JENNINGS, TO*'.. INTivhVli.tf

Transcription

1 JENNINGS, TO*'.. INTivhVli.tf

2 - 8 - v " Form A-(3-149) V ' 'BIOGRAPHY FORM WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma JENNINGS, TOM. INTERVIEW Field Worker*s name Biby Wolfenbarger 1 Thi4 report made on (date) August 9, i 1,. N^ame Tom Jennings 2. Ppst Office Address Sentinel, Oklahoma 3, Residence address (or location) 4, DAlrE OF BIRTH: ' Month October Day 20 Year 1889 i '. 5, Place of birth Liberty. Tennessee 6. Name of Father Jim Jennings Place of birth Tennessee Otjier information about father Farmer \ I _\_Name_of Mother Tennie Keaton _ Place of birth Tennessee \ Other information about mother School Teacher Notefe or complete narrative by the field worker dealing v;ith the lifs and story, or the person interviewed. Refer to Manual for suggested subjects and questions. Continue on blank sheets if necessary and attach firmly to this fpim. Number of sheets attached #

3 JENNINGS, TOM. INTERVIEW Ruby Wolfenbarger, Field Worker Auguat 10, 1937 Interview with Tom Jennings Sentinel, Oklahoma I came into Oklahoma from Tennessee in I made the trip through on the train. The reason I came was that I had a brother-in-law here and he seemed to think that this was a wonderful conntry for farming and for cattle. The gre«s was thick and rank; there W8S plenty of water in most places; and the country. was well settled at this ttme~.'" I located seven miles west of Sentinel where I Picked cotton until December, getting $1.00 per hundred and my board. I worked at the Walton Hotel" In TTobeTt for severs! years until I could get enough money to rent e farm. It was one of the best hotels in western Oklahoma at that time. It had forty rooms, which were neat and clean. The regular price was $2.50 per day. At that time they had tiro busses to meet the trains, also two negro porterb to do the work. I came back to Sentinel end started'farming in a small way. I rented eighty acres from a man whom I knew ano I bought a

4 JENNINGS, TOM. INTERVIEW team, one cow, some chickens, and two pigs. There was a small three roomed house on the place, also a half-dugout, which the oiraer had dug and lived in when he first settled here. Cotton was very cheap the first year that I farmed. I only got 5 for it. 3ut my corn crop did very well. I made 60 bushels to the acre and sold it to the people in the community to feed their stock with. I got $1.15 per bughel for it. The next drought hit and I didn't make anything that year. I quit farming a-ad moved to Sentinel aa d took up the carpenter trade. I received 3.00 per day for thty. ^USe~tlTni r-wae-gelled, to JieJLp build a house at Lugart, which is Bear Altus, Oklanome. Lugart is just a store end a few cabins owned by Mr. Lugart, a pioneer cattl . water from the lake at Lugart. The city of Altus gets 1 helped wreck an old log cabin that had been built in the early days and we found an old treasure map. This map was carved on the hide of a mountain goat, or that is what I think it is. I have never been able to find oux just what

5 JENNINGS, TOW. INTERVIEW kind of hide it is. This map has the picture of two trees carted on it. It has at the top the letter N Territory, at the other end it has the letter s which I suppose means north and south. It also had the words canyon in several places. It had two lines which read L. river and B. river. Little Red River end Big Red River. I think this means In the center of the map there is a square which reads, Black Shaff and there are several arrows which point to the sauare. Xn_th_e..early days the farmers would bring their produce and live stock to town and there would""'be--amen from the street to look their stuf^ over and put the- price on it. The only newspaper in Sentinel was just one-sheet, published once a- week. There were several Salt Ranches in the Western part of the state. Also a big horse ranch near Sayre, Oklahoma. There was one family cemetery in Sentinel at that time. It was the Williams cemetery.

6 JENNINGS, TOM. INTERVIEW We didn't have any medicine much at that time. The Indians would come through and try to sell medicine that they had made out of herbs. Lone Wol^, full^blood Kiowa Indian, was ordered out of Hobert because he had eeveral scalps of white people whom he h8d killed. He liked to bring these to town and show them. They made him bury them on his land nexr Robart.