HAHNAB, HUGH INTEHVISW #8880 216 r
217-8 - Form A~(S-149) IAHNAH, HUGS IHTKHVXSW 8890 BIC?-:-;J?:iY FORM vox's.to^rc itx/tt :rr Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma Field Worker's name Mildred B# McFarlanfl This report made on (date) iwat 19 «193? 1. NSiTiC»*"»»»»wi * «* 2, Post Office Address B&»nd f Oklehomt 3. Residence address (c 1 * location) BE5 neat fiwt 4. DATE OF BIRTH:!v:onth Mft 3T Day ^ Year 1860 5. Place of birth Hiaaouri 5. Name of Father Dwld fiaanah Other inf->r i::t L ^'i er-c/- 1 - -z'. r T'.aco of birth 5*1 SobVlwid 1855-7. Name of tfot-ker ^ n * X?in» HWMl 1 / ic^ of oirth 'Wwi 0^ Wftl«l Other" 1.if o rn'. 4 jn ahc;t ^--..^r 1831 - Notes or complete n'rreti^v- v v t:.e i'irii vo 'kd- a^alir 7?iVn ^ ie life and s^l3t-^-?--tirs^po'r'son 3rten_cwed. i~3ffcr to '.'d'lu^l TOT oug "^u^jeot3 end.questlens. Continue ori blank L.neets if r.ev. i 5S3iay and attach firmly to this forn. Number of sheets attached
218 HAHBAH, HUGH INTERVIEW 8290 Mildred B. Ho Farland, Interviewer, August 10, 1987. An Internew with Lir. Hugh Hannah, Sdmond, Oklahoma* Z was sent to Oklahoma from St. Louis, Missouri^ in 1889^by the Frisco Ball road Company* I had worked for that company for several years, and aa a railroad was being built from Oklahoma City to Averd and I was aent to help* The road was to cover a distance of one hundred and eighty miles* It required fifteen months to complete the Tine* The crew lived on the work train* We had a Conanohe Indian for a cook. There were quite a few Coatnclie, Apache, Cad4o and SeodLnole Indiana who wou^d come from miles around to watch ua work, but they never attempted to bother us* At that time Geronimo, the Apaofc* Chief, wes brought from Georgle by the goveraaent to Hawtoa* Be was alwayi ht»i41y guarded by the soldiers at Fort Sill*
219 HAHHAI, HUGH INTERVIEW 8290. -* - Quenab Parker, Chief of the Coannche tribe> used to come and watch us* He wou^d sit and ask quest!one about the "Great fire wagon"* In the hot gamer months he always wore a white sheet '>' wrapped sround hie end In winter a bright colored blanket. On his feet he wore beaded moccasins and hi* hair was always twisted in two long rolls down hi a back* Be was very friendly* teuton waa considered the liveliest frontier town then* Indiahona, Cache and snyder were typical frontier towns also, but much avail er«the Indian Police were stationed at Anadazko then and if the "Government Man" happened to be away, the Zsdlene would not "'et a nhtte man stay over night. About a mile south of Anadarko there were three Missions, the Catholic, Methodist anfl Baptist* Ifeey osred for quite a few orphans;i think ou three missions are still there* Several «en on our orew were taken suddenly si ok ri and as we wwre woxking on the railzosd olost by, the
220 HlHNAH, BUGS INTERVIEW 8290. 5 - sisters from the Catholic motion heard about It* They came down and took cere of the sick raen* In 1890, Crazy Snake,the chief of the Creek Tribe, and his followers started an uprising in th«vicinity of what is no* Seminole. The Federal Troops were all out after Crazy Snake. He hid in the woods around where we were working, but he was subdued before he caused us much trouble. In 1900 J was working for the Kenaae City, Pittsburgh and Gulf Railroad Coapany, ire were working in the Indian Territory at a small town ceued Spiro. We were laying a track about on* half oi^e aorth of that town when we dug up a great trench of tttdlan skeletons, pottevy, knives and arrow heads. There wist hare been n battle there at quite an early date for we found BOS* arrow-headsfimbeddedln the skulls which ** dug up* The skeletons were folded up, feet to the head*we sent word to the president of the company and he brought a mineralogist down to try and find out to
221 H&HHAH, HTJOB, INTERVIEW 8E90. " 4 - what tribe they belonged* They never cou^d decide* These skeleton* were those of very large people for the emamest skeleton measured a little* over six feet* We gathered up all the pottery, arrow-heads and knives and the mineralogist took them to Chicago. I knew John Stink,en Osage Indian.very veh, Re is the oldest living Indian of that tribe* Some time in the eer^y part of 1900 he wan seriously ill* * a was supposed to have died and h» wta buried according to the usual Osage custom. That is, his body Has pieced in en upright position sad 8 small enclosure of stones ires built around it to represent a house* However, John Stink WBB ^ot dead and when he became consciousjhe tore down the enclosure end walked out* The Iadians trere all afraid of him from then on and to this day his cm& tribe will have nothing to do with his* He keeps & fe«r dej- around him &i the time end they ere his onty friends* Hy wife** f u d l y at way n did oil their own i ^ f t l i i and weaving* They n»dt counterpanes, blankets., carpets.
222 SA1QUH, HUGH INTERVIEW 8290 r- - 5 ^ and cloth for clothing for a 1 *? the neighborjhiood. They raised sheep and cotton for this purpose* They mede thejr own dyea* I se^fed in S&nond in 1916. we never hoassts«a65 for I was arrays connected with the railroad** ;