Indian Pioner Papers - J.J. Pettigrew

Submitted by Brenda Choate  bcchoate@yahoo.com

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J.J. Pettigrew



Interview #1094?

Field Worker: Maurice R. Anderson

Date: March 9, 1937

Name:   Mr. J.J. Pettigrew

Residence: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Date of Birth: January 4, 1861

Place of Birth: Texas

Father: L.A. Pettigrew, born in Missouri

Mother: Missouri Whiteside, born in Missouri





Story told by Mr. J.J. Pettigrew, born January 4, 1861 on John Wallace 

Plantation, 12 miles west of Corsicana, Texas.



After my father L.A. Pettigrew came out of the Civil War we moved to 

Hampsted, Texas.  My father and mother died in Texas.   I came to 

the Indian Territory in 1885.  I only stayed a short time.  I was 

a young man and wanted to see some of the country.  I stayed one 

night at Cherokee Town, Indian Territory.  There were a few houses 

and two or three stores, a stage barn and a hotel.  Cherokee Town 

was located about five miles north of where Wynnewood, Oklahoma is 

now.  I went back to Texas and married.  In 1890 I came back to the 

Indian Territory bringing my wife and children.  We came through in a 

wagon with four mules pulling it.  This time I stopped at Wynnewood 

after they put the railroad through.  Cherokee Town, moved to what 

is now called Wynnewood.


I went to farming on what is known on the Harmon farm.   We sent our 

children to a small log school house, called Roady(Ready) school.  We 

had church services at this log school house.  We had a Union Sunday 

School, John L. Roady(Ready) and myself were the trustees of the Sunday School.



I only moved twice.  My chief occupation was farming.  I raised lots 

of cotton, for 120 to 125 bales a year.  I have sold corn as low as 

ten cents a bushel, oats for fifteen cents a bushel and wheat for 

forty cents a bushel.



My wife died in 1918.  After the break up of my family I went into 

business at Wynnewood, operating a wagon yard and boarding house, 

during the oil boom at Pernell.  

 

In Apache Oklahoma, I owned the Blackwell Hotel.   After leaving 

there I ran the City Cafe at Minco, Oklahoma.   Sold out there 

and bought the Rainbow Hotel and Cafe at Sulphur, Oklahoma.  

Sold out there and came to Pauls Valley where I now live on 

Highway 77 south of this city.



Mr. J.J. Pettigrew is the father of 12 children and has lived 

to see them all married.