Obit of Rufus Oliphant (o415) - Caddo County, Oklahoma

Submitted by:  Nancy Charlton  <NCHARL2196@aol.com>  17 Sep 1999
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Surnames: Oliphant, Shirley, Strum, Williams, Leeper 
Minco I.T March 22, 1901

Rufus Oliphant 

The old man is dead. He died at Doc. Sturm’s place on Cobb creek, in 
the Wichita reservation, on Friday, March 2, 1901, though a 
continual resident and quiet participant in all matters of this 
county for more than forty years past, his history is difficult to 
get at with any accuracy. Everyone in the county knew him, while but 
few, if any at all, knew where or when he was born and can tell but 
little of his early life. The probabilities are that he was born and 
reared in eastern Texas, the date of his birth being abut 1831, and 
dying at the age of 70 years, but this is all based on uncertain 
data, though the best obtainable at present.

Away back in 1858 there was an Indian agency at Fort Cooper, on the 
Clear Fork of the Brazoe river in Texas, for the friendly band of 
Pen-nah-tekka Comanches and other Indians, at which agency Dr 
Shirley was then a licensed trader. There Rufus Oliphant appears for 
the first time we can guess at his history. He was then a young man 
in his full vigor of life. He was given employment by Dr Shirley in 
keeping a farm not far from the agency. About 1859 the scattered 
bands of the Wichita tribe were ordered to return to their old home 
on the Washita river, where a remnant of them forever abided, and 
the Pen-nah-tekka Comanches fell in with the movement and were given 
a place near by. Fort Cobb was established on Cobb creek near where 
it empties into the Washita river, and an agency was located a few 
miles further down the river on a beautiful plateau at what is now 
known as the mouth of Lepper creek. Dr Shirley came on with the 
Indians, leaving his affairs in the hands of Rufus Oliphant for the 
time. Later on Rufus showed up a the new agency, followed by Dr 
Shirley’s family. Rufus obtained employment about the agency and 
remained. In October of 1862, while the Civil War was on, a band of 
rebellious Indians destroyed the agency, killed several people, and 
ran the Indian agent, Leeper, out of the country never to return. 
The occasion of this massacre and riot was a time of peril to all, 
and the whites and friendly Indians sought refuge as it could be 
found. The Shirley family escaped and took refuge at old Cherokee 
town, a few miles below Paul’s Valley on the Washita River. No one 
knew where anyone was, nor weather dead or alive, but Rufus found 
his way sagely to the same refuge, and was considered a member of 
the doctor’s family from that time up to about 1870

After the war was over, Dr Shirley was again in business with his 
brother, Wm. Shirley, at what is now known as the old Wichita agency 
just north of Anadarko, and also had business interests at old 
Cherokee town. Dr Shirley died in 1875, from the effects of a dose 
of mistaken medicine, while at the Anadarko agency,

But several years previous to this Rufus had made the acquaintance 
of Doctor Strum, a white man married to a Caddo woman, and had gone 
to make his home on the banks of Cobb creek. Here Rufus, lived, and 
worked until the day of his death, March 1, 1901. Peace be to his 
memory. He was a kindly man, with malice toward none.

Information given by W.G. Williams and Mrs. Shirley widow of Dr 
Shirley.
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