Rails Across the Verdigris River

Today, we take our corridors for transportation for granted.  We drive across railroad tracks and sometimes take a train ride as if railroads have always run across our country.  We rarely think about the blood, sweat and heartache that went into their construction.

In May of 1871 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad laid new railroad tracks south through Indian Territory.  Track grew at the rate of a new mile of track every day towards the Canadian River.    

The Verdigris and Arkansas Rivers were obstacles that stood in the way.  They were three and a half miles apart.  The Verdigris river crossing would be easier because it would only require a 500 foot long bridge.

The Katy tracks reached the north bank of the Verdigris River on August 27, 1871.  The plan for crossing the Verdigris called for a 200 foot long center span between two 150 foot sections. 

A lot of wooden scaffolding supported the girders.  This scaffolding was called "waste work" because it would be torn down after the girders were secured in place.

Suddenly, some of the supporting scaffolding collapsed under the added weight when one of the wrought iron girders had just been raised atop the waste work. The workers were finishing up for the day.  October 1, 1871, a Sunday, had been just another workday with workers crawling over the scaffolding and girders.  When the 200 foot center shifted, girders and men went crashing into the river below.

Two men were killed in the fall and another drowned.  They were William MacMahon, Joseph Decker and a man (whose first name is unknown) whose surname was O'Brien.  Eighteen more men were critically wounded, three of whom later died.

Only a week earlier, railroad company officers had inspected to workmanship and publicly bragged on the quality.

When the center span fell into the Verdigris both iron girders were damaged beyond use.    Fortunately, two 200 foot long girders had just arrived at the railhead.  They were originally destined for spanning the Arkansas River.

As soon as dawn broke through the night time darkness, workers returned to the Verdigris Bridge while a special freight train ferried eighteen injured workers to Sedalia and St. Louis in Missouri for treatment.

The railroad company ordered replacement girders from the American Bridge Company based in Chicago.  These were replacements for spanning the Arkansas River. 

Manufacture of new 200 foot long girders began immediately.  However, work building new girders came to a screeching halt the following Sunday when Chicago began burning in the "Great Chicago Fire."  The fire greatly disrupted the bridge company's construction schedule.

Only two weeks after the bridge collapsed into the Verdigris River, the workers were finished replacing the destroyed girders with a pair intended for use at the Arkansas River.  The bridge was completed across the Verdigris River by the end of October, 1871. 

The Katy railroad finally completed the first bridge across the Arkansas River and into the future city of Muskogee in December, 1871.   Muskogee's birth took place by the railroad tracks in 1872.

Using Computers to Research

Last week I went to Bentonville, Arkansas.  The occasion was a wedding reception hosted by my college roommate.  His youngest son had tied the knot the week before.

It had been several years since we two old married men had last visited.  Fortunately, my wife and I arrived early so that there was time to catch up with family gossip.

Pretty soon, my ex-roommate and I were swapping college era stories that our wives had heard before.  It was your typical recounting of our high jinks and how we suffered through exams.

Family gatherings have largely been like this since the beginning of time.  I doubt there will be much change despite the advent of Facebook and social media websites in general.

It seems to me that family historians play the same role they have always played in the past as well.  They still work at preserving family cohesion. 

There was always one member of a family who recalled more names and could untangle the web of kinship clearly.  That way everyone listening would understand each person's role in a story.

Family historians, or genealogists, continue to provide this same service.  Today, researchers use more than family group sheets to compile volumes of information.

Television advertising, such as those by Ancestry.com, appears frequently now.  These promotional clips attest to the growing interest in family history.  This is because more and more family historians are trying to find a wider group of relatives.

This urge is particularly a part of the American pattern of living.  As more people move across the country—north, south, east and west—from the homes of their youth and parents, this urge to reconnect becomes stronger. 

I used to advise researchers that it was not necessary to use a computer in their search for information about ancestors.  Years ago I changed my mind!  Thorough research now requires the searching of online sources that have not yet been printed in book form.

Furthermore, the computer world has exponentially increased the availability of genealogical resources.  This is because many people have added small bits of data. 

Computing power now makes compilations more readily available.  For example, it is now possible to sort quickly through hundreds of millions of names in census indexes.  In the blink of an eye, one sees the closest matches to the person being searched.  Because people are finding lower barriers to successful research, the census records have become the backbone for genealogical research. 

A couple of weeks ago, I conducted a computer search using my family surname.  In the process, I was able to establish that Tom Waits, the noted California musician, is my fourth cousin.  My excitement prompted me to commit myself to publishing a family history.  This effort to publish will require more time.

I thank the Muskogee Phoenix for allowing me to reduce my commitment from weekly articles to two articles a month.  Thank you readers for your interest and your feedback.  I am pleased I can continue sharing my research of Muskogee County history with you!

Bass Reeves' Life

Bass Reeves was a legendary lawman in Indian Territory.  He reportedly arrested some three thousand criminals during his career as a Federal Deputy Marshal. 

He began service in 1875 as one of some 200 marshals hired to tame Indian Territory under Judge Isaac Parker.  These two, Judge Parker and Bass Reeves, were both destined to suffer from Bright's disease.

Almost everybody in Indian Territory knew Reeves as "Black Bass."   In reality, this African American lawman was of mixed heritage.  Paralee Steward (reportedly Bass' mother) claimed to be white in 1900.

Some say that part of his fame came from the length of his service.  Those who have read his story in original source material say instead this man's reputation was built on his character.

During his career as a US Deputy Marshal, he spent long hours riding from one log cabin to another, seeking information about a criminal.  On average, Reeves arrested about eight people each month.  This meant he spent a lot of time away from home. 

Most of the time, it seems, Bass Reeves operated alone.  But there were times when he formed a posse to chase a gang of outlaws.  And, sometimes, there was a shootout that settled the matter. 

One time he killed the posse's cook.  Really!! 

Bass killed the cook accidentally following the death of Bass' pet dog.  The dog died when the cook poured boiling grease down the dog's throat.  In trying to get up, Bass' rifle discharged accidentally.  At least that is how Bass testified at his trial in Fort Smith.

Reeves said he killed fourteen criminals who were resisting capture.  For all of the violence associated with the American West, he killed less than one half of one percent of those he brought back dead or alive.

Late in life, he testified that he never shot first.  The fact that he was never wounded attests to the consistently poor aim of criminals.

Arresting his own son was probably his hardest case.  When his grown son murdered his wife, Bass could have let another serve the arrest warrant.  Instead, Bass asked for the warrant and went to serve it personally.  His son was subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

This incident shows how committed Bass Reeves was to the law.  Neither the hours spent in the saddle, nor the threat of death or a family bond would turn Bass Reeves aside from the task given.

Bass served as a "Field" Deputy Marshal until 1907.  Arresting Reverend Wilson Hobson was among his last cases. 

Only three years earlier, Hobson baptized Bass Reeves into the Muskogee Baptist Church.   Rev. Hobson was found guilty of selling alcohol in order to pay off a church debt.  Introducing liquor into the Indian Territory was still against the law in August, 1907.

After his retirement from working for the US Justice Department, Bass Reeves found that idleness did not suit his temperament.  The following August, he applied for a job as a Muskogee Patrolman, but apparently did not work long as a beat cop.

Bass Reeves died January 12, 1910 at approximately 72 years of age.  He left a reputation that continues to shine more than a century later.

Seasonal Parties 100 Years Ago

The holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day usually find people attending a party or two.  Muskogee's social life was alive and well in 1911.  There were at least four parties just in the first week of December.

Here are some examples of party news items found in the Social Section of the Muskogee Times-Democrat. First up was the news that Miss Rosalie Mellette hosted a chafing dish supper for twelve people.  All of the guests, who were named, seem to be young adults.

The next morning Mrs. H. H. Ogden invited twenty guests over for a "Morning Chocolate" party.  The "chocolate" was a going away toast for a young lady returning to Kansas City.  The event was noted for its informality.

Another party that same week was a "Thimble Party."  It, too, was a casual event.  A smaller get together, it also entertained younger members of both sexes.  The article in the local newspaper said that the guests arrived with "their Christmas fancy work." 

In the days before television viewing and tweeting classmates, parties provided a handy excuse for socializing.  Just like quilting bees, a "thimble party" probably offered an opportunity for the fairer sex to visit while sewing or perhaps knitting.  There are no references to the boys' activities while the young ladies cross stitched or crocheted a doily. 

The earliest reference to a "thimble party" appeared in an 1890 Illinois newspaper.  This party was also given in honor of an out of town guest.  Those attending were equally divided between those who were married and ladies who were single.  These women gathered in a Springfield home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

During the first week of December, a hundred years ago, there were other parties occurring in Muskogee.  Mrs. Leo Bennett hosted the largest tea that week.  There were about one hundred quests.

A number of the women's dresses were described.  Mrs. Bennett wore a cherry red satin gown.  It was veiled in black chiffon.  The dress was accentuated with red beads and some black lace.

Whether family members are driving into town for Christmas, or friends are coming for a party this holiday season, maybe you will take a moment to remember that visiting has been a part of everyday life a lot more than just the past one hundred years.

And if anyone knows of a "Party" they heard about or attended this holiday season, please share that tidbit with the rest of us.  Let's keep the tradition alive.  Please tell us something about who attended, where the party convened, how was the hostess dressed, the theme of the party or something about the activities guests enjoyed.

We will make history next week when we will publish some of the reports!!

Happy Holidays.

Preserving Soft History

I called an acquaintance earlier this year with the request to interview her.  I said I wanted to preserve "soft history."  She declined for the moment, but said "maybe later."

In my request, I had to explain what I thought was the definition of soft history.  To me at least, it is the accounts which are not recorded in writing elsewhere.  These memories may be about great people or small incidental events often around a home or work.

Lyman Copeland Draper was born in New York State in 1815.  Beginning while he was yet a teenager, he corresponded with survivors who settled the upper mid-western United States.  In the days before tape or digital recorders, writing letters was one way of preserving soft history.

Over the next five decades he amassed a large collection of correspondence detailing early America's development.  Thanks to his efforts there is excellent understanding of the Battle of King's Mountain.  He also compiled resources documenting the lives of such notable Americans as Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark.

However, I am convinced that historians such as Draper have been lazy in the past.  They have largely focused on the history of generals and politicians.  Maybe this was because these major players in world events made an effort to preserve their records for historical research.

Bill Bryson, in At Home, wrote "[Everyday things and events] are the sorts of things that fill our lives and thoughts, and yet we treat them as incidental and hardly worthy of serious consideration." 

My efforts to preserve "soft" history include recorded accounts of rabbit hunting where K-Mart stands, uses of outhouses, stories of schools and education, dying, birthing and migration in the area. 

When my acquaintance who declined to be interviewed protested that she had not lived an important life, I agreed.  But that was exactly the point of my requesting an interview.

I am reminded of the three sisters who were preparing a Thanksgiving dinner one year.  One sister argued that the end of the roast needed to be cut off because Mother always removed it.  When they quit arguing and called Mom, they learned that their mother had always cut the end of the roast off because her pan was too small.

I have always enjoyed hearing accounts of everyday living.  For some reason, I have found the details of daily life to be fascinating.  The story about the preparation of a roast is a tale of the power of traditions.   

Parents set an example for their children in many seemingly un-noticed ways.  These daughters were questioning a tradition they learned non-verbally.  Frequently, this is how we learn.

Now let's return to my friend whom I requested permission to conduct an interview.  When I called back later, I found that she had changed her mind about being interviewed. 

This time she was quite willing to share her recollections.  We then spent over an hour without coming close to exhausting her memories.

I have written before on different elements of this topic.  I hope you have a better appreciation of "soft history."  Maybe you will think about your personal history during this holiday season.  And, should someone call with the request to record your recollections, please say "yes."  

Madden's Early Years

William Arthur Maddin came to Muskogee already trained as a building contractor.  This is the story of his background and of his first year in Muskogee.

A genealogist wrote that William Arthur Madden was born April 24, 1851 in Ste. Marthe, Vaudreuil County, Quebec Province, Canada.  He changed his last name to Maddin in 1887.  He was the tenth of thirteen children born to Irishman James Madden.

About 1861, the Madden family migrated to Lisbon, NY by crossing the St. Lawrence River.  Young Madden remained in New York State for about ten years. 

When he was old enough to leave home, he started going from job to job as a gypsy carpenter.  He is apparently the same William Madden who is briefly working as a laborer in a Buffalo work house according to the 1870 census. 

Madden next traveled to Cleveland, Ohio in 1871.  He worked there as a carpenter and display case maker for stores during the next nine years.

In June, 1880, William moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he lived with a cousin on his mother's side.  He migrated into Indian Territory in 1883, probably late in the year.

The following February, construction was booming in Muskogee.  At the same time several houses were being built, Tom Adams was having a two-story building constructed.  This was during the winter of 1884, Madden's first year in Muskogee. 

Adams wanted it built near Major John Foreman's mill east of the Katy railroad tracks.  The 24 by 40 foot structure was to become a lodging house with sixteen rooms for sleepers.  This hotel was described as "one of the largest buildings in town."

Madden's work on Adams' hotel established his reputation a creditable builder.  Two years later, he would build another hotel in Eufaula.

Madden finished building the hotel for Adams that summer.  This structure burned to the ground the next winter.  It was not the Hotel Adams that was built several years later on the west side of the Katy tracks. 

His next contract was for constructing the Seminole Capital building in Wewoka.  At eighteen by fifty feet, it contained four rooms.  Two were for both houses of the tribal council.  The other two rooms were for the chief and for committee use.  A simpler structure, Madden finished it in only a couple of months.

Tom Adams, along with Napoleon B. Moore and Thomas Perryman, had selected a site for a mission school for Creek students in 1883.  The first location chosen by the committee was about twelve miles west of Okmulgee.  However, water quality and political issues soon arose.  The committee then selected a new place on Deep Fork River about three miles further west in 1884.

Because he had first-hand experience in dealing with him, Adams recommended awarding the contract to Madden.  The committee then accepted Madden's bid for $6,840. 

Madden immediately started by hiring Beverly Berry, Adam McCann, Ed "Tex" Burk and John Walburn as carpenters.  Jim Lorden and John Long were hired as stone masons.  By the first of November, construction was almost finished.  Only the plastering was needed inside the school.  Work was completed on the New Yorker Mission School as scheduled before Christmas.

This ends William A. Maddin's story of his background and first year in Muskogee.  During 1884, he built a hotel, a tribal capital building and a mission school. 

FOOTNOTE:  Miss Alice Robertson brought back furniture, bedding, dishes and other necessities for the New Yorker Mission when she returned from Washington, DC in the middle of February, 1885.  She expected the school to be ready for students on March 1st.

Muskogee, The Book

Recently, the sun shined more brightly than it otherwise does.  You know how much brighter the sun is after it has quit raining.  Following the rain sweeping particulate matter out of the sky, the sun's rays have a clearer path to Earth.  Well, writing history is somewhat like creating a clearer view of the past. 

The new book, entitled Muskogee by Roger Bell, offers a similar "bright" view. 

Last Saturday, the Three Rivers Museum held a book review and signing by Roger.  I had guests for the holidays and therefore missed the event.  However, I purchased a copy before the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Let me review it for you.

Originally called "Muscogee Station," Muskogee (as we now call the town) was established in 1872.  There were no photographers present to record that event.  However, photographs survive from just a few years afterward.

Roger selected over two hundred images to represent Muskogee's history and culture.  These images begin with Joshua Ross' store that was built about 1874.  Though the photo dates from a few year s later, one really gets an impression of early Muskogee life in a frontier town.

The images illustrate our town's growth as the decades pass one after another.  This is because Roger tells the Muskogee's story graphically in chronological order. 

Chapter one ends with a single page devoted to the town's most disastrous fire in 1899.  The photo on this page clearly shows the destruction that led to Muskogee's rebirth as a modern, well planned community.

Muskogee is yet another in the "Images of America" series published by Arcadia Publishing of Charleston, South Carolina.  However, it is Roger Bell's attention to details that makes this book of 127 pages worthwhile.  

In each caption under or beside an image, Roger gives more than just a description of the photo's subject.  In most cases, he tells us when the event or site either occurred or was built.  With this information, most photographs provide a cinematic view of Muskogee's development.

Roger took great pains to explain why a particular photograph is a representative snapshot of an era.  It is this contribution that makes Muskogee an especially worthwhile purchase.  For example, take the photograph of the Boston Dry Goods Store.

The caption tells that Harry Kirschner opened this store was in 1905.  Roger then explains that Kirschner was responsible for the first Jewish synagogue service in town. 

This caption is typical of the information you will find in this book.  In this case, it reminds us that Muskogee at one time was the home of a larger population of this faith than at present.

Whether it is a business, a sports event, a school or a play, Roger informs the reader clearly.  Just as if the sun is shining more brightly on the past, his captions will stand the test of time.

During this holiday season, you mayl be seeking moderately priced gifts for family and friends.  At $24.00, the book entitled Muskogee will be an excellent choice.  Copies may be purchased at the Three Rivers Museum or at Armstrong Bank.

When you encounter Roger Bell, let him know that you have read his book and appreciate the effort he exerted in bringing it to light.  I know I will happily tell him how much Muskogee means to me.