George Bradford Keeler (1850 - 1929)

Born 7 Feb 1850 in Hennepin, Putnam, Illinois, USA

Husband of Josephine S. (Gilstrap) Keeler — married about Aug 1872 (to 1892) in Bartlesville, Washington, Indian Territory, USA

Husband of Josephine Catherine (Blythe) Keeler — married after 1892 (to Dec 1915) in Bartlesville, Washington, Indian Territory, USA

Descendants

Died 22 Jan 1929 at age 78 in Bartlesville, Washington, Oklahoma, USA

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Biography

"Husb. of Josephine Susan Gilstrap; parents of 8 children. Emigrated to Indian Territory in 1871. Established a trading post on the frontier with Jake Bartles & Wm. Johnstone near Sapulpa, which grew to become Bartlesville of oil boom fame in the early 1900's. Fluent in indian sign language, he took citizenship in the Cherokee Nation and was adopted into the Osage tribe in Indian Territory; his Osage indian name was "Little Horse". Had oil interests as so many did in those oil discovery times. He died at age 78, in January, 1929, after a short illness. [Data: Em.Jordan]"^[1]

"GEORGE B. KEELER Vol. 3, p. 1315 Book has photo

One of the principal streets in Bartlesville is Keeler Avenue. It is only one of the many memorials testifying to the prominent position occupied by George B. Keeler in that section in the present State of Oklahoma for more that forty years. Mr. Keeler was one of the early white settlers in the Cherokee Nation, and his enterprise has been identified with all the important developments in Washington County. He is well known as a banker, oil man and real estate developer, and is a Cherokee by adoption and marriage.

That life is not without credit which "pulls its own weight" But it is given to some men not only to pay their own way through the world but to serve as a conductive force, or as it were the primary impulse to the tide which carries along with it many men to fortune and prosperity. A little casual inquiry in the Bartlesville community reveals the fact that George B. Keeler has been such a character. He has not only been one of the real builders of Bartlesville, but it is reliably stated that he has pulled the heaviest part of the load in any association with others in business affairs or in carrying a public movement to success.

His life has certainly had more than the usual eventfulness, and throughout it has been characterized by high purpose and absolute integrity. George B. Keeler was born in Hennepin, Putnam County, Illinois, February 7, 1850, a son of Alson and Ann (MCNAMARA) Keeler. His father was a merchant at the interesting old Town of Hennepin on the Illinois River, but in 1856 when George was six years old he moved to Wisconsin, spent about ten years in that state, three or four of whic were devoted to farming, and then moved to Belvidere, Illinois. The mother died at Belvidere when George B. Keeler was eighteen years old. After that his father moved out to Iowa, and later to Los Angeles, California, where he died about thirty years ago. With exception of the brief period spent as a farmer in Wisconsin he was a merchant practically all his life.

George B. Keeler was the second in a family of three sons and three daughters. His first twenty years were spent at home, and his education came from both country and town schools. In 1871 he arrived at the Osage agency in Indian Territory as Clerk for L. P. Chouteau, an Indian trader. When it is recalled that in 1871 the first railroad was being constructed across the eastern part of what is now the State of Oklahoma, it will be seen that Mr. Keeler made his entrance at a time which really constitutes him a pioneer. In October, 1871, he began working for trader Lewis P. CHOUTEAU, and the latter was killed in the following December. Mr. Keeler then settled up the traders' estate, and was next employed by DUNLAP & FLORA, Indian traders. For parts of two years he was on the Western plains engaged in buying buffalo hides and robes, and was also employed on the reservation at Osage Agency.

In 1872 Mr. Keeler married Josie GILSTRAP, a member of the Cherokee Nation. During a portion of the year 1874 he was clerk and collector for Jacob H. BARTLES whose name is now honored in the City of Bartlesville. During the spring of 1875 he was employed on a farm, and then began handling cattle on the open range and continued as a farmer and cattle man for himself until 1884. Next came a partnership with William H. JOHNSTONE under the name Johnstone & Keeler. He supplied many of the qualities which enabled this firm to make its surprising and remarkable success. It built the first store on the present site of the City of Bartlesville. This was a general merchandise establishment, and not only sold goods of all classes but did an extensive business in handling cattle. The partnership was one of twelve years' duration, at the end of which time Mr. Keeler bought out his associate's interest and continued as an individual merchant until 1895.

For the past fifteen years or so Mr. Keeler's enterprise has been reflected in a number of the larger and more conspicuous institutions of Bartlesville and surrounding territory. In 1900 the First National Bank of Bartlesville was organized with Mr. Keeler as a director and vice president, positions which he has held continuously for fifteen years. His activities have been directed to the oil industry since 1893, and he has developed many paying wells and has also handled large leases and other business transactions in connection with the industry. At different times he has been a interested principal in several of the well known companies operating in this district. And is now a director in the New York Oklahoma Oil Company. He is a director in the Union Machine Company, having been with that concern since its organization, and owns a large amount of local real estate.

A notable monument to his enterprise is the Sutton-Keeler Building, a six-story re-enforced concrete structure completed in the spring of 1815. It was built and is owned by Mr. Keeler, A. D. MORTON, Dr. G. W. SUTTON, of Cleveland, Oklahoma, and Dr. F.R. Sutton, of Bartlesville. This is one of the handsomest buildings in Northern Oklahoma and on the main floor the finest banking room in the state is occupied by the First National Bank. Mr. Keeler is also a director in the Bartlesville Water Works. He was vice president of the Bartlesville Interurban Railroad when it was built and held that position until the property was sold to New York capitalists. These interests and connections need no further explanations to indicate the many ways in which Mr. Keeler has come in close tough with the life and up-building of his home locality.

In politics he has been a lifelong republican, is a thirty-second degree Mason and also affiliates with the Woodmen of the World and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. By his first marriage his children are: William, of Bartlesville; Fred, of Bartlesville; Lillie A., wife of Vilas HINKLE, of Bartlesville; Maude, of Paola, Kansas; Frank, of Osage County. The mother of these children died in 1893, after a marriage companionship of over twenty years.

Early in 1895 Mr. Keeler married Josie Catherine CASS. Mrs. Keeler, whose death at her home in Bartlesville in December, 1915, was an occasion of widespread sorrow, had made her position and her character count for good in every relation. She was fifty-eight years of age when she died and was a native of Missouri, but has spent most of her life in the Indian country. Her ancestors were among the first settlers in the old Cherokee Nation, and her maternal grandfather owned the first library and built the first house in the 'neutral land" of Southern Kansas. By her first marriage Mrs. Keeler had two children, Mrs. A. D. Morton, of Bartlesville; and Bruce A. Cass, of Los Angeles, California. Mr Keeler was a woman of strong personality, much business ability, and her sympathy and helpfulness were unbounded, and it was those elements of her character which made her so much beloved and her death so widely regretted. She was a charter member of the First Presbyterian Church, of Bartlesville, was a member of the Woodman Circle, the Rebekahs and the Eastern Star, and the Needlecraft and Tuesday social clubs at Bartlesville. Only a few weeks before her death she was elected first vice president of the Old Settlers Reunion at Dewey.

Mr. Keeler has lived in Washington County practically all the time since 1871. Every movement in its progress and up-building he has either witnessed or has participated in. The only whites who lived here when he came were those who had permits from the Cherokee Nation to reside in the territory. As one of the men who married into the tribe previous to 1874 he was adopted as a Cherokee citizen and received his allotment of land from the United States and the chief of the Cherokee Nation. From his own allotment he has platted three additions to the City of Bartlesville, and about thirty acres of this flourishing locality are located on land which was once owned by him.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Charmaine Keith, October 8, 1998."^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8482243
2. ↑ http://www.okgenweb.org/books/thoburn/bios3/keeler_george.txt

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSRV-1YT : accessed 9 August 2019), George B Keeler, Township 26 N. Range 12 E. Bartlettesville, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 11, sheet 6A, family 119, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,843.

George B Keeler Head Male 50 Illinois

Josie C Keeler Wife Female 43 Missouri

Albert Keeler Son Male 20 Indian Territory

Fredrick Keeler Son Male 18 Indian Territory

Maud Keeler Daughter Female 15 Indian Territory

Lillie A Keeler Daughter Female 13 Indian Territory

Pearl Keeler Daughter Female 11 Indian Territory

Bruce A Cass Stepson Male 17 Indian Territory

James C Blysten Father-in-law Male 76 Tennessee

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML7N-89Q : accessed 9 August 2019), George B Keeler, Bartlesville Ward 1, Washington, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 251, sheet 1A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1275; FHL microfilm 1,375,288.

George B Keeler Head Male 60 Illinois

Josie C Keeler Wife Female 52 Missouri

Maud Keeler Daughter Female 25 Oklahoma

Lillie A Keeler Daughter Female 23 Oklahoma

Mollie Mc Gar Servant Female 42 Tennessee

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN1J-L7Q : accessed 9 August 2019), George B Keeler, Bartlesville Ward 4, Washington, Oklahoma, United States; citing ED 271, sheet 39A, line 48, family 185, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1490; FHL microfilm 1,821,490.

George B Keeler Head Male 70 Illinois

Wilda K Allen Nurse Female 47 Kentucky

George F Hinkle Grandson Male 5 Oklahoma

Franklin Hinkle Grandson Male 3 Oklahoma

Frank B Hinkle Son-in-law Male 30 Kentucky

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN1J-JVS : accessed 9 August 2019), George B Keeler, Bartlesville Ward 1, Washington, Oklahoma, United States; citing ED 268, sheet 14B, line 96, family 347, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1490; FHL microfilm 1,821,490.

George B Keeler Head Male 69 Illinois

Franklin O Hinkle Son-in-law Male 35 Kentucky

Fred Donaldson Nephew Male 27 California

• Find A Grave Memorial# 8482243

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Ron Norman for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Ron and others.