Indian Pioneer Papers -     Joe Davis  

Submitted by   Jean Brand jbrand1056@aol.com
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Garvin County Indian Pioneer Papers
                                      
Joe Davis  Interview #1157 
Field Worker: Maurice R. Anderson 
Date: March 30, 1937 
Name: Joe Davis 
Residence: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma 
Date of Birth: March 21, 1881 
Place of Birth: Alabama 
Father: James Robert Finley Davis, born in Alabama 
Mother: Millie Blackwell, born in Alabama   


I came to the Indian Territory with my father and mother in 1892.  I was 11 
years old, we came through on the Santa Fe train from Texas  to Pauls Valley, 
Indian Territory. On arriving at Pauls Valley, my  father bought 2 horses a
nd a wagon, we loaded up our household things,  that my father has shipped through. 
It was not much, we had 4 chairs,  table, homemade bedstead and a few 
other household things.  

My father moved to Purdy, a little place about 25 miles southwest of  
Pauls Valley. There was a store, lone schoolhouse, Blacksmith shop  
and a Grist Mill. This mill was ran by steam and owned by Mr. Park  
(Hart). The Blacksmith Shop was owned by Jim Welch. I do not remember  
who owned the store.  

I went to school at this Log School house. A white woman was my teacher,  
I do not remember her name. My father had to pay her one dollar a month 
 for me. Us kids that went to school did not have desks, we used slates  
and set on the hued down logs for seats. I had a blue back speller and  
a reader. I think there was about 25 or 30 children went to this school,  
the year I went. I did not go much the second term, only on the days we  
could not work in the fields. I had to help my father on the farm.  

My father had about 100 acres leased, he raised lots of corn and cotton.  
He would haul the cotton to Pauls Valley on the Washita river. I believe  
this mill and gin went out of business.  

There was lots of deer around Purdy, when we moved there, I have seen  as 
high as 15 deer in one drove, around the foot of the Table Top Mountains,  
south of Purdy. Wild turkey's I have shelled corn and feather, about one  
mile from our house was a big turkey roast, they would come around our  
corn crib early of a morning. We could have turkey anytime to eat we wanted 
to.  I have gone hunting and would not even shoot at a turkey. I like 
rabbits  better, there was lots of coon, possum and skunks around Purdy.  

I have broke wild horses for my father when I was 14 years old. Sunday,  
that was our "fun day". After Sunday school a group of boys that lived  
around Purdy, would meet at my house, nearly all owned saddle horses.  
We would go out on the prairie, there was not very many fences then.  
We would rope calves and have our rodeo, riding these calves on Sunday  
was when I learned to ride. When I was at the age of 15, I was not  afraid 
to try any wild broncs or did I not care how big the steers were.  We boys 
would make up $5.00 purses for the best rider for that day. I  have won 
several times.  

My father raised some cattle and hogs, but his main crop was corn.  Corn 
was cheap then, I have seen my father sell corn for fifteen cents  a 
bushel. My father sold about 20 Acers of corn for ten cents a bushel  
in the field. I do not know how much corn the man he sold that year  
gathered, but we usually made forty to fifty bushels an Acre.  

I lived with my father and mother around Purdy, until I was married in  
1900. I married Lisa Sarah Malecoat, daughter of F.L. Malecoat, who  
was a big cattle man around Purdy, when my father moved there. My wife  
was born in Purdy, I do not know how long her people has been in the  
Indian Territory, before my father and mother came there.  

After getting married I moved on a farm and went to farming for myself.  

In later years I have raised as high as 75 bales of cotton a year.  

My wife and I have reared 10 children. I now live 3 miles west of Pauls 
Valley.  I have lived around in what is now Garvin county for 45 year.


Submitted by: Jean Brand jbrand1056@aol.com