Dis Tricts—Cherokee. Texas Trail Ferries—^Rka^Sas Uiver :-Orse Re Ess Law Enforce;.E. T—Indian - Law Enforce.-Eat—Creek Rz: ROBINSON
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Zi. SL:;, jc:ii. C. IHTJSRTIE. 160 3c:iools—Cherokee Laiid. taaure—^lierokee .<\tioii i'oll bridgc^r-Qreek lotion Caiiip grounds—Cheroice-e . ation dpringa—Cherokee .fa^ion Hatching—Creek Kation Intermarried whii.es—Cherokee i.^arria^e—Cherokc - Dis tricts—Cherokee. Texas Trail Ferries—^rka^sas uiver :-orse re ess Law enforce;.e._t—Indian - Law enforce.-eAt—Creek rz: ROBINSON,. JOHN C. ' INTERVIEW. 1 cA Form A~(S-149) FORM Indian-Pioneer fiistory Project for Oklah >nm Field 'tforkor's name Harry I,. Riimage This report mad^ on June 2, 1. Name John C. Robinson 2. Post. Office Addr/\T- Rouiie 5, Muskogee, Oklahoma. 3. Residence address (or location) '__ 4. DA?w OF "IRTHt I'.onth* January Pay 26 ycur 1868 t 5. Place of birth Fort Gibson?, Indian Territory. 6. Name of Fath,er Place of birth Other information about f< 7. Name of Mother Ella F. Coody _^_ Place of birth Indian Territory Otner information »b:ut mother Born in 1847. Notes or complete nsrrntiv;- ty tho f i-e-1} *vn.'K^r d'uM-;- . the life and story of th«-p-VrsDr. int-ervi ^: -fi. Re^-r +.o !UnJ " ~ suggested subjects and que£;ti:ms. Continue on blan1: si ^-*s if nocossary and • attach firmly to this fora. ?"urnbcr "of sheets yttuched 8^ ' •ROBINSON, JOHN C. INTERVIEW ' • * " •' ' . ."1(52 Interview with John C. ''Robinson . Route 5, Muskogee, Oklahoma ' ' June 2, 1937 Mr. John C. Robinson was born at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, January 26, 1868. • MOTHER *' - *W mother*s, maiden name was Ella F. Coody. She was born in the Indian Territory in 1847j and is still living at the age of 90. * . Don't remember anything of my father.- ~~ SCHOOL I first attended school a,t'Gooseneck Bend, when I was eight years of age. The school was about one and oft one-half miles from our home. I went to this school • seven or eight years, which, was the extent of my school- ing; -Our teacher's name was Dave Nicholson. The desks were ma'de* of long benches; the seats were made the same way, only not so high. The Cherokee Nation .furnished our school books. There was lots of wild game in those days such as deer, turkey, bob c^ts, panthers and all kinds of fur bearing animals. I attended school until 1883. I then started ROBINSON, JOHN 0. INTERVIEW - 2 - ':- - f arming^ qn my -mother's' place. ^She had about twenty acres in cultivation and bought about fifty acres from her* brother* Dick Vann. ' That is, she bought the im- provements on .the-place, as you cotfld not buy or "sell ^l:ind in the Indian Territory, but could buy the im- provements and take over" the land. For instance, if you were a citizen 'of the Cherokee Nation and wanted to build a home and tstart farming, you could go out and find a location; bui-ld your,home; then all the land for a quarter of a mile around your home would automatically become.yours, provided no one had been filed longer than you. My principal crop was corn and cotton. Of course', I raised a'small amount of small grain and potatoes. I farmed on this ol^ceTSbout five years. \'ie then moved to * , > • * a place one and one-half miles due east of York and Gibson streets, -although there was no such a thing as York and Jibson streets a;fc that time. I farmed-at this place four In 1892" 1 moved to 'town and iook up th.e carpenter '•••'•• . V • trade, which I have followed off anp on ever sines, 'flfc.at time: I was not^working at the carpenter trade I was farming. ' * v" 9 I,. * " 1 *•* tar about tei - 4 - •*- 1 T( , u?>• /. ''"'-•' £•" ' " .«„ ».' * v "** ' .^ ** *~ * * •».«••. u ex i-.K* '•-•••*-•• \>-'"^ ROBINSON, JOHN C. INTERVIEW.' - -" % - 5 - marriage license. A license cost him ten dollars. After he was married he 7/0'uld become an adopted citizen and would be allowed the privileges that~any other - •ocBfitocfaai" citizen had,' except being an official of the. Cherokee Nation, >- • " ^ U. S.- M,U5IIALS ' > . Heck .Thomas, a man called Tyson, Bud Ledbetter> Charley 7!rye, Rutherford, Bob Dalton, Grat Dalton, were marshals. - I don't- think Emmet^was ever a marshal. I have known the^-ibove named marshalsvwell. There were several others that I knew well enough to speak to, but was not very'well acquainted with them. :r,- . - , TEXAS TRAIL • The trail left Keven's Ferry, and going south it ~" went, between the School for the Blind and the hill; then going on stiuth down the line of the Cherokee and Creek Nations. It went oh b;- Honey Springs, on s -uth to the •Texas line. .iVhen I was three years old, ray parents .noved to * * * "exas. ,<e sJtayed there four years. < * ,; i. H- « f r n wo nnrrr- hs, •f - ho<ar> of >f t p >» of (Jran-i , i\v . Is \*> the ito^si**3 ,• e-r;^ . it tho first boVu nt t..is i^:. .. it *-'as r.ft; cv eu v. a L,... v ^ *f i- ' J * "^ - i Forry wds another onei owr^a by toik-s i-iex- • ; /uu a^x-t ouc, a j was $>st i6dlow tiie point oi nrushy ^ountu,».!a aau A«SS omie- • >.•••'• • . ., and' operated by i?am WaUlns. The i4ynohfa l«x*i^ was next . was ideated at .^ebfeers falls. •'".'» / /. ir i X ' • -«t , • . / * V "I •* • I trs npii ^r.^ --' orse,, hanil:*-' t- "' r.- t.vaf T thtr.ty thousand f 'ir. t o&e-.. crooked aKj tney sr^ t .c*?? -., r«ce ri-orf-es, r.est, tae fataer of l^ Depaartaaent't wad i-.n lef of Police. f •;• v / •* • Vrit«T k •*••< s-sn *•*ut -• * *<• <*• *••<•- .•.•• - -'- » «««• >>< > > ©Jay's Sfer* CTvrrzcc c si~ 5^---^- Hs»ft f rfs*£.-!11 ea. trilled .' in a jaeat. market*} • -and streets. Aaoi&er at.