Oklahoma
Genealogical Society
OLD TIMER'S TALES
From the
collection of Tony Thomas
(The Fiddling Sawmiller)
J. R. Joplin, born at Hoops, Bowie Co., Texas,
1868, told me his father, Joe JOPLIN, when a young man, and Clark CRAYCROFT
went into the mercantile business on Turkey Creek in Missouri which was the
beginning of the City of Joplin. Later Joe JOPLIN came to Texas and married
Minerva HOOPS. She died about 1869, and Blake HOOPS, a cousin, and his mother
took J. R. home with them to live. They lived on the Texas side of the Red
River, about eight miles southeast of Doaksville, where they had a store,
cotton gin and ferry on their plantation. J. R. spent much time on the Choctaw
Nation side of the river as a boy.
Later, about
1888, Blake HOOPS bought out the George Rosenthal stock of merchandise at
Doaksville and placed J. R. JOPLIN and (Nub) FOLSOM in the store to run it.
John WILSON had a cotton gin, grist mill and store at the mill dam on Clear
Creek and much stock on the range.
J. R. JOPLIN was
living at Doaksville when the Indian, Wash Lo-ak, was returning from a court
session at Paris, Texas, and was shot from ambush as he rode across on the
HOOPS ferry. J. R. was there also during the trouble and some deaths among the
men named FORD, CARPENTER, Bob PEELER, George PRITCHARD, also the Choctaw
Lo-ak's and WILLIAMS'. He was at Alikchi when William GOINS died.
A Choctaw Indian
named WILLIAMS, a full blood, had a good business up on Glover River. He
freighted his merchandise from Paris, Texas, and used to spend the night at
Blake HOOP's when he ferried across.
Doc EVERIDGE was
the champion fiddler of Pushmataha District, Choctaw Nation, and lived in
Kiamichi, about twelve miles from Doaksville, Towson, once the capital of the
Choctaw Nation. Mrs. Everidge died about 1915.
It
was Doc WILLIS' slaves who wrote? "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and many
other songs. Some others mentioned by J. R. JOPLIN were Ike SHEPARD, the
interpreter at the store, Lee BIBBS, a sheriff, Charlie HARRIS, JACOBS, Tony
MARSHALL, and Uncle North HILL who had a small cabin on the prairie where Ft/
Towson is now. The R. S. BONNER home was built on the old HILL cabin site.
Transcribed
to Electronic form by Diane Roberts
Published in The Oklahoma Genealogical Society Quarterly
Volume 8, Number 1, 1963
[Oklahoma Genealogical Society] [OKGenWeb] [USGenWeb]
Page
Designed by Ronda Redden
and
Copyright © 2000 The Oklahoma Genealogical Society