MIHOL GESR THIRD INOTVJXI #6403/ PIOHSER HOWES.

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HAHDPI, 1CNDA GEER* THIRD INTERVIEW. 6403

KteUsy,InterviewerJun§ 23, 1937.

Interview .with Minda Qeer HardlnHenryetta, Oklahoma.

PICKEER HOMES IN TIM0ERLAND,

I have helped to build and have lived in each of

the houses I am going to describe.

gTOCKADB HOUSE

This was the quickest to make as it took less trees

or liog» and was easy to make, too. The trees were cut in

even^lengths and split through the center* They were then

pat up on end and-fastened together by nailing to two logs,

one a-| the ground and the other- <at the top. The smooth

side made the indoor vails* It was finished as any other

log house*

\ . L O G HOUSE

Not a nail was needed for this house so a lot of

these houses were made* Hotch eaoh end of the log on

opposite sidefe and build by laying a log on each side,

then each end* To make gable ends the end logs were

shortened, eaoh succeeding log being shorter than the one

under it*. Th* side logs were the seme length but the

HARDER MINDA GEKR* THIRD INTEHVEBW* ' 6405

shorter and poles made the foundation for the clapboard

roof and ti» l a s t put on was oae long pole , the center

pole* - Four f u l l length poles or logs made the raf ters

to strengthen the house. They were at the beginning of

the gablerends*

CLAPBOARDS, SHINGLES

To make a place to froe shingles put two logs the

same s i z e together leaving a crack between them about

four or s i x laches wide* Tie or hold them together with

the bark of the water elm i f you can get i t *

Out some four foot lengths of red oak and quarter

them* Firs t s p l i t the log and then s p l i t the two halves .

Stand one quarter in the open place between the logs*

Put the f?oe(a sharp axeel knife with a ring on one end

to fasten a handle in) i n where you want the f i r s t out

to be and h i t the froe with a hammer* Don't remove the

froe but just keep working i t on through; i t w i l l s p l i t

evenly*

Lay a row of boards lengthwise of the house next

the center pole and put a small log on top with water elm

t ied around each end and hanging down* A rock or . log i s .

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HAHDIH, MTND& OBJBR. THIRD INTERVIEW. 6403

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t i ed to thls^welght them down* Some lay rocks on the

clapboards to hold them down,

WIHDOIS

Saw a log out for the window. I f you want a l i g h t

you s tretch a piece of domestic(muslin) over i t t i gh t

and fasten with wooden pegs driven in the green logs*

This w i l l l a s t for quite a while* Some made puncheon

shutters and l e f t the window open.

FLOORS

Split logs and fasten them together as closely as<

possible, with the f lat or smooth sides a l l on one side

and the round sides together On one side*

To make a puncheon floor cut the logs as near the

same size as possible and cut or sp l i t in the center*

Lay them with the smooth sides up and f i l l a l l holes and

creeks with clapboards and paak dirt around to make th»

floor sol id.

Puncheon doors and windows are cade In the earns

way except they are fastened with a split log across the

top and bottom and one running bias way from opposite

corners to strengthen and hold them together.

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HARDIH, MISDA OBER* • THIRD INTERVIEW. S403

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To chijok the walls take pieces of limbs and pat

them l a betwejan the logs In the cracks b i a s , not s t r a i g h t

i n , for the ru in wil l wash them out i f you do* How put

SOJ» daubing LnJ f i l l the cracks goodi daubing i s made4 of

d a y I f you oan find i t , or mud i f you oen f t*

nRWUQV HJILDIHG

Ibey are best made of rook but if there i s no rode,

atiefcs may bejused* They are fastened together with elay

i f poss ible , or mid* A person has to know how to make the

r igh t shape ins ide or they will not draw and more smoke

wi l l corns In the house than wil l go up the chimney• Men

who were good chimney bui lders were In demand and would go

for miles to make chimneys, a regular profession*

HALF BUGOUT

Dig a place the s i ze you want the room; most always

they were one room, four feet deep* Finish from the top

of the ground the same ae a log house except the log walls

are four feet high* I t had a d i r t floor and was be t t e r

and warmer than a log house*

SOD HOUSE

Sta r t the horsos to plowing around the .toughest sod

(where the grass grows th ickes t )* .Pick up the pieces of

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HABDIN, MISDA Qtm/ TH1KD msmUWf. 6403

out sod and be careful not to break them any more than

yon hare to*

S t a r t tfoe house on grassy ground anfl not wfaere i t

has been plowed. Put a s take a t each corner and two for

the doors* Measure with the eye or atep i t off* Put

the pieces the plow has turned orer upaide down from one

stake t o the other , s t a r t a t the door and go a l l the way

around with tha t row and then s t a r t another* I f there i s

plenty of water the row ia watered before put t ing on

another row. That holds them together without any a i r

holea* Keep adding rows u n t i l you came to the windows and

"*be sure to leave the open places for them and the doors*

I t had a d i r t floor* Some cere covered with a wagon shee t ,

or by arching but t h a t was dangorousj the most were eorer-

ed with t r ee s and limbs with sod on top* Water was

sprinkled on to s t a r t the grass t o growing as t ha t made

the witer or ra in run off instead of soaking.through: i t

also kept the sod from s i f t i n g down into the room.

REAL DOGOUT

Dig a hole as for a oeller, any place you want the

room, deep enough to walk in comfortably, without stooping

about seven feet'deep* It had a dirt floor and sides*

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HABDIH. MINOA OEER TH1BD INTERnSW 5403

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Pat poles as close together as you ean get them, cover

with enough d i r t that i t does not s i f t down* I t was

covered with grass so that a person would be r l $ i t to .

i t without knowing i t was there* A -lot of them were

made on the sides of h i l l s or slopes as they were easier

to make.

PICW5SR FURNITURE

Almost everyone had a cooks to ve tha t they brought

with them; if they didn*t they used a fireplace* The

f i r s t furniture was made in such a way that i t d idn ' t

take much time to make it*, and i t was durable* Later

some of the men made nicer furni ture . I have a stand

table that was made with a pen knife and has wooden pegs

instead of na i l s , as good as new now*

To make a bedstead, cut small t rees or limbs having

forks on one end, s ix feet long* Drive into the ground f

unt i l firm t ' e n lay a limb in the fo/rks on both sides /

and eads making the shape of a bed. Then cut notches orf

cross pieces ( s l a t s ) as big as y0ur arm* /

After getting the bed made you are ready for t t

mattress as you had no springs* If you had a stra^ tick

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HARBIN, MINDA OBSR THIRD INTERVIQ*. 640$

you were lucky for you oould f i l l i t with grass or corn

shacks; or, I f you could get i t , you used oat or wheat

straw*

If you hare no tick put a blanket on the s lats*

Put plenty of grass on for i t wil l pack and cover with

another blanket, and tuck i t in good to keep the grass

in.

Later we used ropes for slats and they could be

tightened until they were like springs*

To sake a chair saw a foot and a half length off

of a good sized log being careful to cut i t eren or square*

If you wanted, a ohalr with a back you cut a three foot

length then sawed in at a foot and a half in height a l l

the way except about three Inches; saw a way down, ©Ten

with where you stopped sawing into the log, than split

on done*

Soot -of the baby beds were made of hollow logs

out In four foot lengths szaoothed inside and out* Others

were oade of willow.limbs,

• CLAPBOARD AND FOHOHBG TABLES.

Take a s i x inch tree and cut four l egs the same

lengthy exac t ly . Fasten the two end l e g s together with a

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log or s p l i t log that exteola about a foot on each a ide ,

I t Is a foot and a half from the bottost of the l ega .

Both ends are pot up and a punaheon, s p l i t l og , fas tea ed

acroaa the extending oaea with the f l a t aide up for aeats ,

then a top i s nade of puncheon logs* This table w i l l l a s t

a l i fet ime but no woman would want so heavy a table now-

adays.

COFFEE AND MILLS

Al l our eoffee was bought green and we would roast

i t aad pound i t in a cloth* Mooha was a snai l grain, very

rioh but i t shrank too much when roasted* Java was larger

and.liked better by most people* The coffee mi l l was a

great help to the housewife and then -fee l i o n and the Ar-companies

buckle/started s e l l i n g roasted and then ground cof fee .

MTER SUJ 334RK

Bails on buckets, tubs and barrels were made of elm

bark« Tugs or traces for harness were made by braiding the

bark when i t mis green, then shaping the way i t was (ranted

and i t lasted a long time* I t was used wherever a rope

was needed*

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HARDIN, MIHDA GEER THIRD INTERVIEW, * 6403

• ' i

HAHD PRINT PICTURES ON

A copy of th ia piotar* has been sent to the offloe*

I t was supposed to have been the Spaolartia who eat them

when they and the Osages were baring war* The name i s

Qama end another that i s indis t inct*

PICTURES OH CHMSMT POSTS IN RIVER

The t a i l s of the f i sh were supposed to point to a

gold mine* The I nil ana wouldn't touoh or have anything

to do with them for they thought they were e v i l , and the

Graat Sp ir i t wouldn't want them to have anything to do

with then*

Harry Fisher, of Henryetta, saw these things f ive

years ago, i t has been longer slnoe I saw thea but I be-

l i e v e they ore s t i l l there*

The f i s t rook with a f i sh on i t i s right below

Belle Starr*a house* which was on top of a mountain point

on the North Canadian Rl^sr between the old Henryetta

pmsp s ta t ion and the *?b*k& Bridge-, The rook i s between

aer place and the pusp stat ion*

Bllen Ferryman was a Muskogee Indian, a friend of

mine who went with us to see these things which ware sup-

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HARBIN, KINDA G23R THIRD INTERVIEW 6403

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posed to hare been put i&ere by the Spaniards in the story*

I don't remember the ohief's name but his house was

on the other point, the creek being between his house and

Belle Starr's place. Be had one daughter, Sana* Re was

looking out and she was doing the chores, for a aloud was

coming up* He saw mules that were loaded coining up toward

his house and son© wagons behind them* He knew they were*

coming to stay a l l night, for they were heavily loaded and

wouldn't stake that trip in face of a storm otherwise* Be'

celled his daughter to him and said, "Chief's daughter of

the Talldegians*" He put his hand on her head and smooth-

ed her hair* I t worried her add she wanted to get the

chores done before the atorm* Be forbade her marrying any-

one but an Indian and she tried to comfort him for she bad

no notion of marrying anyone else as a l l her friends were

Indians* But as he was a prophet,he knew that she would

marry one of the people coming up the hi l l* I t grieved

him terribly* liken the seu got c» there taay saw fcbat

they were Spanish men* Tha mules were loaded with goW;

the wagons had groceries and green ooffee in Book*, they

permission but started unloading and taking the

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sacks in the house* One sack had a snai l hole In i t and

the coffee ran out of I t In a l i t t l e stream*

Rain f e l l for several days and the sun oan» out ,.

Tery hot an) s t i l l they stayed* One of the Spaniard*

offered the chief anything he wanted for penal sal on to

marry Emma* She vent to her falser and told him she loved

the Spaniard and -wanted to marry him* He was looking out

and saw something oa the ground and took her to look at i t .

The coffee had come up in a l i t t l e crooked row* I t looked

l i k e mushrooms except there were two leaves , and whiter.

He told her she would marry the man and go a long way from

horn* and never see h i s face again* When she was old she

would return* The white aaishrooms meant that she 'wouldn't

have enough to eat t o give her a dark color* She did leave,

returned and Harried a man named Holcoab and died at the age

of 120 yeaue a t Salem.

LB&END CJ GiUSSl LAK2S - -

Khan these same Spaniards weie going to Mexico, some

P6opl« they took to be robbers were following tbenu When

they oaos t o Grassy Lake, three miles west and f ive south

of Spring m i l they threw the gold i n the water and as far

as I know i t i s s t i l l there*

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MASONIC LO0GES

One ifasonio Lodge was on the county l ine between

Hearyette and Qkemah and two miles north* I t had doors

and f loor of s p l i t t r e e s , there was an eagle on top and

a Maaonio Emblem* I t «as one room with the west na i l

higher than the east one* The roof «as of clipboards*

The door was swing on wood on hinges* I don't ramamber

what t r a i l I t was on*

HOOOBS HING3S

Oat the fork of a t r e e and fasten i t to the vroll,

or opening for the door; one limb f l a t tc the t a l l and

the other s t icking out to go in the eye on the doer* To

stake the eye take a piece of elm limb and bend r igh t backby

to make & small c i r c l e . Fasten to the door/at l e a s t two

or ' th ree eyes.•• y

Note; The information on page 9 about pictures on cementposts in rivers and on rocks explains one of thef i rs t interviews irfth Minds Gear Kardin ishsrsin

, she told of these but did not give definite in-formation as contained herein.- Editor.