Maitlen-Howland Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 John Maitlen, Eliza Jane Howland, Garber, Cushing, Norfolk, Oklahoma Land Run, Kansas, Iowa, claim, Cowboy Flats, Pleasant Valley, cotton gin, grocery store, Florence Wilson, Gladys Sykes, Cassius, Cash, Thelma, Genevive Lapansee, J.D. ,Coffeyville, Tulsa, Treadwell Construction company, teamster, pecans, pecan grove, lean-to, Katy, Santa Fe, passenger train, high School, Carter Oil Co, Cartico, refinery, World War I, Indian Lease, Indian Territory, Cimarron River, Grace, Geeklahoma Land Run 1889 that both John Maitlen and his future bride, Eliza Jane Howland, ran in. Johns claim was in Garber and Eliza's was in Cowboy Flats of Pleasant Valley. Maitlen-Howland Run of 1889
John Maitlen and Eliza Jane Howland each homesteaded in separate areas in the run of 1889.
While they had not met at this time, both had come to Oklahoma Territory from Kansas.
John Maitlen was born in Kansas, but his future bride was born in Iowa. She had come to Kansas with her parents
later on. John Staked his claim near Garber, where he was a farmer.
Eliza Jane was not able to stake a claim, but secured a relinquishment from a squatter. Eventually,court procedure was necessary for rights as owner of her homestead in Cowboy Flats of Pleasant Valley, as it is now called. Here she helped care for her brother's children since he was a widower.
It was during this time that John Maitlen came to Pleasant Valley with threshing crew and the couple met. They were married in 1895. After their marriage they operated a grocery store and Post Office and owned a cotton gin here in Pleasant Valley.
These were sold when the family moved to Norfolk in 1903. The Maitlen's already had four of their six children. Florence (Wilson), Gladys (Sykes) and Cassius Edward"Cash" Maitlen, all now deceased. Thelma and Genevieve (Lapensee), both deceased and J.D. Maitlen, Coffeyville, KS were born at Norfolk.
John Maitlen worked for the Treadwell Construction Company, which had a commissary at Norfolk. He was a teamster, hauling supplies with the help of his teenage son "Cash", during the oil boom of Norfolk. They also farmed in this vicinity.
The Maitlens cleared the land which they bought at Norfolk. Native pecans groves, as they still do in abundance. Grace recalls her husband telling that his parents paid the hired hands $15.00 a month with room, board, and laundry. The family had their own milk cows so part of the income was derived from selling the extra milk, as well as butter and eggs.
During the period from about 1913 to 1918, there is thought to have been around 1600 men working in Norfolk Community, and the population was larger than the city of Cushing at that time.
There were houses or "lean-to's" and tents all the way to the river. There was at least one "show", three or four saloons, and several boarding houses. John Maitlen built two feed stores, but before he could use them, he sold them for boarding houses.
There were two railroads, the Katy and the Santa Fe, running through Norfolk. The Katy had 3 passenger trains, and the Santa Fe, had two. There were several freight trains daily with over a hundred box cars.
All the Maitlen Children, except Cash, attended the first Norfolk High School. Around 1921 or 22, the first high school had only freshman and sophomore classes. However, by 1925 Junior and Senior classes were added. The second high school was built in 1926, after the first one burned. The youngest Maitlen child, J.D., was the one to graduate from the second Norfolk High School, which had been relocated on the same place as the previous high school.
The Carter Oil Company, called Cartico, built a refinery. There was also a gasoline plant which blew up, and two men were killed. This was about 1918 or during World War I, and the government built watch towers and placed security guards around the rich oil fields.
After Cassius and Grace Gee Maitlen were married, they lived on an Indian Lease, then later bought a farm across the Cimarron River from the home place. After the passing of her husband Grace Maitlen,for several years , continued to live in the original house of the John Maitlens, northeast of Cushing, where she and Cash came to live with his ailing father on Nov 11, 1936.
John Maitlen died approximately a year later in 1937. Eliza Jane Maitlen died in 1962. Cassius lived here until his death February 8, 1975. He was born December 16, 1899.
