STEPHEN
ALVA VAN CLEAVE
Born Sept. 17, 1865 - Died
1963
By Carrie Myers Van Cleave
Strickland
Back Row (LtoR):Howard,
Edna, Harvey, Neil, and Ross.
Front Row (LtoR) Dora Lee
Whitney Van Cleave, Carrie, and Stephan Alva Van Cleave
My father was a real
pioneer. He was born and lived in Iowa
near Adel until he was 16 yrs old, when his parents sold their home and went
west to Furnas County, Nebraska, near Wilsonville. His aunt and family lived a
few miles east of there on Beaver Creek.
They rented a farm until they could find one they could buy. They bought one 1/4 mile south of Wilsonville on Beaver Creek almost
all bottom land.
When he was 21, he went to
Colorado and filed on land near Burlington, Colorado. He stayed there just long
enough to learn that there was a drier place than Nebraska. He relinquished his
filing rights back to the government and went back to Nebraska where he married
Dora Lee Whitney in 1888, who had lived there since 1872. In 1891 he and his brother Archie went to
Oregon near Troutdale and worked clearing timber off the land. One year later my mother and I joined them
in Oregon. We lived there 1 year when
son Howard Oregon was born on Valentines day 1892.
We went back to
Nebraska. Mother, she was
homesick. Papa always regretted not
staying in Oregon. Times were very hard
in Nebraska, dry weather no feed for stock.
They killed their hogs in 1894, rather than let them starve to death,
just as people killed their cattle during the depression here in Oklahoma. Then it rained and corn came on good and the
chinch bugs came and ruined the crop.
In the beginning of the century, Papa kept hearing about Oklahoma and
Indian Territory being opened for settlement.
In 1900 he and his brother Jake went to Oklahoma in a covered wagon as
far south as 20 miles south of Anadarko.
During this time he ran out
section lines and took the numbers of land that could be filed on. He sold these to men who had their numbers
to be filed on, but saved several
for himself. When it came time for him to file he went to El Reno and the last
man that came out of filing office had filed on the number he had. He went
outside determined not to file on a number he hadn't seen. He met a man who had
just filed an old soldiers claim for his father. It was 15 miles S.W. of Carnegie and he had some numbers left and
he gave father his next choice after the one he filed on so he took a chance
and filed on it 21-6-14.
When he came back to Minco
he loaded all of the furniture into the second wagon and left it in the wagon
yard of a friend. The other team and
colts and a cow were in a pasture a mile west of Minco and he left them there
We went to Anadarko, then up the Washita River through Carnegie and on to Mountain
View. There was nothing at either but a
depot & section house. Mountain
View was 1 ½ miles north of the
railroad. We needed supplies so we went
on to old Mountain View. Camped just
south of town and had dinner.
He got lined up and we
started S.E. to locate homestead, That night - we camped on Pecan Creek about 1
½ miles N.W. of homestead. The next
morning we drove on a ways and he located a corner stone which was the N.W.
corner of homestead of course then he had to run the other lines. He was pretty blue, as it was rough in edge
of mountains and the grass was burnt off.
A cowboy told us there was a stream 2 mi E. where we could get good
water. We went there and met another
cowboy (Loree Jones) who told us there
was a spring of good water a mile south. We went there and found the spring it
was wonderful. Such good water. We
camped there three weeks undecided what to do about getting the other stock and
wagon out there. Then one Sunday a man and his wife came to see us as they had
been told a family was there. They lived about 5 mile S.E. but told us that we
could camp in their yard and the family could stay there while Papa went back
to Minco to bring the other things back to the Isham homestead, We did that and
then the Ishams needed to go to town to get their household supplies near
Perry, Okla., so we stayed there to care for their house, 14xl4 ft. Later Bill
Mock and Charlie came out from Minco to settle on 80A, he had filed on after
the drawing.
We had plenty of good water
but carried it a mile. We moved into
Ishams house and Bill lived in our tent.
Papa and Mock drove 6 ½ miles every day over and back to build the sod
house on the homestead. They had to go to Saddle Mt. to get the logs to make
frames for the roof and roofing. It was
ready just before Christmas 1901. We
moved there then. He had until the last of Feb. to move on to it or lose his
filing rights. Then they built a sod house for Mocks. They only drove 1 ½ miles there so they built it much quicker. Mrs. Mock and the young children came from
Kansas, where they were waiting. She
brought fresh apples and dried fruits and did we enjoy them, as we had lived on
sow belly beans water gravy, but we did have light bread after moving to Ishams
as they had a cook stove. Before that
we had water biscuits (ugh).
There were more southern
people in Washita Co, and they raised sweet potatoes which were good, but not
so adaptable to the northern way of cooking, The people in the north cooked
more like Europeans. We hungered for
good old Irish potatoes which you couldn't get in Mountain View. We had a wonderful garden the first year on
the homestead and ten acres of corn. We
dried a fifty pound flour sack of corn.
That was a lot of corn, our cow freshened and we had milk which was a
god send.
Papa and Howard broke sod
for the Weavers, Mr. Sewell, Jim Gault, and Mr. Snelling then they went to Mr.
Berry's and broke 40A. They ate at the
Berry's. We had lots of rain and the
house leaked all over. We were just
miserable. We finally set up the tent
by the house and slept there for a long time and kept dry.
One day Papa and Momma were
walking a distance N.E of house and saw that corner of house giving way. The
sod just being washed out from under roof. They came running like mad. Harvey was
asleep on a bed inside and they were afraid it would collapse before they could
get him out. But Papa braced I as well as he could and it never caved in. Later
when he had proved up on the homestead and had it in his name he mortgaged it
for enough to buy 1x12s to cover the house and from then on it was very
comfortable. Cool in summer and warm in winter, he also put a board floor in.
Before he re-roofed it one summer we killed 11 centipedes 8 to 10 inches long,
o boy they were scary looking. At least 1 ½ inches wide with greenish black
shiny backs, yellow legs. A small one was in Mamma's dress one morning when she
dressed and it pinched her and hurt bad and she could never forget that. This
happened in a sod house in Nebraska.
From another document by the same author:
My father Stephen Alva Van
Cleave and wife Dora and children, Carrie 12, Howard 9, Neil 5, Ross 4, Edna 2,
and Harvey 3 months, started to Oklahoma in June across Kansas as it was harvest
time. My father worked there through
harvest then on towards Oklahoma. We
reached Northern Oklahoma a few days before the end of the registration for
drawing numbers for land drawing. He
caught a train at (Medford), Kremlin and went to El Reno to register then back
to get the family and go on to El Reno. There he bought a newspaper and read
the list of the ones who drew lucky numbers and he was one of them, but almost
to the last, 5689. We went on to Minco, Indian Territory. We had a friend
there, Sam Bass. We stayed there a few
days, then pitched the tent on a lot across the alley. Papa built a brush arbor by the tent and we
lived there until he filed on a quarter section of land in Kiowa Co., in eastern
part, N.W. 21-6-14, eleven or twelve miles S.E. of present site of Mountain
View. He built a sod house on the homestead.
Which we moved into before Christmas 1901. He and a neighbor, Bill Mock when it was finished we moved into
it and then they built a sod house for the Mocks then dug a well near our
house. Papa and my brother Howard broke sod for the neighbors. Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Weaver, Mr. Ross, Mr.
Sewell, Jim Gault, Mr. Snelling and Mr. Berry and Mr. Prince. That fed us and
the horses. There were lots of prairie dogs and rattlesnakes. We killed dozens
of them, but were fortunate as none of us got bit. We also killed enormous sized centipedes. The roof of the house
was built of logs, posts willows and sod.
When it rained it leaked all over.
We had to sleep in the tent. We
had plenty Mesquite wood which is the best that grows that we cooked with. Coal
oil lamp and 1 lantern.
In Feb. and Mar., the other
people who filed on land started moving In.
The Shaws. Burkets, Princes,
Cobbs, Schlegels, Okersons, Packs, Mrs. Kendall and a Dr. on land joining Papa's
on south as well as some others I have mentioned before. In March they decided
to build a school houses. It was sod, too, and built on the Northwest corner of
Schlegel farm, N.W. 22-6-14. Our first teacher was Robert Quarry. It was a 3
month term, but all the time it stood we had Sunday school and a sermon
occasionally. Mr. Kern preached some. People
came there for many miles. The next spring they built a frame building and we
had another 3 mo. term. Miss Ida Loop
taught. That gave us 6 mos. schooling
in 2 years.
And from yet
another document by Carrie's daughter:
Carrie was one year old when
S.A. and brother Archie went to Oregon by train, to clear timber. One of S.A.'s cousins, Gene Francis, and his
family 2-3 children lived at Trout Dale, Oregon. S.A. stayed two years. A
son, Royal, died at 6 mo, soon after S.A. left. They S.A. and Archie worked for Mr. Gray. One year later Grandma Van Cleave and
mother, Carrie, 2 yrs. went to Oregon.
Howard Oregon was born there.
They lived in one of Mr. Gray's houses.
Had a large orchard fenced where they kept hogs. Carrie remembers so well watching old sow
stand on hind feet to reach a limb and shake the apples off and other hogs came
running.
When the men had cleared
about ten acres of timbers, Grandma Van Cleave said, "Doesn't the prairie
look great."
Grandpa S.A. owned a farm
five miles N.W. of Wilsonville, Neb., decided to leave Oregon and go back to
Nebraska. When they stopped in Denver,
Colorado, the wind was blowing a "perfect gale". S.A. said if he had
the money for tickets he would have gone back to Oregon right then. The
Arkansas river was flooded so train couldn't pass, had to go down river as far
as Pueblo at highest bridge in work to be lifted by car, similar to ski lift,
back on train and on to Wilsonville.
First year back in Nebraska
severe drought. Had to kill cattle and
hogs rather then see them starve to death, Grandma Van Cleave had a pet pig she
wouldn't kill, fed it scraps, next year had pigs. Relatives in Iowa sent
clothing and some food to family. S.A.
farm upland. Great Grandpa V.C. creek
bottom. Beaver Creek.
A man who lived in
Wilsonville had made a run to Oklahoma and told stories that interested S.A. In
1906 S.A. sold farm to his father, Cornelius J, Van Cleave and Rachael
Chenoweth Van Cleave. Rachael's mother died when Rachael was three years old in
Indiana, her father raised her. She was
16 when she married Cornelius who was 29 yrs old. Cornelius was youngest in
family. His farm in Iowa was too small, sold it and moved to Wilsonville,
Nebraska. Cornelius rode train from
Iowa to Nebraska lost his money to a fast talker. Cornelius a very trusting person.
S.A. was sixteen when he
left Iowa with parents and arrived in Nebraska with sixteen dollars. They went to Francis's and lived with them
while he located a farm to buy. Went into debt to buy farm adjoining
Wilsonville on south, the best farm in the state on the Beaver Creek.
The family sold the farm and
moved to Holbrook and rented a half section (320) acres where they raised corn
for fifteen cents a bushel. He had horse powered threshing machines, he sold it
in 1900 as well as 150 turkeys, cattle and hogs to cousin Newt Sears, (Cora)
took the farm. They moved two miles
south of Wilsonville to Fisher farm. Had to walk 22 miles to school for two
months, rained constantly.
Later S.A. and family and
Aunt Abbie and Uncle Charlie Francis went together to Hayes, Kan., the latter
part of June. They took a cook shack
and S.A. worked in the harvest for three weeks. German family owned farm but lived in Hayes. S.A. family lived in house during
harvest. More work, must he in Oklahoma
for registering in July. Two covered wagons, Grandpa S.A. rode, Grandma, Ross,
Neal, Edna and Harvey had bed and could rest.
Carrie and Howard were in wagon with furniture only had spring seat and
couldn't rest all thru Kansas to last town and ate lunch in Oklahoma territory,
short distance to Salt Plains. Wanted
to get across plains before dark, no water.
Howard decided to make bed
in front of spring seat but rolled off wagon behind horses. The horse Old Jan was reliable, Howard
grabbed horses tail, the bedding was between wheels and horses feet. No more beds! The other horse Old Nell was
tricky and would have kicked him to death. Her mother was a wild horse. On to rough country up hill and down. Robinsons family from Nebraska were NW of
Enid twenty five miles. The town
fourteen miles straight east of Robinsons. Camped under trees, At four o'clock
S.A. went to town, boarded a train for El. Reno to register number in land
drawing. Came back next day too late to
leave. On third morning started toward
Enid, camped five miles N.E. of Enid. Had tent to pitch and beds, springs and
mattresses. S.A., Howard, Ross, Neal and Carrie slept in the tent, Dora Lee,
Edna and Harvey slept in wagon. It rained couldn't get beds out so got into
wagon. Sun came out and they hung
bedding on barbed wire fence. People
commented on washing. Packed and moved
on, bought supplies in Enid and on south to El Reno. S.,A. hadn't heard about numbers drawn, met many people going
north, no number but were congratulating S.A. not knowing, S.A. had made up his
mind: if no number would settle around Chickasha. They built fire and cooked supper then went to town for
newspaper. S.A. found his numbers near last, Dora jumped and burned her hand.
The next morning they drove
on to El Reno. They spent the night on railroad siding south edge El Reno. Up
and down the tracks suit cases were scattered that crooks had cut open and
tossed while the owners slept.
S.A. waited for time to file
and be there. Packed and went to South Canadian river, the river was flooded,
two miles to crossing. Grandma Dora and
kids were in head wagon, quick sand too.
Went back for heavier wagon, hitched both teams, (two colts following),
to be guarded at edge of river straight back.
As wagon reached rise the double tree broke. Two horses had to pull wagon up.
Ripple below at 11:00 army cook shack, mules too had gone down in quick
sand. 6:00 then, camped at Minco in George Bass wagon yard. He had had stable
in Wilsonville. Stayed in wagon yard
three days, decided to stay in Minco.
S.A and Mr. Wood from Nebraska. Minco in Indian Territory (one mile). Built arbor back of Bass wagon yard, stayed in during the day,
tent at night. Grandma and kids alone
at night often. Sam Bass, (16), stayed
with family much of the time.
Bill Mock put in
blacksmith. Mrs. Mock and kids, except
Charlie, went back to Kansas, their home.
Brought back dried apples.
Latter September S.A. had a
long list of numbers many ahead of him no numbers. He had no idea of what land
was like, didn't want land he hadn't seen.
Met Mr. Stewart, he gave him a number he could use, not first choice,
Stewart place was two miles south of S.A., a good place. S.A. was adept at
running out lines, stream two miles east of place, Spring Creek.
Louie Jones was camped two
miles south, told S.A. about Zimmerman Springs. The family camped there three weeks. S.A. went back to Minco for cow and furniture. He wouldn't leave
family alone in tent. Ishams were one
mile east of Dixie school, had a house and water one half mile from house. S.A. set up tent in yard of Ishams, six
miles from homestead.
Bill Mock in delivery wagon
discovered 80 A. had not been filed on. He went back to El Reno, filed. He had
only one horse so borrowed one from S.A. He moved supplies to Ishams. Bill Mock
and S.A. drove back and forth six miles to build sod house for S.A. In
1901. Grandma baked bread and cooked
for railroad survey crew. They finished
the house before Christmas 1901 and moved in.
The house was 14 X 30. When Mrs. Mock came back, their family of six
stayed with Van Cleave family of eight, while building sod house for
Mocks. S.A. and Bill hauled timber
(oak), for top and window frames from Saddle Mountain, twelve miles. Bill Mock moved black smith shop to Mountain
View. (Old Mt. View was 1 ½ miles from
railroad north of river). We didn't
have a buggy, used a sled and one horse to haul water in kegs one half
mile. Carnegie section house, depot in
Lathram now Carnegie.
Settlers on place March lst,
"1901 could be contested. They
could live on place 14 months to get clear title and pay for title or wait
three years for titles.
S.A.. and Howard broke sod
for living. They couldn't get enough
money, for to board roof on sod house, Carrie woke up, roof was leaking, so
curled herself around center pole to sleep.
They dug holes in floor to drain off water and dipped out.
One day S.A. and Dora were
walking a distance north east of house and saw the corner of the house giving
way. They ran back as Harvey was asleep
on a bed inside. S.A. braced the house
as best he could and they moved all of the beds into tent. (S.A. counted turn
of wagon wheel to measure mile). In 1904 the wood-frame house was built, set
straight by the north star.
In 1901 a sod house school
was built on N.W. corner of N.E. quarter of section 22. Range 14.
S.A. Van Cleave, Bill Mock, and Mr. Prince lived on Kindblade place,
were on school board. Robert Quarry was
the teacher for a three month term.
Carrie and Howard walked 1 1/2 miles to school, the students had to take
their slate. The N.E. part of district
reorganized, voted a bond to build school house ½ mile east and ½ north of old school. They had church services in sod school house 14 X 16. The new school was built on present
location, (Spring Valley). Miss Ida
Lupe was the first teacher, a three month term in 1902. In 1904 a six month term. Years later went to 8 months.
In 1906 Carrie had diphtheria,
was near death. Carrie finished
available work at Spring Valley then stayed in Mountain View four months for
schooling, outstanding teacher at about 16-17. At 18 years of age she started
teaching at Pecan school ½ west and 2
south of home place. She walked or rode
horse. There were so many pupils she
could not get all of work done in allotted hours, often 9:00, 4:30 or 5:00 and
only three month term. In 1908-1909 she
taught at Dixie, 10 south 2 west of Carnegie, three month term. S.A. took her warrant, she never saw
money. The bank would cash warrant but
took percentage. Carrie married in 1909
while teaching at Dixie. She and Harmon
Riley Strickland lived in Spring Valley area.
In early 19'15, H.R. went to
Beaver County, OK. 12 miles S.W. of Liberal, Kansas. Charlie and Lizzie Strickland lived in F'argan, OK. H.R. worked
in a wagon yard hauling freight.
Carrie, Ernest 1909, Omar 1911, and Owida 1913, stayed in Spring Valley
area. Charlie had to move to eastern
Colorado to prove up homestead (160A), near Kansas line.
Carrie and children went to
Fargan on the train. H.R. continued to work in Fargan, but not steady. In May 1915 he drove to Colorado 125-50
miles in one horse, Old Net, open cart to Springfield to file for 320A.
The family returned to
Carnegie area for five horses, 2 wagons and household. Ernest was 6 years old, drove one
wagon. A woman was staying with mother
while H.R. worked. Uncle Ed Strickland
stood on hill and waved lantern for help.
H.R. could see lights, rushed home to deliver Thaine Harmon
1-1-1916. Later in year the family went
to Colorado to prove up homestead. Had to break ten acres of sod to hold
place. They built a half dug out house
there. Carrie and neighbor with children,
went to a small town an all day trip. On the way home they stopped at a spring
for water. Later in day Owida
died. The only horse mother had, others
were on freight line, was bitten by a rattlesnake. The near by neighbors came by offering remedies. Mother had young chickens that were to
skinny to eat, caught chicken, cut it in half and wrapped it around horses leg,
it cured the horse.
H.R. hauled freight from
Lamor to Springfield, (50 mi.). and Isarel. This kept him away from home about
5 days. A range cow kept getting into
field. Mother had Ernest and Omar chase her out, then Mother shot to scare her,
but shot her instead then she had the boys chase her back onto range.
Late one night Carrie,
alone, was wakened by sound of running cattle coming from N.E. When she put
third shell in gun, a 22 rifle, the last shell stuck and she had to strike a
match. This frightened the cattle and they
turned and went back N.E. tearing down fence around yard. She knew they were being driven.
When Ernest and Omar started
to school they had to drive a horse drawn cart five miles. The winters were too hard for such. The family decided to go back to Beaver
County. They rented a farm 220A of
wheat. The farm sold, harvested wheat
and paid for possession. A farmer asked
H.R. to farm his place as he had a reputation for being a good farmer. There was a good house. The year of 1923 Edna Van Cleave (Murphy),
was teaching near Lorena, a RR town, H.R. had taken Edna's car to Liberal to
charge battery. A sand storm hit, H.R.
could drive with the wind but car stalled when he turned east and he had to
walk 1 ½ miles to get home. Ernest and
Omar (at school) had to follow fence to get home. The dirt air was so black they tied a rope to house to guide them
to barn. The wheat was uprooted. Carrie
would put the children in a S.E. room to sleep to keep dust out.
When Darlene 1918, was two
years old, a friend and Hattie Smith came by on their way to doctor. Charlie coughed up phlegm, later learned it
was diphtheria. Later Darlene died from
the diphtheria.
H.R. and Carrie sold the
farm machinery at public auction. H.R. and Ernest (13 years) drove the wagons.
S.A. Van Cleave brought Carrie, Audrey and Clarene to Kiowa County. They rented
the land, the Baum place, where David was born 1925. (Shan Homestead.) Ruth
Newton's great grandparents. Audrey had long curly hair but cried every time it
was combed. One day she put sorghum in her hair (3 years). Carrie cut it off
and she went out and got Rush the horse and rode around the house yelling like
an Indian. Audrey couldn't wear her best dresses every day, so she left home
with her packed clothes. Her strewn panties along the road gave her away.
Harley Schlegels lived south of the farm. One day one of them came to house
riding side saddle. Audrey thought they had come to take Dawn. Audrey cried.
In early 1915, H.R. went to
Fargan in Beaver County, 12 miles S.W. of Liberal, KS. Charlie Strickland and
Lizzie lived in Fargan, Oklahoma. H.R. worked in wagon yard hauling freight.
Later the family moved to
the Neala district, then to Giles place; 6 S. 3 E. Audrey, Clarene and Dawn
Strickland started to school at Neala and later back to Spring Valley. Audrey,
Clarene and Dawn finished 8th grade there. Audrey went to Mountain
View to her first year of high school, she walked 1 ½ miles to bus. Sometimes
the moon would still be out in the morning on way to bus stop.
We lived in Alden district
where Audrey, Clarene, Dawn and Avadell and Kennard graduated. Clayton finished
in Carnegie.
Clarence Robbins Family
Memoirs
Tales of the Van
Cleave Elders