Bio of Louis Rockett (r230) - Latimer County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Ginger McCall 5 Sep 2003 Return to Latimer County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/latimer/latimer.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Louis Rockett Transcribed by G McCall from: A HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA By Luther B. Hill, A. B., With the Assistance of Local Authorities, Volume II, Illustrated, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago / New York, 1909, Page 315-316 LOUIS ROCKETT. For twenty-one years a progressive merchant of Wilburton, Latimer county, Louis Rockett commenced his business career at Fort Smith, Kansas. He was a resident of that place for about six years, first as a merchant's clerk and then as proprietor of a small business; and to that point he had migrated from Aberdeen, Mississippi, while still a youth. Mr. Rockett is a native of Chickasaw county, that state, born in February, 1856, and as his education was obtained during the unsettled period of reconstruction, his mental training in the public schools was anything but thorough. He completed his education by courses at the Goodman Business College, Nashville, Tennessee, and at sixteen years of age he located at Aberdeen, Mississippi. The Rockett family was identified for many generations with the James River district in North Carolina, and one of its most picturesque localities is known as "The Rocketts." The family home was at that point during the Revolutionary war and a brother of Mr. Rockett's grandfather took a prominent part in that conflict. The paternal grandfather was Richard Rockett, who was reared on the Yadkin river, North Carolina, and early in the nineteenth century made his way into the state of Alabama where he married and reared a family of eleven children. This ancestor was born in 1783 and died about 1845. One of his sons was Dr. John B. Rockett who migrated from Alabama to Chickasaw county, Mississippi, in 1841, and subsequently pursued this professional practice in many sections of that state. Before he commenced his professional career he served under the famous Confederate cavalry leader, General Forrest, and before the conclusion of the war had been promoted to a lieutenancy. He graduated in medicine from a Louisville institution and remained in active practice until his death in 1885 at the age of sixty-four. His wife was Mary A. Moore, daughter of Lewis Moore, she died in 1878 the mother of the following: Lillie and Mollie, both deceased, the latter having married A. L. Eastley, also a lieutenant with General Forrest; Fannie R., wife of Charles Rockett, of Fort Worth, Texas; Louis, of this notice; and Harry H., of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Louis Rockett was first married in Wilburton, in October, 1889, to the widow of Governor Thompson McKinney of the Choctaw Nation and formerly Miss Lizzie Hancock, daughter of Israel Hancock. Mrs. Lizzie Rockett died in October, 1893, and in September, 1895, Mr. Rockett married Miss Ida B. Moore, daughter of Henry Moore, also a Choctaw citizen. Four children were born to this union: Louis H., Ross Lee, Frances M. and Julia C. Rockett. It should be added of the father of this family that besides being a prominent merchant he is a leader in the fraternal affairs of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being past grand of the Wilburton lodge. In politics he is a Democrat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Latimer County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/latimer/latimer.html