By Peggy Goodrich, Commentary
Do you have “strippers” in your family tree? Think about it.
I am referring to those who settled the Cherokee Strip of Oklahoma when it was opened for settlement in the 1890’s. There are many who still reside on the land of their ancestors who made the “run.” These farms are called centennial farms because they have been in one family for 100 years or more. I think this is remarkable about the people who settled this great state. It shows their fortitude and love for this land. Most of these people have a special fondness for Oklahoma.
Jim and I are fortunate to own a parcel of pasture land my grandparents acquired after the run. They did not actually stake it but bought it from the person who did. Even with our little tract of land, we feel a closeness to the soil, hills, streams, trees and animals that live on our place.
My grandma was very young when she drove a buggy on a wag-on train to Indian Territory and settled in Payne County awaiting the run. After they arrived in Indian Territory, her mother died in childbirth, leaving a baby and several siblings to take care of. I have always marveled at the strength Grandma had to become a caregiver for a family. What does a young girl know about cleaning and cooking wild game? What does a 13-year-old girl know about caring for a family and in a tent on a wild prairie? How did she manage the laundry, collecting water, finding food and preparing it? How did they survive?
I could listen forever to her telling the stories about how they lived from day to day and kept up their spirits and their faith, and how they managed to survive to go on and live comfortable lives. Theirs is a story of true pioneer spirit and never taking things for granted. They were grateful for every rabbit they ate and every batch of poke weed they gathered for greens. They, like many other settlers, sustained life with a crop of turnips, yet never complained of their circumstances.
Those pioneers must have lived in constant fear of wild animals and the elements. They contended with illnesses without the aid of medications, doctors, neighbors or help of any kind. They relied on homemade salves, poultices and cough medicines they made from plants. It is a wonder anyone survived those cold winters or hot summers. Work went on as usual breaking sod, planting fields, making gardens, gathering berries and plums and eking out a living.
I am grateful I have the heritage of such hardy people who learned to appreciate what they had. In spite of all the hardships Grandma went through as a child, and after she and Grandpa were married and had they family, she was a very positive person. She never got to experience being a child and was forced into being an adult. In spite of all her trials, she learned to laugh and be cheerful at everything. She learned the rewards and joy of hard work. She learned to look forward and plan for the future, knowing things would get better with time. She learned close family values and love of family would help overcome any obstacles. She learned to make do with what was available. She learned thrift and conservation and how to survive on seemingly nothing. I am grateful she passed these lessons on to me.
I often wonder if this generation has that hardy spirit so evident back when this land was settled. Do we have what it takes to live a bare existence and not complain, or do we expect the government to take care of all our needs? I would hope we have learned lessons from those who made the run and staked claims, improved the land making homes and raising families. Those roots run deep into Oklahoma’s red soil. Those traits of self-preservation are ingrained within our souls and should be passed on to succeeding generations if this state and this nation are to remain strong.
Part of the joy of keeping old things is to realize what they meant to the owners. Antique stores sell memories. Seeing an old cake pan in an antique store brings back memories of delicious cakes. Egg baskets remind us of those times we gathered eggs. Coal oil lamps remind us of those evenings we read stories into the night. Old doilies are a memorial to Grandpas sitting in those overstuffed chairs telling tales of frontier days.
We just finished celebrating the opening of the “strip” with parades and celebrations. Because of the stories I have been told and re-told, I almost feel like I was here back then.
Old recipes reflect the history of those challenging times. This is a crispy cookie ... different but good.
Corn Meal Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cornmeal
pinch salt
11/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup raisins (if desired)
Mix butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Stir in raisins. Drop by teaspoons onto baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF about 15 minutes until light brown.
Note: For chocolate cookies, add 1/4 cocoa and 1/4 cup milk.
Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702.
