Frank Mathis Woods (1839 - 1926)

Born 26 Jan 1839 in Missouri, United States [uncertain]

Husband of Malinda Jane Francis (Pace) Woods — married 28 Sep 1871 in Collin, Texas, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Apr 1926 at age 87 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Aaron Blackburn [send private message]

Biography

Frank M. Woods was born January 26th, 1839 in Missouri. His parents were John M. Woods and Lucetta (nee Ray) Woods, both of Missouri. Frank died April 4th, 1926 and buried in Sterling, Oklahoma.^[1] There is a problem either with his birth date or with the alleged parents. His mother would have been only 13 at his birth in 1839 and the rest of his siblings were born years later.

On September 23rd, 1871, a marriage license was issued to Frank and Malinda Jane Pace in Collin County, Texas. It was signed by J. M. Benge, Clerk of the District Court of Collin County, per K. R. Craig, Dy. Clerk. The license was then filled at the Collin County office on October 3rd, 1871 to certify that Y. S. McKinney, Ordained Minister of the Gospel, had joined Frank and Mary in marriage on September 28th, 1871.^[2]

“Frank Mathis Woods Organized and Taught the First School in the Community of Which is now the Community City of Bray, Oklahoma”

Frank Mathis Woods was born in 1835 in Missouri and his formal education was acquired in that state in the period of the 1850’s. He taught subscription schools in Missouri prior to his military duty during the Civil War.

Woods was discharged from Civil War military service in about 1866, at San Antonio, Texas. [Approximately 1878] he then moved to Archer County, Texas where he bought a farm, farmed and taught school.

In 1888, Frank M. Woods and his wife sold their farm and moved to the Indian Territory. They settled in the area which is now Bray Community. The Woods family at the time of the move, by covered wagon and oxen, consisted of…daughters June, Jennie, Lula, Dema, Cora and Nina, and sons George and David.

During the time Frank M. Woods lived in the new location in the Indian Territory he organized what was known and called at that time a subscription school. The location of this school, which was in his half-dugout residence, was approximately ½ mile north of where the Bray store and post office is now located. The site of the Woods school was approximately at the center of section #15, 2N, 6W, Wall Township of what is now Stephens County. It is not common knowledge of the present generation that the present county at this time, which included most of, if not all of, the present county, was Pickens County with a base for filling of legal records in Duncan.

The Woods subscription schools were conducted during the years approximately 1889 to 1895. The attendance was an average of from 9 to 15 students for approximately three months during the year. Normally December through February, being the time the children’s’ labor was least needed on the farm to produce a livelihood. The school location was given the name of College Mound and the school complex was referred to by that name thereafter until circumstances changed the name or it was discontinued due to the origin of the title of Bray. No information is available to clarify the reason or date of the name transition.

The subscription schools were paid for by the parents either by cash payments for the term, or on occasions a pig, calf, chickens, etc., were bartered for the tuition fee.

The school curriculum consisted of the subjects of reading, arithmetic, spelling and some penmanship. Although Franks Woods was well qualified academically in algebra and other forms of higher math and social sciences of that period, there were no potential students of the frontier area ready for that level of academic matriculation.

Woods occasionally conducted what was known as “spelling bees” which also included arithmetic contests, on Saturday nights. He was often quoted as saying, “the activity stimulates the intellectual interests of the young of the community as well as entertainment for both the adults and the young”.

Mrs. Jane Pursley, presently residing in Marlow, has in her possession a book presented to her mother, June Woods, on September 11, 1892. The book was presented to June Woods at College Mound for superior proficiency in spelling bee activity. The book bears a hand written epitome on the fly leaf over the personal signature of W. G. Tomlinson, president and treasurer, and G. W. Huckaby, secretary. It is assumed that these early day residents of the community were members of the board under which the Woods schools functioned.

Although there were no formal records handed down as to the factual documentation of the schools terms and names of students. Some of the names of students from memory which can serve as a form of verification handed down by conversation by Frank Woods, was children of a Lowe family which consisted of six boys; John, George, Jack, Howard, Amos and Boyd and two daughters; Emmer and Bessie. There were also children from numerous other families i.e: Grahams, Andersons, Upchurchs, Lillys, Howards, Rileys, Rashes, Tomlinsons, Shorters, Bonners, Huckabys, Owsleys, Wises, Catchings, Garvins, Holts, Burks, etc., as well as the elder Woods children. Ancestry could probably suggest many other families whose children attended the Woods schools in what is now the Bray Community.

It is not known what the continuity of the schools were in the Bray Community following the Woods subscription schools, but it appears that following his schools a more formal public supported was continued with a building in that vicinity and which carried the name of College Mound. This school continued and bridged a period until the beginning and ultimate attainment of the present modern school facility which is the pride and joy of the community of Bray, Oklahoma.

Frank Woods moved his family to the area of Clear Creek in about 1895 and farmed land where the Clear Creek Lake is now located. The Woods family’s new location was, by section lines, located ½ mile west, 2 miles south and 1 ½ miles west of the present Bray store and post office. The land the Woods family farmed was the NE ¼, Sec. #32, 2N, 6W, Wall Township of what is now Stephens County. At the time of the Woods residency the county still bore the title of Pickens County, I.T. Four of the younger Woods children attended the Clear Creek School. Two of the elder married daughters of the Woods family lived in the immediate vicinity. Part of the foundation of one of their houses is still intact and this land mark can be observed near the center of section #29, north of the location of the Frank Woods residence.

On the shore of Clear Creek Lake, an excavation can be observed, to this date, of the storm cellar dug by Frank Woods at the homesite about 1896. A more specific location of this land mark is just north of the Turkey Creek lake cove of Clear Creek Lake, this cove area was referred to in the early days as “Coon Hollow”.

The third daughter of the Woods family married one of the Lowe brothers, Howard, who had been a former student of one of Frank Woods’ subscription schools.

One son of the Woods family, George, died while living in the Bray Community and was buried in the old part of the present Marlow, cemetery.

In addition to conducting subscription schools and farming in the Bray Community, storied are remembered of Mrs. Woods making butter and selling along with eggs and vegetables at a village known as Marlow, as a means of supplementing their livelihood. The description of Marlow at that time was wooden shacks, board and dirt sidewalks and dusty streets.

Near the turn of the century the Woods family, which consisted then of the three youngest daughters and a son that were not married, moved to Sterling, Oklahoma, where the remaining children married.

Frank M. and Malinda J. Woods lived in Sterling, Oklahoma until the 1920’s, and are laid to rest in the Sterling Cemetery.^[3]

1880 United States Federal Census Name F.m. Woods Age 37 Birth Date Abt 1843 Birthplace Missouri Home in 1880 Precinct 3, 5 and 8, Clay, Texas, USA Dwelling Number 149 Race White Gender Male Relation to Head of House Self (Head) Marital Status Married Spouse's Name M.j. Woods Occupation Laborer ///// Household members: F.m. Woods 37 // M.j. Woods 32 // June E. Woods 8 // Jennie F. Woods 6 // Lula K. Woods 3 // D.h. Woods 4/12 //

1900 United States Federal Census Name Franklin Ward Age 59 Birth Date abt 1841 Birthplace Arkansas, USA Home in 1900 Township 2, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory House Number 1 Sheet Number 17 Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation 269 Family Number 274 Race White Relation to Head of House Head Spouse's Name Melinda Yen Ward Occupation Farmer Months Not Employed 0 Can Read Yes Can Write Yes Can Speak English Yes ///// Household members: Franklin Ward 59 // Melinda Yen Ward 52 // Derrie H Ward 20 // George W Ward 18 // Dema C Ward 14 // Cora May Ward 11 // Nina M Ward 9 //

Sources

1. ↑ Family chart given to Aaron Blackburn by his maternal grandmother Kathryn Woods.
2. ↑ Copy of Marriage License issued to F. M. Woods and M. J. Pace. Certified by J. A. Walden, Clerk of the County Court, Collin County, Texas. Dated May 15th, 1896.
3. ↑ “Frank Mathis Woods Organized and Taught the First School in the Community of Which is now the Community City of Bray, Oklahoma”. Written by C.L. Pamplin. 1979. Also appeared in The Duncan Morning Eagle, Duncan, Okla., Thursday, January 24, 1980, as “Early-day Bray history recalled”.

• 1880 United States Federal Census

• 1900 United States Federal Census

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58948522/frank-mathis-woods