Volume 7 , Issue 8

Charles Fredrick Faulkner & Mattie Greear

This information and history of the Faulkner's was taken from the "Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County", pgs 213-215, as told by Greta Faith and Opal French.

Charles Fredrick Faulkner was born 7 Aug. 1864, Springville, Virginia; died 5 Apr. 1910, Alva, Oklahoma. Mattie A. Greear was born 7 July 1869, Grant, Virginia; died 23 Oct. 1944, Alva, Oklahoma. Charles and Mattie married at the GREEAR home, 18 July 1888, Grant, Virginia. Charles was a farmer and blacksmith for 5 years in Virginia. About 1893 they loaded their family of six children, father and mother into a wagon & team -- headed westward for greater opportunities and adventures. They sold their Virginia home and headed west to Taneyville, Missouri (first stop on their westward adventure).

The publicity coming from Oklahoma Territory intrigued Charles. In early 1900 Charles and his neighbor (Gains Cobb) came to Oklahoma Territory to look it over and stake a claim. They placed their filing November 2, 1900 and headed back to Taneyville, MO to retrieve their family for the move to their homestead in NW Oklahoma Territory. Homesteaders had 2 months to establish their residence on homesteads as required by law. This was also the time that Charles sold his Missouri home and interest in his blacksmith shop -- bought a wagon and team for the trip to Oklahoma Territory that was made by Charles, Mattie and six little Faulkners. A friend, preacher (Logan Matthews) also made the trip with them.
On the trail westward to Oklahoma territory, the trail was lined with covered wagons and other adventurous pioneers. At night travelers congregated in camps and cooked meals together. The Faulkner homestead was located 21 miles NW of Alva. They arrived at their homestead late afternoon, on Christmas Eve, 1900. The Old Fort Supply trail from Kiowa, KS to Ft. Supply, OK went through their homestead near their home.

In the Spring a postoffice was established with a store in their home. Charles carried mail free of charge for several months to get a post office established. It was in June, 1901 when a post office was granted with Charles F. Faulkner as postmaster -- named after him (Faulkner, Oklahoma Territory). By 1907 the Faulkner Store and Post Office changed hands and moved 3 times... from Charles Faulkner to Jim Butler to George Adams and then sold to a cousin of Mattie Greear Faulkner (Alonzo N. Greear).

It was late Summer of 1905 when Will Cummins was courting Ollie Faulkner (daughter of Charles & Mattie). That was the same time that Charles came home from Alva with a shining new "fringe top surrey." They also made a trip into Alva to see "Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show." Also, Ollie and Will Cummins were married at the Faulkner homestead and went to make their home on Greenleaf Creek.

It was Charles Faulkner who had the opportunitity to represent Woods County as a local delegate at the first state convention. He signed the ratification papers admitting Oklahoma as a state, Nov. 16, 1907 and Charles Haskell was first Governor.

Charles and Mattie had 11 children (6 boys, 5 girls): Allen, Felix, Birtie (died at birth), Blake, Ollie, Peggy Grace, Emma, Verna Drucilla, Jessie Dunn, Calvin Greear, Fay Haskell. -- Faulkner, O.T. (pdf file)   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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