Bio of Blakely, Perry Hall - Grady County, Oklahoma

Transcribed by:  Gene Phillips  <okarchives@comcast.net>   18 Jun 2006
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                             USGENWEB NOTICE
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PERRY HALL BLAKELY, who occupies an attractive and valuable farm near Rush 
Springs, Grady county, is a representative of one of the early settlers of 
Oklahoma, and was himself born in the Chickasaw Nation, on the 5th of 
July, 1879. His family on both sides are most favorably known, his father 
having identified himself with the nation in the early seventies, and his 
mother's people having come to their future home, the Choctaw Nation, with 
the first band moved to the country set apart for them by congress in the 
first half of the nineteenth century. The Blakely family originated in 
Scotland, and spread into the southwest through Pennsylvania, South 
Carolina and Mississippi. Frederick C. Blakely, the father of Perry H., 
laid out the original town of Rush Springs, and married Martha Hall, whose 
grandmother was a full blood Choctaw. She herself was born in Pauls 
Valley, Oklahoma, in 1857, and died July 11, 1880, leaving an only child, 
Perry Hall, of this sketch. Rush Springs, to which his family ties so 
closely bound him, was his early home, his education being obtained in it, 
or in this vicinity. When not attending school, most of his time until he 
reached years of maturity, was spent on the back of a pony; for during 
this period his father was engaged in the cattle business and he was his 
assistant. Since his marriage in 1901 he has been identified with farming 
operations. With the opening of the lands to settlement, Mr. Blakely took 
his family allotments near and adjoining Rush Springs, which consisted of 
seven hundred acres, but his homestead adjoins the town site, and is one 
of the most attractive and desirable places in the locality. It is 
substantially and conveniently improved and produces good crops of cotton, 
corn and other standard harvests.

The American history of the Blakely family commences with the emigration 
of Milton and Catherine (Ferris) Blakely from Scotland to Pennsylvania. 
Subsequently they migrated to South Carolina and Mississippi, locating in 
Nuxubee county, of the latter state, where both died in the year 1875. 
Milton Blakely was a physician and a merchant, and on account of his 
strong Union sentiment was appointed postmaster at Shuqualak, in the 
county named, serving thus during the war. Frederick C. Blakely, the son, 
was born in Nuxubee county, Mississippi, October 21, 1858, and acquired 
his education in the public schools. of his native state. At the age of 
eighteen he left home, made his way into the Indian Territory, and 
remained identified with the cattle business from that time until 1892, 
when he established the first drug store at Rush Springs. In 1901 he 
disposed of this business and founded a grain and mill enterprise, which 
has proved an important factor in the commercial life of the community. In 
politics, the elder Mr. Blakely is a Democrat, and, beginning with 
Cleveland's second administration, served as postmaster of Rush Springs 
for eight years. In 1878, Frederick C. Blakely married Martha Hall, 
daughter of Perry and Patsy (Martin) Hall. The Martins came from 
Mississippi to the Indian Territory in 1842, being among the first of 
their people to settle in their new home. Thomas Martin, the head of the 
family, was a native of Ireland and his wife (Mary Fry) was a full blood 
Choctaw. As industrious and respected farmers they passed their later 
lives at Doaksville, Chocktaw Nation. One of their children, Patsy, 
married Perry Hall, a quarter-blood Choctaw of Mississippi birth, who died 
at Rush Springs in 1881, at forty years of age. The Halls resided near the 
site of Rush Springs for many years, and, in fact, owned the land now 
occupied by the town. This, however, they sold to Frederick C. Blakely, 
their son-in-law, who finally laid off the place. Mr. Blakely's first wife 
became the mother of, Perry Hall Blakely, and died July 11, 1880, the 
widower marrying again in 1882, wedding as his second wife Isabel Terry. 
The children by this union were as follows: Nellie, wife of Henry Trapp, 
of Rush Springs; Birdie, deceased; Laura, Lillie, Edith, Frederick, Grace 
and Paul. Perry Hall Blakely was married May 3, 1901, to Miss Annie Davis, 
daughter of John R. Davis, a resident of Texas. Mrs. Blakely was born at 
Durant, Oklahoma, July 26, 1883, and their children are Emmett, F. C. and 
Waldon.
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