Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-01-18

I
interests been considered, but Mr..
Pierce, the president of the road
and some citizens entered into a
scheme to. divert the route north
and thus get whatever profit might
arise from the crossing. Johnson
Thompson thought the road would
cross about the middle Of the or
chard on the Mcclellan farm south
of town, and built a large one-story
stone store building at that point.
After the crossing was made, where
it now is, he had the building torn
down and rebuilt on the east side,
where the Mcclellan stone build
ing now stands. About this time
the chief sent John Vann, Rev.
Joseph Thompson and the venera-
bic DR.. Miller, then Cherokee town
commissioner, and they laid out
the present town of Vinita and
named it Downingville, and in all
Cherokee legislation and in legal
matters it remained Downingville
until the present town organiza-
ton. The name Vinita was given
the town by the postal authorities,
at the instance of Mr.. Boudinot,
who was an admirer of Winnie
Ream, the sculptress, and named
the town after her. Financially,
Mr.. BOudinot realized but little
from his connection with the town
company in fact none of the
schemers realized anything from
their venture, with the exception
of Johnson Thompson. Although
much money had been expended
in building hotels, fencing and
other improvements, it had been
done almost entirely at the ex-
pense of Mr.. Pierce and the rail-
road.
When the town lot sale came off
Mr.. Thompson had plenty of tick
cts be had bought at twenty cents
on the dollar, and he bought lots
galore, eventually realizing hand
some profits. Thompson was the
only citizen who had credit in the
St. Louis and Kansas City markets
and it was through him that the
earlier residents of Vinits and vi
cinity obtained supplies, lumber,
tools, seed, etc. He refused no
one credit at his store, and those
opening farms were enabled by
him to break land and raise crops.
His prices were high, and, though
it was said by some of the evil
minded bene6claries of his kind
ness that he charged higher and
longer than any man on earth, and
sometimes twice, all felt that he
was a good friend and a public
beneiactor. He at one time owned
more lots in Vinita than any other
person, but was always willing to
sell one at fair profit, and thus
really made the upbuilding of the
town possible, as many other lot
owners would not sell at any price.
About seven years after Vinita
was located he sold out here and
removed to Tahlequah, where he
now resides.
Among the early merchants of
Vinita was Henry Armstrong, a |
Delaware Indian. He built large |
frame store building and ware
house north of the Frisco and west
of the Katy, about where Bert
Walkers house now stands. Here
is where the postoffice was first
located and Lem Ketchum was
deputy postmaster. He was
stocial, Indian and was
Armstrong; chief clerk. He ha.
ted detail and red tape and made
an unsatisfactory officer, and fin
ally he permitted about half a car
of mail sacks to pile up in his
office unopened and refused to
further distribute or have anything
to do with the mail. Then
Mr.. Campbell, the landlord of the
BOudinot house, became postmas-
ter. He had a handsome wife and
a skinny, tonguey, old mother, the
latter was the referee in all mat
-ers pertaining to the hotel and
pOstoffice. Her meddlesome offici-
rendered her son very un-
and some time in the
early spring of 1873 A. P. Goody-
Iooniz was made postmaster, with
Johnson Thompson and DR.. Nor
is Frszee as his bondsmen.
5oOdy koontz started store on the
ground where the OswegO elevator
low has its Office. He had but I
title capital but had an aptitude J