This information is mostly family legend. Would anyone know of any way to verify any of it? I am not sure just where the sawmill would be located on today's maps, Craig County, Delaware County, or Ottawa County. Near is relative term.

My g-g-grandparents, William Preston TEETER and Sarah Ann RODMAN moved from Keokuk County, Iowa to Oklahoma, 1866-1869. They settled on Spavinaw Creek, near Vinita and established the first sawmill in that part of the country. The mill was operated by water power and sawed lumber for people settling in that part of the country.

Don't know if this fact would help? William Preston TEETER was possibly 1/4 to 1/2 Cherokee, but I have been unable to locate him on any of the Rolls.....not really surprising as his ancestor had "gone white"....and likely was never on any of the Rolls. This seems to be common when the individual, especially female, lives in the "white" community.

William Preston TEETER provided the lumber to build a church in the community and built the benches for it. His children attended school in the building, which was called the Lindsey School.

Both William and Sarah Ann had died by 1876, and Sarah Ann's father, Hugh Hurst RODMAN, ran the sawmill for a few years. By 1880 Hugh Hurst and the youngest child (his namesake) were back in Missouri (where Hugh has been living). My great-grandparents, (Lindsey Houston McDORMAN & Mary Adeline TEETER), brought two other youngsters to Texas with them before 1880.

Would love to exchange information with anyone interested in these individuals.

Ellen Counts Tolbert
El Paso, Texas