Wm.H. “Black Bill” Anderson’s  1908 Diary

Dear Kinfolk,

While looking through some old family letters, I found Granddad William H. “Black Bill” Anderson’s 1908 Diary.  The family was living on 160 acres along Rush Creek, about 18 miles northwest of Cheyenne, Oklahoma.  He homestead the land obtained in the Cheyenne – Arapaho land run of 1892.  Life was not easy living with seven children,  no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing.  They lived on this small ranch for 22 years while the children attended the Red Moon Indian Agency’s school.

The diary is an interesting  insight as to Granddad Bill’s effort to keep food on the table for his family.  Around 1907 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Roger Mills County.   I imagine he obtained this position because of his reputation with guns and horses.  The following is from his 1908 pocket calendar when he was 41 years old.

1 January 1908   Came home and fixed hog fence. 

2     ”        Built  hog fence, hauled wood.

3      ”       Rained all day, hauled wood 

4     ”       Went to Hamburg. De- horned calves.

5     ”        Killed 14 quail.

6    ”        Went to Cheyenne.  Me and Uncle Ben bought 40 hogs and 4 steers.

7    ”       Gathered corn.

8   ”       Went to Spring Creek, got hogs and steers.

9.  ”      Went to Walter Simpsons and got  a calf.  Killed 14 quail, went to Hamburg  and killed 1 quail .

10  ”     Fixed fence, killed 23 quail, hauled hay for hog bed.  Oyster supper at school house.

11.  ”   Wind blew hard, no supper, cold wind  , hauled wood.  Went to Orlshager and got yearling and gathered corn.

12.  ”   Went 2 miles north of Texoma, stayed all night with Virgil Watkins.

13.  ”   Served 11 supenias and went home.

14.  ”  Went to Shoefildt  and served warrant on Price.  Spent night at Bakers.

15  ”    Waited until noon for Judge Pril taken charge.

16. ”  Went to Cheyenne.

17.  ”  Killed hogs for Hughes and Douglass, 4 head $16.00. Went to sale bought 6 hogs.  Served 5 supenians.

18.  ”  Worked around home, went over to Fayets.

19.  ”   Went to Sayer , turned Blue dog horse back to Walker Kraft, got $16.00.

20. ”  Got comflimes out of Cafky for $28.00.  Came home.

21.  ”  Went up West served  6 supenians .

22.  ”  Went to Ilalda Wig sale, bought one —– and some dishes.

23.  ”  Went to Cheyenne an bought black team.

24.  ”  Went home, left team in town.

25.  ”  Gathered corn.

26.  ”  Me and Uncle Ben hunted for jug and went to Lytles to look at hogs .

27.  ”  Me and Uncle Ben came to Cheyenne to court.

28.  ”  Went to S. Weaver served warrant on a Tra– at Herrington.

29.  ”  Came to Cheyenne.  Hendrax  turned matti  Strong case to McMurtry.

30.  ”  Went to McAurther, served 4 supenias.

31.  ”  Beat Spaulding MFG l– in law suit against matti. Came home.            

Please bear with me if the sentences and spelling are confusing.  The diary was written in pencil 107 years ago and very hard to read.

  On the farm they raised cattle, hogs and a garden.  His daughter said he hired most of the work done, as he had difficulty “staying down on the farm”. He would find a  poker or faro game in Hamburg or Elk City, Oklahoma Territory.   Grandmother Tommie Lee Anderson said he liked to gamble and was pretty lucky.  She said she would pray that he would lose so he would come home and stay.  Her prayers  were answered on September 6, 1908 when he was baptized in Rush Creek!    He accepted Christ and from that day on he stopped gambling and drinking.

Jim Lee Anderson