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Indian Pioneer History
Project for Oklahoma
Date: July 14, 1937
Name: William E. Maloy
PO Address: Delhi, Oklahoma
Residence address: Nine miles southwest of Delhi
Date of Birth: August 14, 1861
Place of Birth: Alabama
Name of Father: William Maloy
Father's place of Birth: Ireland
Name of Mother: Mary Tiffin
Mother's place of Birth: Alabama
Field Worker's Name: Velma Hance
William E Maloy was born in Alabama, in 1861. He married Miss Emma ARTHUR in 1886, at De?d??ona, Texas. She died, and he was married again in 1897, to Miss Betty LEWIS of Texas.
He came in a covered wagon to Oklahoma from Texas, in 1907, settling at Lawton, where he stayed one year, and then moved to Beckman County, nine miles northwest of Delhi.
His first home was a one room log house, made out of lumber from the woods.
Their food was corn bread, meat, milk, and butter, which they usually had at home. These meats were cured as they are today. Their supplies were procured from Mangum.
His first employment was farming and stock raising. Stock brought low prices those days. Cotton was sold for two and three cents a pound. Much of the cotton was left in the fields and the cattle turned on it, as it didn't pay them to have it gathered.
He came to Oklahoma in the year that the banks had what they called a strike. All the Oklahoma banks closed in 1907. This left most of the people in a bad shape.
He settled in Lawton, Oklahoma, among the Choctaw Tribe of Indians. They used wild game such as wild turkey and prairie chicken for meat. They wore blankets and shawls for clothing, and wore homemade moccasins. They made lots of willow baskets, and various things out of beads. All Indians traveled on horses then. The Indians had all night stomp dances. Just bunched up and went around and hummed. You couldn't tell what they were saying. They would go on hunting trips and stay three or four days. Their game was carried in sacks.
Mr. Maloy would like to see those days again. He said that he was much happier in those days. He lives on his old home place at Delhi.
[Submitter's note: The location on the 1st page shows southwest and the typed text shows the location as northwest. Just wanted you to know that this wasn't my typo. I also couldn't read the town in Texas, the page is very blurry.]
Submitted to OKGenWeb by James Maloy <gooselea@aol.com> January 2001.
Page updated:
State Coordinator: Linda K. Lewis
Asst State Coordinator: Rebecca Maloney
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