Volume 14 , Issue 7

Wynnewood Chickasaw Nation's Dr. Wilson

This bit of history was taken from the History of Oklahoma, page 1343, by Joseph B. Thoburn and published in 1916. It concerns the pioneer Herbert Posten Wilson, M.D.

It was back in 1900, when Wynnewood was one of the small but growing villages of the old Chickasaw Nation, Doctor Wilson identified himself with the medical fraternity there and has since continued in practice a period of fifteen years, being one of the oldest physicians in that part of the state in point of continuous residence.

Dr. Herbert Posten Wilson brought with him a thorough experience from Texas, where he had practiced for a number of years. Doctor Wilson was the type of physician who was not only progressive as to his own attainments and ability, but did much to promote the welfare of the community in which he lived.

Wilson was a native of North Carolina, having been born at Rutherfordton in Rutherford County, January 25, 1858. The Wilson ancestors came originally from ireland and settled in Lauderdale County, North carolina, and were residents in that section during colonial times. The doctor's father was William F. Wilson, who was born in rutherford County, North Carolina, in 1833. He became a farmer and stockman, and from North Carolina he entered the Confederate army during the war between the states and served four years. He was wounded in the battle of Manassas. In 1870 he removed to Bethany, Tennessee, and in 1880 established his home in Denton County, Texas. He lived at Pilot Point for a number of years, but died while temporarily at St. Joe, Texas, in 1905. He was a democrat, a member of the methodist Episcopal Church. The maiden name of his wife was Martha Stafford, who was born in North Carolina in 1835, and died at Altus, Oklahoma, in 1911.

Their children were: Alice, wife of T. C. Price, a carpenter and builder at Pilot Point, Texas; Dr. herbert P.; Ada, wife of T. Brown, a farmer at Altus, Oklahoma; H. N., who graduated M.D. from the Vanderbilt University at Nashville, and lived at Dye, Texas, where in addition to his profession he is a merchant, farmer and stockman, and one of the leading citizens; Fannie was the widow of B. R. Newman, a former stockman, and she lived at Nocona, Texas; L. S., whose death occurred at Dye, Texas, was a stockman; Parthenia was the wife of Patten Cole, a cotton dinner at Altus, Oklahoma; Santippe was the wife of Judson Wilheit, a farmer at Altus; Andrew resided at Wynnewood, Oklahoma.

Dr. Wilson was 12 years of age when his parents removed to Bethany, Tennessee, where he continued his early education in the common schools and in the Bethany Academy. After leaving that institution in 1877 he was a teacher in Tennessee until 1882 and then moved to Grayson County, Texas. For five years he was in the drug business in that section of the state, and in the meantime had definitely decided upon his future profession, and entered the Vanderbilt University at Nashville, where he was graduated M.D. in 1893.

R. Wilson progressiveness in professional matters was indicated by the fact that he had since taken two post-graduate courses in the New Orleans Polyclinic and two in the Illinois Post-Graduate School at Chicago, where he specialized in surgery. The first year of practice was spent at Tom Bean in Grayson County, texas, and after that he was located at St. Joe, Texas, until 1900.

In his fifteen years spent at Wynnewood Dr. Wilson had acquired a large patronage and his skill as a surgeon had been especially appreciated. He was local surgeon for the Southland Cotton Oil Company. His offices were in the Wilson Building on Main Street, a building that was one of his contributions to the material progress of the community. He had served as president of the Garvin County Medical Society, was for nine years a councillor of the Oklahoma State Medical Society and was a member of the American Medical Association. In 1916 he was serving as health officer of Garvin County.

In politics Dr. Wilson was a democrat. He was chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Wynnewood and was a member and past master of Wynnewood Lodge No. 40, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and had taken eighteen degrees in the Scottish Rite Valley of Guthrie Consistory No. 1.

While living in Tennessee in 1880 Dr. Wilson married Miss naomi Hughey, whose father, H. H. Hughey, deceased, was a farmer. Their one daughter, beatrice, was the wife of George L. Bradfield, who was cashier of the State National Bank of Wynnewood.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---