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Archiver > OKBECKHA > 2002-05 > 1020853428


From: Judy Oldziewski <>
Subject: Re: [OKBECKHA-L] wagon train from TX to Texola about 1897
Date: Wed, 08 May 2002 03:23:48 -0700
References: <Pine.GSU.4.21.0205092306150.27431-100000@garcia.efn.org>


David the info below came from Velma Koontz, daughter in law of Maude
Clarida Koontz. It is not clear if Dee came with them in the wagon
train, was already there or came a bit later. When do your records show
that James Carroll homesteaded? Thanks for all the info. i had found
some of it on the web but nice to have a clear picture of the ancestors.

I know Maude was born in Texas but not just where. Henry and Samantha
are not in Cooke County TX in 1880 census. In fact so far I have not
found them at all in 1880. They may be listed under a such a varient
spelling that I have just missed them. Don't think I have checked MO and
it is possible they are in MO if they were traveling as a group with the
Graves and went from IL to MO.

Maude Clarida was born in Texas 14 April 1884. She was one of seven
children of Henry and Samantha (Graves) Clarida. Henry was much older
than Samantha and he died about 1897 when Maude was only thirteen years
old. After the death of Henry, Samantha and two small children including
Maude traveled in a covered wagon to Texola, OK. There were several
families that traveled together. Texola was in Roger Mills County until
1907 when Beckham County was formed. It was probably in the fall of the
year because Maude told of having a load of pumpkins along, all the way
to Oklahoma they ate pumpkin cooked over a camp fire. They were so poor
that this was about all they had to eat while they were traveling.
Samantha homesteaded a farm near Texola. The local ranchers did not want
the homesteaders in the area and one of the ranchers intentionally ran
his herd of cows through the fields of corn and cotton and destroyed
them. As a result of making no crop of any kind the family almost
starved to death. Samantha locked all the food up in a trunk and
rationed it out just enough at one time to keep them from actually
starving. Samantha's brother Dee Graves who was living with them hunted
rabbits and squirrels for food and this helped them make it through the
first year. The second year Samantha's brother, Jimmy and his wife Becky
came to live with them.

Judy

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