The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-19

ram .EOTAH In the days when
- VINO iourneyed from place to
lnUs ,sso In old Indian territory did so
, P'..,a -ons or on horse back, there
IN - many who made use OF what
VII, appropriately be designated
@m.s @ rori Gibson road, or In these
w. as the "Fort Gibson Trail" For
ssv us wears, or until the building of
byanrh OF the Frisco some 10
a.sr. ago. the road was in constant
,s and today. though It's route has
.ssn changed to some extent IL yet
,Dsysrses in many places the same
,oodlands and hills as in earlier
,,n,es That portion OF the old road
,bich forms the theme or this ar
,iclo led from the ford OF the Ill
nois al the confluence OF the Bar
eorL 70 tho town of Fort Glib
.on. Tha old time citizens were ac-
,s,op,ad 10 stating that the distance
,sorr the ford TO the town was 20
hes which was essentially correct.
M route was filled with pictures
d"c la scenery and all along were to be
W., NJ intervals the homes of clti-
',os who had lived for years in the
me Localities. There were some
,sry old homes, built, a number of
,bsn. long years before the break
me- ont of the civil war. And there
wsre d few which had been created
!, the onrlly twenties OF the nine
,ssntb century, when Old Settler
rberokces arrived I'm this section.
NM earlier even than the pioneer
rherokees were white mon from
down In the territory OF Arkansas.
some Of these as early as 1919 built
,beir log houses In the valleys and
roodlands and after the boundary
N the Arkansas territory was
changed that portion OF country in
ublch the first homes had been
built passed into the possession OF
members OF the old Settler or west
ern Cherokee nation.
After leaving tho Illinois and pro-
eeeding westward a short distance
through a dense growth of forest
rees. the borders OF the Park Hin
pralrie we're reached. The prairie
was a beautiful place in the years
before It was enclosed by barbed
wire fences and placed in cultiva-
lion, Il was covered in the summer
season with luxuriant grass, and
,prnkling the level and verdant
greches in every direction, there
budded and blossomed a great vari-
pty OF wild flowers, crimson and
Blue and white and golden. The frag-
rance was borne afar on the wings
ot the gentle breezes which wan
dered down from the green ranges
q hills stretching across the south
ern horizon. and the songs OF many
BIRDS filled the air. Sometimes a
herd Of wild deer dashed across the
scene, and later in the season, when
The days of autumn had come the
prairie chickens cacklcd and flut-
isred about the sumach patches
which dotted the prairie, while with
great whirring OF wings the wild
pigeons in vast numbers, made their
way towards the valleys of the hills,
where they found abundant stores
Of acorns and winter hucklberries.
After the prairie was entered the
homes OF the citizens of the neigh
borhood came into view. Some OF
these homes were quite near the
fold and others at varying distances.
There was the old place where in the
parly DAYS Uncle Billy" Stinnett
had lived, there living after him a
Nmor 10 the effect that he had been
he possessor OF much money. Fur
ihsr on was the site of the home of
Cherokee nation. home once IA
nous for its picturesque surround
ngs and wealth of rare and Valu-
able momentos of notable period in
the history of the Cherokees. And a
short distance beyond this place
could be seen a large old house,
built OF the heaviest of hewd logs.
covered with three foot boards and
with huge and rather unshapely
stone chimneys at both the east and
vest ends. This house was built, 1t
vas said, in 1923, by one of the
earliest pioneers. That 1t was most
durably built is attested by the fact
that II yet stands, one of the land
marks In the valley of Park Hill. A
few hundred yards west of this old
hOme, arose some IS years ago the
walls Of the Murrell home, for many
ears the most pretentious residence
IN all the Indian country. About this
glaee occurred many memorable in