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Residents of Courtney Flats ~~ 1890s

Click on photos to enlarge

Family of Peter Meekins, namesake of Petersburg.  Pictured are Peter's wife Margaret (Dunbar) and children Peter Alton, Jeff, and Netea. 1894 
Lola Meekins, eldest child of Peter and Margaret Meekins.  She married Henry Denny in 1894. Couple moved to Courtney and ran the ferry for a number of years before moving to New Mexico in 1899.
Edward Denny, brother of Henry Denny. Edward was with Henry Courtney when he died in 1898.  Edward Denney left Courtney in early 1900s.
Emma Cook age 16, b. 1882 TX dau of Green and Jo (Hancock) Cook. Arrived Petersburg 1890 married Tommy Carnahan 1900, lived at Courtney till deat 1949, buried Bourland Cem. Photo 1898 .

Four photos below are from a wedding in the Chickasaw Nation taking place at Orr for Nancy Dorsett and Alex Hammons on Jan 1, 1892.  The Hammons and Dorsett families resided at Petersburg.
Wedding Day Jan 1, 1892 Nancy Dorsett and Alex Hammons. Nancy b. 1871 Hill Co., TX to Watt and Martha Hancock Dorsett. Alex b. 1863 Fort Smith, AR to Joe and Emma Hammons. Couple makes their new home at Cornish, I.T.
Wedding guest brother of the bride, Henry Dorsett b. 1875 Bosque Co., TX arrived in area with his parent in 1876. Married Rose Wardlow at Courtney 1898. Removed from area early 1900s
Jack Dool, cousin of the bride, b. 1873 Hill Co., TX.   Jack's mother Mary Hancock Dool was one of the earliest settlers at Courtney, arriving in 1872. Jack lived his entire life at Courtney. He was killed by his son-in-law Shorty Scroggins 1921.
Thomas Hancock, cousin of the bride.  Thomas b. 1869 Hill Co., TX arrived to the Flat with parents Doc and Nancy Hammons Hancock in 1876. Removed to Walla Walla, WA ca. 1896

Tom Dorsett b. 1869 TX arrived pre-Petersburg with parents at age 7 in 1876. Married Marietta Tulley 1890 Spanish Fort. Pictured with sons Will and Edgar ca. 1897 while residing at Courtney. The family removed to Cornish ca. 1910. 
George Oliver "Doc" and Nancy Hammons Hancock family ca. 1896. Family arrived Courtney ca 1876.  Tom, Charles, George, Ethel and Arthur. Family removed by train to Walla Walla, WA ca. 1896.
William Garrett Elms died at Courtney 1899, buried in Montague Co., TX.  His widow Mollie and children remained in the community.  Mollie Elms operated a Hotel ca. 1910 at Old Bellville.
Mag Gilkey Cook and Luster, 1898 Mag Gilkey arrived at Courtney with her father in 1888 from TX. She married a widower Green Cook 1894 near Petersburg. Green and Mag Cook family removed to Wetumka, OK ca 1909.

Seated: Martha Dorsett, mother of the bride, arrived pre-Petersburg Mar 1, 1876. Alex and Nancy Hammons. Standing center Marietta Dorsett wife of Tom Dorsett. Others unknown.
Amanda Jones Jackson b. 1820 MS m. Wm Jackson. Arrived Montague Co from AR ca. 1863. Mother of Lute, Green, and Alfred Jackson. Resided Courtney Flat area most of 1880s and 90s. removed to Cornish before her death 1899.
Aaron Swiger was b. 1825 in Harrison Co., VA. He arrived at Courtney Flats in the 1890s. Aaron died at Courtney 7 Oct 1897 and is buried in Bourland Cem.  mwbarrett2014 photo.
Driskill; Alonzo and Nancy, standing: James and Molly. Alonzo Driskill, a Confederate vet, arrived with his family 1 Jan 1875. His wife died in 1876 and he later married Nancy. Family moved to Carter Co in 1890s.

Henry Andrew Jackson Sorrells and dau Matilda Sorrells Rubottom,  Matilda m. Wm Penn Rubottom ca. 1876, arrived east side of Mud Creek across from Courtney in 1890s.
Wm H. H. Keltner and wife Mattie Burns 1898. Keltner, namesake of community on the east side of Mud Creek across from Courtney in early 1870s. Years later the community was replaced by Rubottom two miles to the north. A neldaairington photo.
Tommy Carnahan b. 1881 in the Chickasaw Nation possibly Courtney or Cornish. Died 1949 buried Bourland Cemetery. Photo ca. 1891..
Laura Carnahan Hogue and son Walter, ca. late 1899.  Laura was born 1875 Princeton, IN arrived with her parents in Chickasaw Nation  ca. 1876. Resident Courtney until ca. 1907.

Chickasaw Bill and Lucinda Melvina Bourland at their home at Petersburg ca. 1892. Tankie Spivey photo.
Della and Dovie Sparks, Rennie Bourland, and Maudie." ca. 1905.  Written on back "married at Spanish Ft, TX".  Note: Dovie Sparks died in 1910. Photo by Tankie Spivey
Millie Jane Singleton Bagwell died at Courtney 1900, Photo by cweed2010

John Adam Fowler, arrived at Courtney ca. 1873 a blacksmith, opened the first general merchandise store ot Courtney towne. After 20 years at Courtney he moved his business and family to Duncan 1893. photo taken the following year at Duncan.
 Rau Neil Cooper, wife of Dr. Geo Cooper arrived Courtney area ca. 1889. Widowed in 1892 Rau remained in the Courtney area for years. Photo Stonewall Saloon Museum, Saint Jo., TX.

With the turn of the century nearing, a photographer made their way through the Courtney Flats community 
Several photographs below date from Fall 1899
  

Dr. George T. Cooper, far right, in his Apothecary ca 1890. Dr. Cooper and family arrived at Courtney in 1889 from Hunt Co., TX.  Three years later Dr. Cooper died and was buried across the Red River at Illinois Bend.  Is this photo of the Apothecary located at Courtney?  Photo by Stonewall Saloon Museum, Saint Jo, TX.
Cooper family home Courtney, Fall of 1899. Dr. Geo T. Cooper died in 1892.  His widow Rau (Neil) Cooper holds his photo image to bring him into the picture.  They had four children: Pearl b. 1886 TX, Ed 1888 TX (standing by the horse), and two daughters born at Courtney; Ruth 1891 and Georgia 1893 (both pictured). Photo by Stonewall Saloon Museum, Saint Jo., TX.

Winter scene at the Chickasaw Bill Bourland home built in the early 1890s. Chickasaw Bill and Rennie Bourland built this home on the west side of the Petersburg town road west of the Bourland cotton gin. The home set on the north side of the road facing south.  Built from plank boards the home was L shaped with a large chimney.  Notice the unattached building on the right.  Family members are slightly visible in front of the home after a recent snowfall. Photo by Tankie Spivey
Courtney School, Fall of 1899.  Ethel Raines front row 6th from right. Children living at Courtney at this time include: Clarence & Effie Dennie, Lucinda Fortner, Nevie, Gussie, Harley, & Frank Hudson, Rubin, Myrtle, & Maggie Crenshaw, Mandie & Willis Rolls, Edith, Susan, Viola, & Sarah Davis, Frankie & Mandie Blankenship, James, Albert, & Emma Kensey, Clarke, Claude, Willis, & Blanche Pitas, Hattie & John Taylor, Daisy, Walter, & James Eubanks, Hoppe, Bishop, & Winston Yeary, George, Ruth, Edward, & Pearl Cooper, Sam, Lillie, & Charley  McGauky, Lee, Sarah, Amanda, & Jesse Mason, Monroe Crow, Susan, John, Mary, & Minnie Kirby, Edgar & Dick Bossett, Susan Barrett, Robt, Minnie, Will Fought, Myrtle, Lee, Melvine, & Fannie Shiplet, George & Will Cook, Burnard Gilkey, Lilly, Conley, & Manuel Lavada. 

Picture
Another view of the Bourland home pictured above.  This one possibly taken in the Fall of 1899.  The angle of the photo is taken more from the side which makes it look like the stand alone building on the far right is connected.  Dim images of family members can be seen standing on the porch to the left of the chimney.  Chickasaw Bill (of Chickasaw descent) and his wife Lorinda "Rennie" Harkins (of Choctaw descent) built the home abt 1890.  Rennie died in Aug 1899.        Seeking better photo...........

William Sherman Joines was of mixed blood Chickasaw descent on his mothers side.  He made his fortune in the cattle business and settled in the Chickasaw Nation just north of Spanish Fort.  The Sherman Joines home was built in 1896 on a high point north west of Petersburg . The home was constructed of native sandstone with 24” thick outer walls and 20” thick partitions inside. The home took 5 years to complete..  Pictured: Two women; Mattie Joines, the other a servant Ms Cowan.  Baby Edgar Joines b. July 1899.  Seven year old Virgie Joines on the porch with her doll.  Unknown man and Sherman Joines far right. Notice two large hunting dogs.   A few years later the family moved to Ardmore. This is the oldest home still standing in the area and is owned by descendants of Lloyd & Dorothy Jackson family. 
Green Cook and family arrived at Courtney Flats area in the mid 1870s settling on the west end of Courtney Flats, across the river from Spanish Fort.  Abt 1896 Green Cook and families moved to the east end of the Flat to Courtney and built this home. The home faced south along the road heading west on the outside of town.  Pictured L to R: Dick Davis holding Mamie (b. June 1899) and Henry, wife Beadie Davis, Fonze McCarty holding Kona (b. July 1899) and Jodie, wife Pennie McCarty.  Mag Cook with Green Cook holding Luster,  Mollie Rains and dau. Ethel.  Susan Cook (Green's sister).  George Cook, Bernard Gilkey (Mag's son), Will Cook.  A Geo Cook family photo, taken Fall of 1899.               Seeking better photo............

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