Guess today Im just a pickle.. do you have peanut butter and pickle sandwiches? PAWHUSKA Sitting on a bench across the street from the cowboy museum of Oscar-winning actor Ben Johnson, Harrison Shackelford contemplated the cinematic history-in-the-making that will hit even closer to home for him. Series of murders of Osage Indians in Osage County, Oklahoma. In the spring of 1921, Mollie's older sister, Anna, disappeared. Later that night Jodys eyes popped open and she was refreshed from her cat- nap. But it was Memorial Day and Id like for this to be the first thing you see: Diane Sawyer of CBS News once said that because of all the people whod told her stories about where they were on Pearl Harbor Day; she sometimes felt that she too could remember that day even though she hadnt even been born by December 7, 1941. I come from a ranching family around Pawhuska, grew up around the Drummonds and anyone who thinks they havent had their share of tragedy and heartache are misinformed. John Roy Drummond, "Frederick (Fred) Drummond," in Osage County Profiles (Pawhuska, Okla.: Osage County Historical Society, 1978). Since the last picture show to depict the Reign of Terror was the 1959 Jimmy Stewart vehicle "The FBI Story," which played loose with the facts and crammed the Osagehistory between tales of gangsters and spies, Billie Ponca said she is pleased to see a major movie putting such care into sharing her tribe's story. "This is one of the worst racial injustices and criminal conspiracies in American history. This Scottish I think by now the Pioneer Woman has been thoroughly exposed as a fraud and a narcissist so all this is old news. Ernest said that he had used a person named Henry Grammer as a go-between to hire a professional criminal named Asa "Ace" Kirby to perform the killings. I dont look at her blogs but love her show! Drummond Ranch, 1947(2012.201.B0316.0691, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS). It was a bad time a real bad time for the Osage and I think this movie is going to bring back a lot of old, bad memories. We have many small dairies and farms around here that also arent doing well, but the discernment my grandpa did have was to put away when times were good. and one fellow brought a rutabaga. Most of us agree the floor is pretty much narrow hardwood, although we've got some big, wide and thick planks in a couple of areas. This is interesting. The Drummonds DID NOT get where they are on farm subsidies or any other freebies. On the financial side, it has been reported that the cost of this film could be over $200 million dollars before it all wraps up. [1] The Victorian-style Fred and Adeline Drummond House was built in 1905 in Hominy, Oklahoma by Frederick and Addie. [11][a] Brown was divorced, so probate awarded her estate to her mother, Lizzie Q. Some swear it's citrus and sage, others insist it's macintosh and peach and every now and then we all agree it's the scent of rhubarb cooking down to a sauce. let me tell you something Mr. Indianwhoknows. The history of Oklahoma would not be complete without mention of their accomplishments. We've got a counter and stools and tables and chairs and I wouldn't say too many things match. To gain part of the wealth, Hale persuaded Ernest to marry Mollie Kyle, a full-blooded Osage. As they married and established families the Drummond name grew and then grew again with the following generations. I do not think they were wealthy when Ree got married. Fred insisted that his children receive a college education and instilled in them his code of honor, setting them on a path to success in their own right. One Dr. came in, examined her and just shook his head. Later investigations revealed that the bomb contained 5 US gallons (19L) of nitroglycerin.[12]. Ree Drummond is the daughter of a doctor from Bartlesville and was a journalist and photographer in L.A. on her way to job in Chicago when she met her husband and is no country girl but enjoys the big ranch way of life as any one would. In July 1952, Drummond, his wife Ann, and their 10-year-old daughter Elizabeth went on a family holiday on the French Riviera. I do not live the farm/ranch life but my best friend and her family have a very large farm in South Dakota, I know the time, commitment and hard work that it takes to keep it running. And one day in 1921, her sister, Anna Brown, disappears, and Mollie looks everywhere for her, searching along the prairie. Shes not even a city girl. Many of his customers Shortly after the assignment, Davis was convicted of bribery. He says he thought he was in shock; he thinks he kept himself in that state so if something were to happen, it wouldnt be so bad. Copyright to all of these materials is protected under United States and International law. [15][16] NewsOK. Ask just about anyone how the Drummond family got its start in Osage County, and you'll hear about the store. It was Memorial Day maybe there was a marathon of her cooking show or perhaps her name appeared in a newspaper article. The past was in the air that day we talked; and I breathed it in. And in both cases, justicewas often elusive. Subscribe Now. A mere 36 hours later, Vaughan's body was found with a broken neck. January 12, 2014. I never once thought Id be shot down over enemy territory. In 2012, the Academy Award-nominated movie version of Tulsa native Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play "August: Osage County" filmed in the titular location. Being nice, or not nice is not determined by economic boundaries! Les Warehime, History of Ranching the Osage (Tulsa, Okla.: W. W. Publishing, 2000). They too have hired hands but they ALL work pretty much 24/7/365. There are also a lot more resources available. And when they took that picture, I wouldnt let myself think about it.. that Fred was a happy man, enjoying his family, expanding his business Both happened in Oklahoma at roughly the same time but were hidden history until recently. The real question here is how did the Drummonds obtain so many headrights and how did they obtain all that Indian land, thousands of acres more than any Osage currently owns? Shortly before his death, Bill gave a statement implicating his suspected murderers and appointed his wife's estate. Good for her. Once there, they discovered the immense wealth of members of the Osage Nation from royalties being paid from leases on oil-producing lands. Thirteen other deaths of full-blooded Osage men and women, who had guardians appointed by the courts, were reported between 1921 and 1923. Vaughan's body was so badly disfigured that the coroner could not be certain whether the man had fallen off the train or else been beaten first and then pushed off. I applaud them for the good business decisions that they and their previous generations have made for their benefit. Fred even became president of Farmers State Bank. A lot of people like her; a lot dont. Farris, David. Shes not a country girl. Until the demise of the railroads the cattle market in Oklahoma and surrounding states was made at these hotels. White men, looking to acquire that Osage wealth, conspired with local law enforcement, doctors, coroners and reporters to carry out the murders of 24 Osage tribal members. Killers of the Flower Moon was a best selling book by David Grann in 2017. Hale's goal was to gain the headrights and wealth of several tribe members, including his nephew's Osage wife, the last survivor of her family. An attempt by brothers Ladd and Tim Drummond along with 11 other Pawhuska businesses and ranching people to privatize almost 15 miles of county road failed on Feb. 14, when the Osage County . LOUISE RED CORN/Osage News. past three weeks I have been writing about local history for the enjoyment of County Commissioners dismiss proposal from Drummonds to close 15 miles of Osage County road. Shes a cold calculated money greedy person. They cant afford to continue and their places are going on the market to be sold to developers or corporate farms. "I tracked down descendants of both the victims and the murderers. following generations. I guess technically he's a dog-angel - but we don't get technical here. Sorry, Im just negative some days about PW. And I think it's going to be good," said Shackelford, who is Osage. And that business, by they way, certainly is portrayed as a fairy tale place. People over the years have commented, I dont know how you do it. "The Osage Murders: Oil Wealth, Betrayal and the FBIs First Big Case." I grew up on a very large dairy and hog farm with lots of hard work for our family. Even here in Indiana, land that used to encompass several homesteads is becoming one big field after another. The Kyle family murders were featured as a dramatic part of the 1959 film, John Hunt portrayed this period in his novel, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 00:26. They make millions of dollars for keeping wild mustangs. Strained relationships with family members and neighbor resentment toward him as an Osage County "land hog" led Drummond in 1924 to start buying land in the opposite part of the state in Marshall County. To all of the bitter peoplepay attention to your own lives and learn to wish people well. She and her Dad would watch Sesame Street and sing at the top of our voices (and quite out of key) all of the songs. At one time Hominy Trading Company was the nation's largest dealer of Pendleton blankets, a product favored by the Osage. [5] McAuliffe found that when Bolton was a minor, the court had appointed her white stepfather, attorney Arthur "A.T." Woodward, as her guardian. The Pioneer Woman effect on Pawhuska, where she now operates five businesses, is undeniable. Welcome back Over the Jodys favorite place was to be perched on the lap of Mom or Dad or playing with her toys spread out all over the floor. [12] Kelsie Morrison, a petty criminal, later admitted to murdering Brown and testified that William Hale, a prominent local cattleman, had asked him to do so. "[5] Strained relationships with family members and neighbor resentment towards Jack Drummond as an Osage County "land hog" led him in 1924 to start buying land in the opposite part of the state in Marshall County, Oklahoma. There's no telling what we could have had if that didn't happen. Would I like to have the money that the Drummond s have..sure, would I like to live the lifestyle that they live.yes. Her estimated net worth is $50 million. Having grown up on a ranch where my father didnt have hired hands (he had children) I know first hand about running a cattle ranch. The Drummond name runs thick in the vast ranch lands of Osage County. Crystal clear now. [1] In 1995, the writer Robert Allen Warrior wrote about walking through an Osage cemetery and seeing "the inordinate number of young people who died during that time. the drummonds enjoy a ranching way of life for fun the money they get for running wild horses for the government is enough to support their life style alone without even adding the ill-gotten Osage headright money. The current site manager of the White Hair Memorial, an Oklahoma Historical Society site that serves as a repository for Osage maps, documents and textiles, Brumley said the history of the 1920s murders gets complicated, especially since so many of the killers and victims were linked by marital, family or community ties. It wasn't just Mollie's family that was being methodically killed on Oklahoma's Osage Nation Reservation in the early 1920s. I can't imagine it not being told in the right way. "Osage Reign of Terror. He briefly lived in New York, Texas, and St. Louis before being hired as clerk for the Osage Mercantile Company in the Osage Nation. Dont believe me, get on Facebook. Although the production of Scorsese's star-studded, reportedly $200 million movie has brought excitement to Osage County the recreation of local landmarks from bygone days as facades and set pieces, the glimpses of stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Native American actress Lily Gladstone in period garb, the spreading of dirt on the part of Kihekah Avenue that has been transformed to resemble 1920s Fairfax the real-life history behind the film is tragic and traumaticfor the Osage people. Thats the good old fashioned American entrepreneurial spirit! And others are going to cheer it on," said Brandy Lemon, a member of the Osage Nation Congressworking as a liaison on the film. Operation of these ranches fell to his son, Frederick Ford Drummond (19312020), who had earned degrees from Oklahoma State and Stanford universities. "I have made clothes for that character, Mollie and I thought, 'She had that blanket wrong,' her wearing that fringe on the outside of it, on her shoulders," said Renae Brumley, an Osage artisan who has worked with the production. Today the Drummonds are But it did happen; and Bill Randolph survived that which he had feared most. . Now THAT is disgusting. Very few Osage (perhaps 3 percent) could speak English, much less read or write the white mans language. (2012.201.B0316.0691, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS). Drummond emigrated from Scotland in 1882. The settlement also strengthened management of the tribe's trust assets and improved communications between the Department of Interior and the tribe. And we're going to see some truth now. [6] Frederick Gentner Drummond took over running the Hominy Trading Company since he spoke Osage. And the mention of the Bachelor contest tarnished, I thought, the dignity of the lifestyle. "If you don't know your history, it can be repeated.". Vaughan complied, and the two men met that night. The new camp was near Munich, about 20 miles from Dauchau. He turned state's evidence, naming his uncle as responsible for the murder conspiracy. I still go to look at the pictures, but you know, the cows and horses are starting to look the same too. [5] After their father's death in 1913, Jack and Cecil Drummond founded Drummond Cattle Co., which over the next 50 years grew into a 200,000-head operation. [10] Unable to find the killer, local authorities ruled her death as accidental because of alcohol poisoning and put the case aside. Did not look like that to me! He later acquired a further another one-fourth of a head right in 1928 for $11,250. Ree is use to the life. Life is tough, even for people of wealth. "[1] Some Osage used their royalties to send their children to private schools; others bought fancy cars, clothes and jewelry, and traveled in Europe; and newspapers across the country covered their activities. A Food Network star, Drummond has been lensing her show "The Pioneer Woman" on her family's Pawhuska ranch since 2011, spinning off a series of businesses that bringdroves of tourists to town. Two of the biggest joys in her life were her two little brothers, Joey and Sammy. I remember that moment frozen in time it was as if the entire world stopped. By 1920, the market for oil had grown dramatically and brought much wealth to the Osage. Mollie and Ernest Burkhart inherited all of the headrights from her family. Drummond graduated from the University of Southern California, and she had plans to go to law school in Chicago. [11], In 2017 the family owned 433,000-acre (175,000ha) according to The Land Report magazine. His doubts arose from a variety of conflicting evidence. The point about the Osage headrights is absolutely correct 85 attorneys lived in a town of 5,000 primarily for the purpose of taking advantage of the osage people and the Drummand law firm was one of them. His father, Fred, was a prosperous trader for the Osage tribe. It is a big sacrifice for all involved. "'Reign of Terror Kills Osage Family". Holt is among the Osage citizens who noted the similarities between the Reign of Terror and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which is having its centennial commemorated this year. They got bills too just like the rest of us!! Investigation by law enforcement, including the Bureau of Investigation (BOI; the preceding agency to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI) also revealed extensive corruption among local officials involved in the Osage guardian program. When was over, he was shipped to a camp. The Drummond family is an American ranching family from Oklahoma. Lately, my thoughts have been turning to German POW camps in the spring of 1945. "The perpetrators were allowed by local and state authorities to basically get away with it. [3] The law firm representing the Osage said it was the largest trust settlement with one tribe in U.S. She grew of living a Country Club life style. Id either survive or Id be killed. Frederick Gentner Drummond (18951958) graduated from Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) in 1914 and attended Harvard Business School. The U.S. Department of the Interior managed leases for oil exploration and production on land owned by the Osage Nation through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and later managed royalties, paying individual allottees. In downtown Pawhuska, Shackelford said he has become involved in the movie since he answered one of its casting calls, although he couldn't discuss specifics. . were Osage Indians and Fred learned their language earning their trust and This was the most strsightforward way for the greedy whites to get hands on Osage oil money. John Ramsey confessed to participation in the murder of Roan as soon as he was arrested. Recently Added. Hale fraudulently arranged to make himself the beneficiary of Roan's $25,000 life insurance policy. [9], In 1941, Frederick Gentner, Cecil, and Jack were sued in the Northern District of Oklahoma for "conspir[ing] and devis[ing] a scheme to defraud." Jody was well-liked by other kids; once when she was being wheeled into her classroom at Handicare, one of the children yelled, Hey everybody, Jodys here and all the kids cheered. Today, the Drummonds are recognized by the Land Report as 17th of the 100 largest land owners in the country with several branches of the family operating ranches in other states. Life is life and no one should begrudge the Drummonds. In 2013, Gentner Drummond represented his cousin Jana Drummond Evans in her divorce case. These stories include Bill Hale who was otherwise known as the king of the Osage Hills back in the 1920s and who will play a big role in long-awaited "Killers of the Flower Moon" adaptation. Quite frustrating as a way of life, as well as the mainstay of our food production is being lost. Got a couple or big real rag rugs and a couple of fake Persian, threadbare they are. Osage County officials sought revenge against Pyle for his role in bringing the murders to light. Then Ramsey shot Roan in the head. She does make easy recipes that people eat everyday, no fancy ingredients. In the late 1880s, Frederick Drummond moved to the Osage Reservation and secured an important document that set his family on a path toward wealth and influence: a license from the US government to sell goods to Osages. With In 2015, Special Judge Lisa Hammond wrote in the divorce decree that Evans had lied about her residence "to support her efforts to establish venue in a county where she apparently believed the Drummond family name would provide her an advantage. The man, Charles R. Drummond, is a member of a prominent Osage County ranching family. "I'm such a promoter of the book by David Grann and of the movie.