Bio of Margaret Hall Moncrief - Grady County, Oklahoma

Submitted by:  Sandi Carter   SandKatC@aol.com 
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                             USGENWEB NOTICE
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AGED CHOCTAW WOMAN PRESENT WHEN TREATY SIGNED

Rush Springs Feb. 13, 1915


Mrs. Margaret Moncrief, aged 95 years, whose funeral occurred here two weeks 
ago, was one of the most widely known of the Choctaw Indians in Okla.

She was born in Cherokee Co., Alabama, Oct. 6, 1820:  was present with 
relatives when the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit was signed in 1830, giving to the 
Choctaws all of the land west of the Arkansas and north of the Red River, 
south of the So. Canadian and west to the limits of the U. S. in 1834.

In 1834 she with her father, William Hall, moved to what is now La Flore Co., 
Okla. and 5 years later married William Moncrief.  The newly married couple, 
two years later moved to Fort Arbuckle to assist in the establishment of the 
fort, and in 1870 moved to a farm on the Little Washita River about 7 miles 
S/E of the present site of Chickasha.  About that time a stage coach line was 
placed in operation from Caddo to Anadarko and following the death of her 
husband two years later, Mrs. Moncrief supported her 5 sons and 6 daughters 
by conducting eating houses along the route.  “The Widow Moncrief Places” 
became a familiar phrase among Okla. women during the early days.

In 1892 Mrs. Moncrief went to Rush Springs, Okla. where she made her home 
with her daughter, Mrs. J. A. Slaton, where she resided until her death, Jan. 
26 of the year (1915).  During the last 12 years of her life, Mrs. Moncrief 
was bedfast, due to a fall.

During her young days, she assisted her husband in erecting the first house 
in what is now Murray Co., Okla. and the first house in what is now known as 
Grady Co., Okla.  Both Co.’s at that time being known as Pickens Co., Indian 
Territory.

During her time she saw the ox wagon give way to the modern stage coach and 
the stage coach give way to the steam railroad and automobile.
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