Title: Pioneers of Avard Okla, Indian Terr., Cherokee Strip, by Glenn Duck 1893-1978.
This is a photocopy of a a typwritten account, with manuscript notes in the margins. It recounts the life of Glenn E. Duck, who grew up near Avard, & Alva, which is NW of Enid, OKla. His Father participated in the opening land rush in 1893, and there are several pages describing his fathers account of the opening, including:
How they could tell a "Sooner" by his horse not being lathered, and "most riders carried guns and "had no mercy on a Sooner"
Staking his claim on rich bottom land, only to find it was a school section & thus loosing it.
The author then describes his family's trek from Sterling, KS to Avard, OK Terr. in 1898 after 4 years of drought on the plains, and staking a homestead:
"We were seven days in wagons, we had to ford all the streams"
"We camped in the square where the courthose now stands"
"Our house was built of sod with a blue clay roof"
He describes the arrival of the Frisco RR,how the coyotes hid in the bottomlands that were covered in 10' tall bluestem, and how after the cows grazed it down, the creek channels eroded to 8 feet deep.
The main fuel was cow chips: "Prairie wood."
There were many buffalo wallows on the prairie that would hold water for several days after a rain.
How farmers would cut cedar posts to sell, until the cedars disappered.
How he would walk 5 miles to the store to trade butter & eggs for groceries.
How the teacher let the kids out of school when the 1st automobile came down the road.
The remainder describes life in the 20's & 30's, and has lots of information on the various neighbor's families: Births, Deaths, Marriages, etc.
There is also a hand-drawen map showing sections, with the farmer's names,covers about 50 farms around Beulah PO.
There is also a separate genealogy section, which is available on request.
Photocopies of typewritten papers, in excellent condition, 35 pgs. .
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