Osage Nation, Oklahoma, History: INDIAN PIONEER HISTORY PROJECT FOR OKLAHOMA - Charles Clifton Drew Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Catherine Widener catz@kcisp.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indian-Pioneer History Project Charles C. Drew Charles Clifton Drew Interview W.T. Holland; Field Worker 7-14-1937 An interview with Charles C. Drew, An Old timer, white Vol. XXII pg.s 489-494 I came into Oklahoma from Illinois when I was twelve years of age. I was born in Illinois on October 16, 1871. My parents were also natives of Illinois, however, my grandparents on both sides came from Tennessee, and had settled in Illinois before my parents were born. My uncle, a brother of my father's and a carpenter, had come into the Territory sometime earlier, and had written my father of the opportunities there for a carpenter and contractor; and of the wonderful opportunity which he thought the future held. Well, my father being a carpenter, too, decided to make the trip and we came in 1883. We came as far as Caney, Kansas, on a train, then took a wagon, and I took my longest wagon ride from there to Pawhuska. This was such a trip as lots of others had made, but a lone one for me. When we reached Pawhuska we didn't find much of a town. Only three stores, but Pawhuska was called a trading post. As there were very few whites in the county in 1883, my father and uncle soon got work building houses for the Indians. The contracts were made, and payment received through the Indian agent at that place. They did quite a lot of building throughout the Osage County. When fourteen years of age, I began to feel with the ponies, I rode the rough ones and kept at this until, at the age of sixteen, I began to 'break' broncos or 'bust broncs as it was called. I followed this for sometime, riding any and all brought to me. My fee was five dollars and when 'broke' the ponies sold for the great sum of eight dollars or three dollars wild. There were plenty of them running wild on the prairie, as well as cattle. They, the wild ones, were never fed, but grew up on the plains, without any attention or thought, only when one was wanted for domestic purposes. The worst one I ever tried to ride was a big yellow fellow, brought in by a little Osage. I finally succeeded in riding and breaking hime, and later found out that he had already killed one man. Osages were divided into the Big Osages. Of Gray Horse county and the Little Osages of Hominy Post. These two would met for their stomp dances and 'snake' and give ponies to the best. One time the Little Osages would give the Stomp dance. They Big Osages would bring in ponies as gifts. The Indian giving the pony would approach the one to whom he presented the pony and they would smoke the pipe after which the pony was given. The big yellow horse that I broke and which had killed one rider had been 'melted in', or was called a smoked pony. When I was about eighteen, I got a job with Tom Wagoner of Texas, who had rented several thousand acres of Osage pasture. I went down to Abilene, Texas, and helped to round up and drive out 10,000 head of cattle. There were eighteen cowhands in the crew, and we were under Jim Humphrey, this was 1889 or 1890. I worked for Wagoner three years or until he closed out up here. And after the roundup, Mr. Wagoner told me I could have all the strays to start a herd for myself. I rounded up about forty-five cattle with his brand "3-II's" and did have a pretty good start. I continued with others as a cowhand, and for six years, I rarely ever slept in a house. I like it though and it seemed to be healthful, as we all enjoyed the exceptional health. Mr. Wagoner, I remember, old a train load of cattle for forty-five dollars per head at Chicago. They were practically three years old and usually fat and large. He sold others, at St. Louis for as much as forty dollars per head, which was considered good then. He branded as high as eight hundred calves in a season. In my father's business, the lumber came in mostly from Elgin, Kansas, and was 'freighted in', that is brought in by wagon. The father of my present wife, R. W. Dunlap, was a merchant at Pawhuska, when we got there, his son, Fred Dunlap, was one of the first if not the first white child born in Pawhuska. Mr. Dunlap was the first trader at Hominy Post as it was know then. He established the first trading post at Hominy. My first wife was Frazes Prue, and Osage girl. I married her in 1890, but she lived only one month after our marriage. My second marriage was to Emma Perryman, daughter of Geo. Perryman, leading Creek Indian of Tulsa. This was in 1901 and she died in 1916. In 1918, January 12, I was married to Margaret Dunlap, daughter of R. W. Dunlap, pioneer trader of the Osage Nation. Mr. Dunlap came into the territory in 1877, locating at Pawhuska. Mr. Dunlap, who could speak the Osage language, made several trips to Washington takes some of the Chiefs with him. One I remember, was Black Dog. One job I had after quitting the range, was that of a collector. A lot of the Indians along the Kansas border got to stepping over there to trade, until at one time they owed a firm six thousand dollars. They sent their collector in here to make the collection but they were run out by the government officers. I, having married an Osage, and being able to speak their language got this job. It paid one hundred dollars a month with five per cent commission. I came to Tulsa in 1901 and engaged in the real estate and loan business. My partner was John F. Lawrence. I also engaged in the oil business having one hundred sixty acres in the north extension of the Glen Pool field. R. W. Dunlap established first trading post at Hominy, according to Mrs. Drew, daughter of Dunlap. This was between 1877 and 1880.