In June 1892 W. F. and Nancy Cabaniss arrived in Arapaho from Titus County, Texas with covered wagons and a herd of cattle. Rufus and Mittie Cobb arrived in Arapaho October 1892 with three wagon loads after three weeks on the trails from Healdton, Chickasaw Nation. John and Emmaline Jones loaded a train box-car with wagons and implements in Missouri. The Jones rode the train to El Reno then drove their loaded wagons to Arapaho February 1898. James and Myrtle Dovel traveled by train from Virginia to Arapaho November 1906. They all came with children and more children were born in Custer County. Thirty one children were born to these four couples, many grand-children and great-grandchildren.

I'm one of those great grandchildren. Family meant a lot and there are two dozen cousins of Cabaniss and a dozen of Cobb. The Genealogy Bug bit. Where did the Cabaniss - Jones - Cobb - Dovel ancestors came from? Started up  researching the Family Tree.

Getting started, Surnames
and Family Histories.

Genealogy has it's own Humor.

I'm interested in the Family History and Local History of Southwest Oklahoma. I was raised in Custer County and have lived in Greer County, Oklahoma over twenty years. Greer County has an unusual history. It was claimed by Texas until 1896.

I hope you enjoy the family histories told here and on other pages linked. If you have comments, information, or a connection please e-mail.

Thadeus Hiram Cobb and wife, Effie Caroline Burke, maternal great-great grandparents, left Georgia for Texas in 1856. They settled in Fannin County, Texas. Thadeus enlisted Jun 8, 1861 at Lamar County, Texas with Confederate States Army Volunteers. During the Civil War Effie and the children went to Alabama.

The family returned to Fannin County in 1868. They lived in Indian Territory a short time and settled in Montague County, Texas by 1878. Thadeus and Effie had eleven children, Mary L., Caledonia, Emma, Nancy, Rufus, William, J.A. & Sarah (twins), Martha, Robert and Ross. Effie died in Montague County in 1899. After Effie's death, Thadeus lived with sons in Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory and died at Gyp, O. T. 1906.

R. C. Woods and Elsie Yochman, were the parents of great-great grandmother Armindie Malisse Wood, born in Tennessee 18 October 1851. Armindie married Darwin Safford Mann 1 August 1872 in Logan County, Arkansas.
Darwin traveled from Missouri through Arkansas when he stopped near Alma at a brush arbor revival camp meeting and met the pretty girl outside the brush arbor. After meeting Armindie several times he asked her to marry him. At her house her brothers sat on the porch and told Darwin, "She's not going with you." Darwin spurred his horse, circled it around and drew his gun in the maneuver. With the drop on Armindie's brothers, he told her to mount her horse and travel down the road where he would meet her later.

Do you know Armindie's brothers?

Darwin & Armindie Mann

Darwin was a teamster, owned teams of oxen. He and Armindie lived in Crawford and Logan counties, Arkansas, Carroll County, Missouri, and Custer, Bryan and McIntosh counties, Oklahoma. They raised nine children: Louise Emmeline, Harrison Casablanka, Lorenzo Washington, Frances Franklin, Wesley Penroy, Owen Clifford, Ollie Green, Bessie Maude, and John Pauley. Darwin and sons helped build railroad in Custer County, Oklahoma in 1900.

Emmeline married John S. Jones, Custer County pioneers in 1898.

Margaretta Johnson Mann
1820 Canada-188? Missouri. I feel very lucky to have a picture of a great-great-great grandmother. According to the 1850 Census, Margaretta Johnson was born 1820 in Canada. According to the 1880 census her father was born in New York, her mother in Canada. Margaretta married Daniel Selson Mann, of Wood County, (West) Virginia, about 1838. They lived in Wood County until they moved to Missouri about 1860. Daniel died in Livingston County, Missouri in 1876. Margaretta died in Carroll County, Missouri after 1880. Their children were Ann, Darwin, David, Rebecca, Bertha, Daniel C., and Siegel. Picture from Delores Mann.

Microfilmed newspapers at OHS
Western Oklahoma newspapers

Using Newspapers for Genealogy Research

"Like a kid searching for treasure when you're looking for the undiscovered it doesn't matter as much where you look as how wide you open your eyes." Phillips Co.

"Success - comes not so much from making great discoveries as from seeing the connections between small ones." National Genealogical Society Quarterly

Favorite quotes...
"Patterns of the past echo in the present and resound through the future."

"Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future. We make discoveries about ourselves." Gail L. Buckley

family pictures

Sometimes I enjoy a chance to sew and craft and crochet.

Thanks for coming by! Come back again.

Duke, Oklahoma 73532

Cyber Hymnal

K. I. S. S. I try to keep it simple!

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