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Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: April, 13, 1937
Name: Andrew O. Harlan
Post Office: Vinita, Oklahoma
Residence Address: R.F.D. 4
Date of Birth: June, 4, 1868
Place of Birth:  
Father: David M. Harlan
Place of Birth:
Information on father: 
Mother: Juliann Tucker
Place of birth:
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: James R. Carselowey
Interview: 5259

My name is Andrew O. Harlan, a Cherokee by blood of the Cherokee Nation. I was born, June, 4, 1868.

My father's name was David M. Harlan, who was a son of Ezekiel Harlan and Hannah Lewis. Ezekiel Harlan was the son of Ellis Harlan, and Catherine, and Catherine was the daughter of Chi-go-u and Kingfisher.

My Mother's name was Juliann TUCKER, a white woman.

My brothers and sisters are: Napolean, David, Ab, George, Eliza and Lucinda. We first came to Craig County in 1888, and settled north of Vinita. I went to McAlester and ran an engine in the coal mines for several years, and when I came back to Craig county I settled on a farm, Northwest of Big Cabin, Vinita, Route 4, where I have lived for 29 years.

I married Pearl RICHARDS in 1890, on March, 10th and to this union three children were born, as follows; Myrtle, Nina and Norval, all living.

When I first came to Vinita there were no roads in the county, except mud roads, and the streets in Vinita were just about as bad. I have seen loaded wagons mire up on the streets of Vinita, and when I first landed here Harden TROTT, who married my sister, had a dummy buried in the mud where the present site of the First National Bank now stands. All you could see of the dummy was the man's head sticking our of the mud, making it appear that the man had mired in the mud up to his neck.

Hogs ran loose on the streets and were a nuisance around farm wagons, where they would pick up the feed where horses were fed. A merchant could not put out any advertisements, such as flour and feed, for the hogs would come right up on the sidewalk and tear open the sacks and help themselves. Watermelons were thrown in the streets for the hogs, and the streets were not pleasant to look at.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by George T. Huggins <george.huggins@pcusa.org> Tucson AZ,  January 2001.