MISC - Ida Blanche Mitchell Interview McClain County, Oklahoma ***************************************************************** File contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Cindy Hogan robert.h.hogan@worldnet.att.net USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non- commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. Unauthorized use for commercial ventures expressly prohibited. All information submitted to this project remains - to the extent the law allows - the property of the submitter who, by submitting it, agrees that it may be freely copied but NEVER sold or used in a commercial venture without the knowledge & permission of its rightful owner. The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, 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. ********************************************************************** WPA Interview for The Indian-Pioneer History Project in Oklahoma Ida Blanche Mitchell 23 March 1938 I was born November 15, 1880 in the state of Texas, and spent the early part of my childhood there. In 1892, at the age of twelve, I came with my family to the Indian Territory. We made the trip in wagon and I well remember the journey. It was late spring and the weather was pleasant. My mother had planned the journey before my father's death and she and my brother proved to be excellent with the wagon and trail followers. We passed over vast amounts of tall, grassy stretches of land that seemed to wave us gently onward. We also passed through immence areas of tall and stately woodland and it was great glee to me to see the rabbits and squirrels scampering about. I caught one of these little rabbits and kept it almost a year before it died. When we arrived we settled near Pauls Valley which place at that time consisted only of three stores, but was the trading post for people within a radius of twentyfive miles. Our home was a rude log shanty with a dirt floor, mud daubed chimney and one small window. Our furniture consisted of beds, table, chairs and a few trinkets. Mother had brought from our home in Texas, her most prize possession being a large mirror. We farmed, our chief crop being corn, and we also raised a few livestock, so necessarily our food was chiefly cornbread and beef prepared in various ways. We were never personally bothered by the indians but several of our nearby neighbors were. Game was plentiful and the creeks were well stocked with fish. It was no task at all to find and kill a deer, thus being assured of a supply of venison for two weeks or more. There were few roads but numerous trails. The traveler usually just took the general direction of his destination and started out. There were no bridges; the rivers were either forded or ferried. The ferry was usually manned and charged a small fee for carrying people or freight across the river. He had a special craft, resembling a raft for cattle, horses, etc. During this time I grew up, married and watched the general development of Oklahoma. My mother died and was buried in Pauls Valley. I now live at Blanchard and feel some pride that I played a small part in the up-building of this state. ************************************************************** My greatgrandmother whose interview is above had 10 children. The oldest was Minnie Josephine Holden who married Haggai Thorton Kilby, making him my great-uncle. For his tale of life on the Early Indian Reservation see kilby.txt 23 March 1938