Indian Pioner Papers - Jane L. Harris



Submitted by Brenda Choate   bcchoate@yahoo.com



************************************************************************

USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced 

in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or

persons.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must

obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative

of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of

this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives

to store the file permanently for free access.



http://www.usgwarchives.net/

***********************************************************************

                                      

                    Garvin County Indian Pioneer Papers



                  Jane L. Harris



Interview # 9364

Field Worker: Maurice R. Anderson

Date:  November 30, 1937

Name:   Mrs.  Jane L. Harris

Residence:  Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Date of Birth:  

Place of Birth:  Mississippi

Father: Alex Erby

Mother:  Lucinda Erby







I was born in Mississippi and was fifteen years old at the close of the 

Civil War.  Before the War ended I was owned by Master Erby, who owned a 

large farm.   The women had to plow in the field just like the men.  After 

the War ended, my father and mother stayed and farmed for Master Erby.

I came to the Indian Territory with my  husband, Alford Mosley, in 1888.  

We came from Texas to Pauls Valley on the train.  The railroad had been built 

through here a year before we came to Pauls Valley.  My husband went to work 

on the farm for W.G. Kimberlin.  Then there were but a few Negroes living in 

this part of the country.



Pauls Valley and Whitebead were the places where we bought our groceries.   

We didn't have to buy much in that day and time for there was plenty of wild 

game and we always had plenty of corn to take to the mill.



The only grist mill then was on the Washita River east of Pauls Valley about two 

miles.  My husband would take a sack of corn to the mill every two weeks.



At that time there were several farms along the river here and the prairies 

were covered with cattle.  There were very few roads and no fences to speak of.



After my husband died I married Nathan Harris, who had come to Pauls Valley at 

the close of the Civil War, with a white man named Jonathan Morris.  I have 

heard him say that Smith Paul was the only man living in this valley at that 

time and that he lived in a two-wheeled wagon and had one saddle horse and a 

yoke of steers.   Nathan helped Mr. Morris turn under three hundred acres of 

sod for Mr. Paul and plant it in corn.  After the corn was planted, Nathan 

helped Mr. Paul build his first house, a one-room willow log house without 

a door and the house had a dirt floor with a deer hide hung up for the door.



Nathan told me he worked two years for Mr. Morris, farming for Mr. Paul.   Corn 

was all they raised and it was sold to the Government at Fort Sill and Fort Arbuckle.  

The soldiers would come from both places and haul the corn.  In this way Nathan 

said, he got acquainted with several of the soldiers from both forts and one of 

the soldiers from Fort Arbuckle gave him a sword.  This soldier was later killed 

by the Indians after he was sent to Fort Sill.



After Nathan and Mr. Morris had made two corn crops for Mr. Paul, Mr. Morris moved 

on up the river west of where Maysville is now and Nathan stayed on and worked 

for Mr. Paul.  By this time there were two or three families living in this valley.

  

There were no stores here then.  I have heard Nathan say there was a trading post

on the river later named Cherokee Town.  When Nathan came here there were lots of 

Indians camped on the river around where this trading post was.  W.G. Kimberlin was 

among one of the first to settle here after Nathan came here and after Mr. Kimberlin 

settled here, Nathan went to work for him.



In the early days after Mr. Kimberlin came here I have heard Nathan say that Frank 

and Jesse James visited at Mr. Kimberlin's home several times.  Nathan's job was to 

take care of their horses when they would visit Mr. Kimberlin and they would always 

give him a plug of tobacco as Jesse always had plenty of chewing tobacco in his 

saddle bag.  Both Frank and Jesse carried two six shooters, one strapped on each 

side of their saddle.



After Nathan and I were married, Mr. Kimberlin built us a house where West 

Town of Pauls Valley is now and gave it to us and I still live in that house.