Land Deed

This is a scanned copy of the original receipt for some land that my great, great grandfather bought in 1910. The original is on green paper and it is falling apart.

Uncle Fred Ross

This story was told to me by my grandfather, Harold Johnston about his uncle, Fred Ross:


Uncle Fred Ross

Grandma Johnston’s brother, Fred Ross was killed in Dardanelle, AR at a saloon. He was in the Spanish American War and came home. His friend was drunk and was gambling and losing all of his money. The friend’s father tried to get them to stop but had no luck, so he asked Uncle Fred Ross if he could do anything to help. The owner of the bar called him an S. O. B. and Uncle Fred Ross was shot and killed.

The Blackwells (Daddy's Side)

My grandfather's middle name is Ross. This is because his mother's maiden name was Ross. She was Sibyl Clarissa Ross (b. 1884). Her father was James Alexander "Alex" Ross and her mother was Mary L. Blackwell.

That's where I hit a dead end. I don't know who Mary L. Blackwell's parents were. It's been a while since I researched this family and I've had lots of luck on other families since I tried finding out info about them.

I talked to my grandfather today about what he can remember and this is what he had to say:

• Dick Blackwell was Sibyl Clarissa Ross' uncle. He was worth a lot of money, but he disappeared. They thought he might have been taken by outlaws for his money. He homesteaded in Oklahoma and supposedly the city of Blackwell, OK was named after him.
• He recalls an Aunt with the last name of French (One of Mary Blackwell's sisters who married someone named "French")
• I suspect Mary L. Blackwell's father's name was S. J. Blackwell, but I am not sure.

Any help with the Blackwell family research would be most appreciated. My email address is nkiblueeyes@yahoo.com. Thanks!