Notes:

A peek into the past! William S. Maples' mother, Emily Melvina, daughter of Elias Welborn. From the Indian & Pioneer History Interviews of 1930s by WPA workers, Okla. Hist. Soc. Ethel D. Pfeiffer, Field Worker June 5, 1937 Interview with Mrs. W. S. Maples, Duke, Oklahoma, Route 1. Father: Joseph Guess Mother: Julia Margaret Groley My parents were born in Georgia. They reared a family of six boys and four girls. My four brothers, Jackson, Abram, Henry and Thomas, were all Civil War veterans. Abram died during the war, of pneumonia. My parents died in Texas. Father was sixty-five, and mother was fifty-eight at the time of her death. They were both buried at Omaha, Morris County, Texas. My Marriage I met and married William Starnes Maples at Glen Rose, Texas. We reared four children. We came to Greer County, Texas, on the 5th day of May, 1892. [See date below 1896] We came here in two covered wagons, and drove a bunch of cattle. We had to ford the rivers, and when we crossed deep Red River, the water ran into the wagon boxes, and damaged some of our groceries. Some of the men in our crowd rode horses and went ahead of the wagon to show the way and to see how deep the mud was; also to see that we didn't drive into water holes that had quick sand. These were very dangerous to the travelers from the East as they didn't know anything about quick sand. We saw plenty of deer, wild turkeys and prairie chickens. There were lots of buffalo bones over the prairies, but few lived and were left. This had been a good stock country. The Government sent some inspectors over Western Oklahoma and decided to open it up to settlement. This forced the cattlemen to go out of business, or to go to other states where they could have open range. This part of the State was then cut up into 160-acre tracts for settlers, and this was open to settlement May 4th, 1896. We saw lots of big herds of cattle when they were rounding them up and taking them to market. Sometimes they were a moving mass as far as you could see. On March 16, 1896, my husband filed on the NE1/4 of Section 9, T-2 North, Range 23 W, located two and one-half miles west of the present town of Duke, Oklahoma, which consisted of one general store and Post Office. Our land was only a claim before we filed, and had a one-room house on it. Water and Fuel Supply There was a well of gyp water on the place. We used it for stock water, and we had to haul our drinking water from a spring on Turkey Creek, some three miles away. We had a cook stove that we used to cook on and for heating purposes. We burned mesquite grubs. I remember one year we raised such a big corn crop that we couldn't sell it for enough to buy coal so we burned the corn for fuel that winter. School The neighbors went together and built a one-room school house. They called this "Cottonwood", and it was one and half miles from our house. This was where we sent our children to school, Sunday School, and Church. We had big meetings here in the summer time. The school terms were held in the fall and spring to avoid the blizzards of the winter. This school district was later consolidated with the Duke District, and the building moved away. Clothing When I was a girl I spun and wove the cloth for our clothes, dyed it with the dyes we made from barks and sumac berries. I made the cloth into garments by hand. I continued to make our clothes by hand until 1900, then I bought my first sewing machine. I knitted all the stockings, gloves, capes and caps for my family. We wore shawls with fringe all around them for wraps and always wore flannel underwear in winter. My sister and I knitted for the United States soldier boys during the World War. My sister died since, at the age of ninety years. Travel We traveled in wagons, hacks and buggies in the early days. These were drawn by one or two horses. When we came from Georgia we had two ox wagons and a two horse carriage for the family to ride in, but I have ridden many times in an ox cart, and ox wagon. Food We hauled our supplies from Quanah, at first. We made about three or four trips a year. We raised our meat, lard, and from the trimmings I made my own soap with lye. I made lye in an ash-hopper from wood ashes. We made our syrup from sorghum cane. We would haul the cane to the sorghum mill and have it made into syrup. We picked wild plums on the rivers; and we always had plenty of milk and butter; and too we had lots of chickens and plenty of eggs. I also raised ducks and made my own feather beds, and pillows. Indians The Indians came through the country on several occasions, but I never saw them except in parades. They would be dressed in their very best clothes, with bright colored shawls, their hair in long braids tied with bright colored strings or ribbons. The man would also have their hair in long braids. My husband died in 1917, and was buried at Rock Cemetery, three miles north of Duke, Oklahoma. We continued to live on the farm and carry on, as my two daughters were still at home with me. My two sons died many years ago and are also buried in the Rock Cemetery. I went through so many hardships, that I can't say I enjoyed the pioneer days or life, but I came to get a home, and about the only pleasure I got out of it was the fact that I had a good home. Despite the many, many difficulties that confront a pioneer father and mother, we had the pleasure of seeing our children get a good education. Our two daughters have each taught school, first in the one-room schools, then in the Union Graded five or six room schools, and then in the larger, more modern type of school. I have realized a great deal of pleasure out of their success. END TX vs. U.S. claims settled in March 1896, is that why she tells of May 1896 arrival for the family? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Found this info previous. Bill of Sale of 1894 shows he was in area by then. Bill of Sale, Greer County, Texas, microfilm roll 24, Greer Co. Genealogical & Historical Society, Mangum, OK. The State of Texas, County of Greer, ... that W. S. Maples of the county of Greer, state of TX ... in consideration of $160 to me in hand paid by M. C. Maples ... Quitclaim unto M. C. Maples of the county of Greer ... all that certain lot ... described as the east half of section 9, block 65, Greer County, TX together with the following described personal property to wit: one bay mare and colt mare, branded (looks like WH joined?) on left shoulder 11 years old, one bay filly two years old and branded X on left shoulder with all improvements on said land of any kind whatsoever. Together with all and singular ... appurtenances to the same belonging .... unto the said M. C. Maples and HER HEIRS ... 25 July 1894. Filed for record 28 July 1894, 9am, recorded 30 July 1894 10am, J. W. Logan, County Clerk, Greer Co, Texas (Logan Teagarden, Deputy) ---------------------------------------------- 1900 Census, Duke Township, Greer County, OK. Terr., page 158 (abstract for WTGS) William S. Maples, 48 Martha C. Maples, 51 Walter W. Maples, 25 Laura B. Maples, 14 Henry Maples, 13 Anna L. Maples, 7 ---------------------------------------------- Greer Co, OK kept death records 1912-1918 and William S. Maples born Alabama Married Date of birth: 26 Aug 1851 age 66 yrs, 1 mo, 19 days Father: John Maples, Alabama Mother: Melvina Wellborn, Alabama Informant: Laura Maples, Duke, Oklahoma Medical certificate: Date of death: 15 Oct 1917 "I hereby certify that I attended deceased from May 23, 1917 to Oct 14, 1917, that I saw him alive on Oct 14, 1917 ... Cause of Death was Chronic Interstitial Nephritis <(interesting ... Nancy Welborn Cabaniss had kidney trouble on her death certificate)> Signed, J. S. Merideth, M. D., Duke, Oklahoma Oct 30, 1917. Burial: Rock Cemetery, Duke, Oklahoma Buried: Oct 15, 1917, Undertaker B. C. Rose ------------------------------------------ Rock Cemetery, Duke, Oklahoma 26-T3N-R23W Maples, Martha C. 1849-1941 Maples, William S. 1851-1917 Maples, Henry J. 1886-1911 Maples, Walter W. 1875-1925 Guess, Mary H. 1842-1933 Maples, Elton K. 1912-1935 From Cemetery Records of Jackson Co, Okla by Claudine Dollar, 1979. April 1999, Susan Bradford visited the cemetery and viewed the graves. Nice low slab type granite markers. West side of cemetery.

William married Martha C. Guess in Glen Rose, Texas. Martha (daughter of Joseph Guess and Julia Margaret Groley) was born on 6 Sep 1849 in Georgia, USA; died on 20 Jan 1941 in Duke, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Emily Melvina "Vina" Welborn about 1846 in Jackson, Alabama, USA. Emily (daughter of Elias Wilbourn and Elizabeth Starnes) was born about 1827 in Jackson, Alabama, USA; died in 1876 in Jackson Co, AL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Julia Margaret Groley. Julia was born in in Georgia, USA; died in in Omaha, Morris, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Jane L. Reynolds about 1819 in Tennessee. Jane was born about 1804 in Tennessee; died about 1852 in Jackson, Alabama, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Elias Wellborn, son of Gideon and Tabitha, born 1790, Rowan County, Kentucky. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving under Capt. James Hall's Company, 3rd Regiment, Kentucky. In 1812, he married his first cousin, Sarah (Sally) Wellborn, daughter of Samuel and Margaret and had the following children: Sarah, born ca 1813, married George Hall; Margaret, born 1815, died 1850-60, married James Mitchell; Tabitha, born 1816, died 1877-80, married James Sublett; Joshua Jefferson, born 1818, died 1855, married Martha Sublett; Nancy Isabella, born ca 1820, died 1867, married Joseph Beadles. On 21 February 1814, Elias and Sally sold their parcel of land given to them by her father, Samuel, located on Skaggs Creek, Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky and began their move to Jackson County, Alabama. After Sally's death, Elias married #2, Rachel Wilson, March 1824. Charles Skaggs, her father, was present. Elias then married Elizabeth (Starnes)?, wife #3, ca 1825 in Jackson County, Alabama and had the following children: William Starnes, born 26 June 1826 in Langston, Jackson County, died 23 June 1867, married Elizabeth Reynolds; Melvina Emily, born ca 1827, died 1872-1877, married John Maples; James Lafayette, born 1831, died 1897, married Martha Harrison; George Washington, born 1839, died Carter County, Oklahoma, married Anthaline Romans. Elias was a wealthy and large land owner in Jackson County. He is listed on the rosters of the Patrol Service in 1830-40. In February 1854, he obtained a license to "release spiritous liquors in the neighborhood of Coffee Town". In May 1861, Elias appears on the roster of the Alabama State Militia, Lower District #12 of Jackson County, for the 10th Brigade, 9th Division, 35th Regiment. In 1862, his three surviving sons, William, James and George, enlisted in the Confederate Army, Col. A. A. Russell's Battalion of Partisan Rangers, 4th Alabama Calvary, Army of Tennessee. Together they fought under General Forrest, Wharton, Longstreet, Wheeler, Martin, Hood and Roddy. They participated in the battles of Murfreesborough, TN, Parker's Cross Roads, TN, The Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, GA, Knoxville, TN Campaign, Atlanta, GA, Brice's Cross Roads, MS adn some 174 skirmishes and engagements. All three sons were promoted to Corporal and surrendered at Citronelle, Alabama. On 30 January 1864, Elias' plantation was raided by Union Captain Michael M. Gilbreath, 2nd Division of the 15th Army Corps, General M. L. Smith commanding, who were camped at Larkin's Landing. That very day Elias went to Larkin's Landing and signed an Oath of Allegiance to prevent the Union soldiers from further raiding and destruction of his plantation and for the protection of his wife, Elizabeth and orphaned granddaughters, Sarah and Francis Mitchell. On that day Elias was listed as 73 years old, 5'10, fair complexion, blue eyes, gray hair and a farmer. A claim was filed by the heirs of Elias' to the Committe on War Claims in 1887, lasting 19 years and was denied in 1906 when the Committee found Elias to be: (1) Loyal to the Confederacy; (2) All of his son and sons-in-laws being 'notorious rebels'; and (3) Renting his slaves to the Confederacy. Elias died 14 Sept 1865, his estate being so large tha tit took twelve years to probate.

Elias married Elizabeth Starnes about 1825. Elizabeth was born about 1792 in North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]