Indian Pioner Papers -      Mrs. E.G. Hightower

                                

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                    Garvin County Indian Pioneer Papers
                                      
                          Mrs. E.G. Hightower



Interview #9148

Field Worker: Maurice R. Anderson

Date: November 12, 1937

Name: Mrs. E.G. Hightower

Residence: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Date of Birth: December 24, 1874

Place of Birth: Arkansas

Father: C.A. Allen, born in Virginia

Mother: Mary Fields, born in Texas





I came to the Indian Territory in 1895, and settled at Pauls Valley 

in the Chickasaw Nation.  My husband and I went into the general 

mercantile business here and remained in this business until 1914. 

Mr. James Rennie was postmaster when we came to Pauls Valley.  Mr. C.J. 

Grant was the first banker.  There was a subscription school here then, 

and two church houses, Presbyterian and Methodist.  Dr. Burks was 

the leading doctor.   There was a grist mill east of Pauls Valley 

on the river owned by Zack Gardner and it was run by water power and 

was the only mill in this part of the country at that time.  The old 

mill and Mr. Gardner's home were beautiful places to see and there was 

a fine shady grove there where we held picnics.   Mr. Gardner's home 

was painted white with a white picket fence around it.  At that time 

there were very few nice homes and Mr. Gardner's home was the finest 

looking house in this part of the country.



Every Sunday there would be a large crowd of people visiting there, 

and at apple gathering time.  Mr. Paul's place on the hill just south 

of Pauls Valley was a beautiful place.  He owned the finest apple orchard 

in this part of the country.



Pauls Valley was the first town in the Indian Territory to incorporate 

and this took place in 1898, and in January 1899 there was opened at 

the little trading center of Pauls Valley the first public school for 

white children in the Indian Territory.   Previous to this a school of 

semi-public nature had been maintained, the salaries of the teachers 

being paid through tuition fees.  This first free school had its 

beginning in the building already in use by the tuition school, a

 building purchased through popular subscription.  This building, 

remodeled several times, is still in use as the Stufflebean Funeral 

home.  The first public school board was, Claude Weaver, ex-postmaster 

of Oklahoma City, C.A. (Al) Williams, R.W. Humphrey, W.T. Hightower, 

J.C. Goodlie and J.B. Thompson as chairman.  W.J. Sims was the first 

principal of the school and John Wilkinson it's first superintendent.   

At the closing exercises of the first term of the "first free school 

of the Indian Territory", Miss Eugenia Tippitt received her diploma 

that night, the only graduate.  In 1900 the graduating class again 

consisted of one girl, Miss Savanna Kinnebrew; in 1901, J.M. Osborn 

succeeded Superintendent Wilkinson and a high school building was 

erected on the north side of the school grounds.  This first high school 

building was little more than a box shanty with two rooms, one room 

of which served a double purpose, that of office of the superintendent 

and class room for the ninth and tenth grades.  The seventh and eigth 

grades were in the other room of the shack.  In 1901 the graduating 

class was of six girls.  In 1902 there were no graduates, but in 1903 

there was a class of three, among who was Miss Beulah Conner, now the 

wife of the States Attorney General, Mr. Mac Q. Williamson.   From this 

humble beginning in 1899 has grown the magnificent institute of which 

we are all so proud.



In 1908 the Washita River was higher than I have ever seen it since 

I have lived here.  In that year people rowed up and down the streets in boats.



It was at this same time the fight was on to see who got the county seat 

between Elmore City, Wynnewood and Pauls Valley; that was the biggest election 

fight I have ever seen at Pauls Valley.



My husband, E.G. Hightower, served one term as Mayor of Pauls Valley. 

I have lived in Pauls Valley continuously since 1895.