Green McGaugh (McGawgh)

Green McGawgh (McGaugh)

Bennie Martin

Quick Facts

Significance:

Oklahoma Homesteader

Place of Birth:

Missouri

Date of Birth:

February 18, 1849

Place of Death:

Newton, Harvey County, Kansas

Date of Death:

July 17, 1932

Place of Burial:

Newton, Kansas

Cemetery Name:

Greenwood Cemetery

Green McGaugh (McGawgh) was born during slavery in Missouri. He married Mary Jane Bell in 1873. They resided in the town of Richmond in Ray County, Missouri. Green and Mary had two children who were born in Richmond. They were Ella and Alan Walter.

Green McGaugh submitted application #15208 to the Land Office in Kingfisher, Oklahoma Territory, on August 31, 1898 to apply for 160 acres of land under the homestead act of 1862 in the town of Roseland in Dewey County.

For six years, Green McGaugh cleared a portion of land to build a house, a well, a stable, an orchard, 40 acres of fencing and 100 acres of breaking(preparing land for growing crops by plowing). These improvements were worth roughly $400.00. This enabled him to grow crops and livestock to support his family.

Green asked the following individuals to serve as witnesses to testify on his behalf: Henry Rodgers, Evert Rodgers, William Walls and William McGaugh.

The Putnam Pioneer Newspaper published a notice for six consecutive weeks beginning on March 31, 1905 and last published on May 5, 1905. This ensured that the entire community knew that Green was in the final process of officially acquiring the land under the Homestead Act of 1862.

On May 15, 1905, Green submitted proof to the Land Office in Kingfisher that he had complied with the homesteader’s rules for settlers. Green received his Homestead Land Patent on November 3, 1905 (Homestead Certificate No. 9904) Green resided on this land until about 1925.

Patent Details - BLM GLO Records

~ Contributed by Bennie Martin

More about the contributor and family: 

The family of homesteader Green McGaugh is connected to the family of homesteader Edward Webb. They both came to Oklahoma from Ray County Missouri. Their homestead properties were adjacent to each other. Green’s son Alan married Edward’s daughter Anna. They both retired to Newton, Kansas about the same time and they both died in Newton in 1932.

Bennie received a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia followed by two years in the U.S. Army. Bennie also has a M.S. from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and a M.S. from Missouri Science and Technology-Rolla. Bennie retired from the Defense Mapping Agency in St. Louis, Missouri.

Bennie is a native of Carrollton, Missouri. His interest and activity in genealogy and family history centers around this North Central Missouri Area. Bennie is a member of the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society and the State Historical Society of Missouri.