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Here it is..the interview w/ Joseph L. Reese taken from the copy word for word. My grandmother gave me this, I hope it is of some use to everyone. I find it quite interesting myself:
Joe Reese
born 1861
Oral Interview
Biography form
Works Progress Administration
Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Micro-fiche #6016940 (card 623)
Field Worker's name: Gus Hummingbird
This report made: June 17, 1939 at Peavine Community, Stilwell, Oklahoma
Joe Reese, a fullblood Cherokee Indian, was born in Goingsnake Districts, Cherokee Nation, March 11, 1861. His parents were Andy Reese and Sallie (Ketcher) Reese, a sister to Jeff Ketcher (and Ellis Ketcher b. 1856).
Early Life
Most of Mr. Reese's early life was spent on a small farm on what is now known as East Peavine, which is located about five miles north of the city of Stilwell, Oklahoma. His father at that time owned about a ten acre farm in this community, which was very thinly settled.
They lived on this farm until he was about twelve years old when the family moved to Baron Fork Creek near what is now the village of Christie. Joe remained with his family on tis place until he was a man, or when he married. The place on East Peavine was sold to some old Cherokee by the name of Cornsilk.
After moving to the Christie community Joe attended the old Whitmire School. He attended this school until he finished the fourth grade. He went to only one teacher during this time adn that was Miss Betsy Whitmire, a Cherokee girl.
Joe had brothers and sister who also went to this school. They were Betty, Kate, Johnson, Richard, and Ellis. Johnson was killed by Walker Bark several years ago. Richard was killed by a train in 1917. The rest still live near Proctor.
Churches
The earliest church that Joe knows anything about was the Cherokee church known as "Bid Shed", later called Antioch Baptist or Peavine Church. This church was well established when he was a small boy and his parents attended this church. J.B.H. Gritts was the preacher who served this church as pastor in the early days.
Indians
The old timers who lived near Mr. Reese at that time were Toss Shell, Ed Walkingstick, Cornsilk, Wolfe Coon, Jeff Ketcher, and Jim Fishinghawk. These old timers lived the simplest way. The daily food was usually cornbread, beans, wild meats of all kinds. This food was found on almost every table in this country at that time. Most of the food consumed by the amily was raised on the small farms of these Cherokees. They did not plant suh lage crop of corn, which was the chief crop in those days. Five acres of corn was cosidered a large crop. This was stored in small building called cribs.
The land produced about twenty-five bushels to the acre. All of the Cherokees owned hogs. There was plenty of mast at that time and plenty of trees produced abundant crop of acorns. Therefore, there was not much of this corn fed to the hogs. They got fat on the mast. Joe's fatehr has owned as any as two hundred hogs at a time.
He has owned as many as twenty sows at a time. Pasturs were not known then. If a family needed meat they would go to the woods and kill as many as they wished. Any Cherokee who had owned hogs at any time had a claim in the woods that enabled him to kill any amount of hogs his family could use.
Trading Posts and Milling Posts
Dutchtown, Cincinnati, Siloam, and Evansville were their main trading and milling points at that time. Dutchtown was their nearest town. Vol English was the early day trader at this place. He was all kinds of trader. He was a merchant, stockman, and a farmer.
Cincinnati was their milling point. This was also their main market for fu
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