to Oklahoma before we did.Their parents had passed away and the family had all filed on good claims.This singing was on the place now owned by Jimmy NICHOLSON just west of the Poarch Cemetery.It was then owned by one of the JONES sisters,later by a Mr.OWENS who married May JONES,sometimes called Tee.Some men who drove our cows through for us gave me a jug of buttermilk.We were so starved for some buttermilk biscuits,I had to bake some biscuits after we got home.They really tasted good.One time a traveler stopped in with us for dinner.We had only bread,milk,butter and syrup.My husband made apologies that we didn't have much to eat,and he said "Well,it will keep body and soul together."We practiced diversification;sold cows,horses,mules,sheep,hogs,wool,cream,eggs,chickens,baby chicks,and enough turkeys at one time to buy our first car--a Ford.That one cost $450.00--quite a change from now.At the first revival held in this community,by a Free Methodist,Rev.Charles REESE of Sentinel,a Free Methodist Church was organized .This correspondent is the only charter member living.Baptist and Methodists have had churches in their community (Poarch),but have moved to other locations.The Free Methodist Zion Chapel Church still stands as a memorial.It was built in 1905.My husband canvassed the community in a wagon for funds with which to build Zion Chapel Church.Neighbors volunteered to go to Granite after material with which to build.The third pastor,Rev.Norman C. SUIGART,was the overseer and main carpenter with volunteer help from the neighbors.Since the passing away of the older members and moving away of the younger ones,services had to be discontinued and my son,N.Averill STREET,has purchased the Zion Chapel Church and will let it stand as a memorial.--Our school began with a little one-room,thena two-room and later the POARCH School was consolidated with the Carter School,and now Highway School is with Carter.Some of the teachers at POARCH have been:Mrs.Rufus KING in her home,a Mrs.ARMSTRONG,Miss Ora TENNERY,Columbus UPTON,Sam SIMPSON,a Mrs.PRESKITT in a little one- room school.In the two-room schools were Adam HUNT,Millie LYONS,Tony VANASTEE and Ruby,her daughter.I don't remember who was with Miss Minnie WOLF,Oscar SIMPSON and wife,Liggie THORNTON,and Lucy STREET and Mr. and Mrs.SHIPMAN and others.Three singing schools were taught at the POARCH Schoolhouse by a Mr. Willis SMITH,Ed MELVIN and J.W. MUSIC,all deceased.J.W. MUSIC also taught a school at Zion Chapel,at Highway Baptist Church at Carter and many other places.After we had a neighbor on every 160 acres we women would have quilting and dinner at our homes on certain days.Three quilts were made in one day at my home.We also planned showers for one another.One was planned at my home once for another women and myself. Neither of us understood that it was for both of us. I thought it was all for the other women and she thought it was all for me.Imagine what fun when the truth came out to see how we had been tricked.The other women,Mrs.T.J.HOGAN,was my near neighbor.All those women of my age have now passed away and only I am left to tell the story.---When hog killing time came the men folks would go together,kill their hogs and bring them all to one place where they had a big scalding vat in which to scald the hogs.Then we had to finish the job by rendering the lard in big iron kettles outside and make sausage by grinding the meat,seasoning it with salt,pepper and sage.After rendering the lard,we had good old hog lard and crackling bread.Made soap from skins,cracklings and other waste parts.In the summer,men and women would take buckets and tubs in a wagon with team,go to the river and gather wild plums.They were all the kind of fruit we had.I made ten gallons of jelly at one time when my family was all at home.One time our wheat failed.My husband hired a man to break the stubble and plant feed.Then the worms took that and ate it.We had to carry the stock through the winter on wheat pastures and straw stacks.Of all the good doctors we have had,Dr.DENBY of Carter practiced more than any other in this area as long as his health permitted.People are living today as the result of his services.The first person to be buried at the POARCH Cemetery was Mrs.Delphia LUTHY PARKER.In two weeks her new-born baby was laid beside her.Delphia was the daughter of Grandpa and Grandma LUTHY.In our early days,we saved the best of everything for seed: corn,maize,kaffir,cotton,and even our garden seed for planting later.We made our own garments,saved the scraps to piece quilt tops,sent a sack of cotton to the gin at ginning time to get cotton for batting and carded the batts with cards made especially for that,then put the batts between the top and lining in a frame and quilted by hand.I don't know why this was called the POARCH community unless it was because many by the name of POARCH had filed here.In this immediate community,COPP,KIRK,John and their sister,Odie (Mrs.Jim LOWE)filed.Not far away was Jim,Genie and Walker POARCH,all homesteaders.But with us,in spite of droughts,hailstorms,fires and sickness,we finally got able to build a modern home with six rooms and basement,with electricity,butane and running water in the house.I still live in the same place that has been my home since December 28,1898.My husband ,LaFayette STREET,and I celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary October 25,1946.He passed away October 8th,1956.I still reside alone but one son lives at Carter,one daughter,Mrs.L.STREET (or J.M.)DENBY Jr. lives close by me,one son at Cottonwood,Arizona,and one daughter at Baytown,Texas.****** (2) The tiny settlement and postoffice of Port was 16 miles east from Carter.