Samuel Swinney Rainey

 

 

 

Samuel Swinney RAINEY, b. 22 Nov 1833 in Carroll Co., Tennessee,^[1],[2] (see note 1) d. 24 Feb 1917 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,^[3] buried 1917 in Enid Cemetery, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,^[4] (see note 2) military 1860 - 1862 Civil War, Pvt.-Co.H,1st MO S.M. Cavalry,¹  (see note 3) occupation Farmer,¹  (see note 4).

 

He married^[5] Francis Melvina MATHIS, 21 Jan 1858 in Dekalb County, Missouri,^[6] b. 17 Oct 1840 in Andrew Co., Missouri,¹  (daughter of Littleton MATHIS and Jane TODD) d. 14 Jul 1926 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁵  buried 16 Jul 1926 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁶  resided in Missouri/Oklahoma.

 

I.   William Thomas RAINEY, b. 18 Nov 1858 in King City, Gentry Co., Missouri,¹  d. 25 Feb 1958 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,^[7] buried in Enid Cemetery, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁴  occupation Truck Farmer.¹

     William purchased land May 17, 1890 in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, 160 acres on a five year note, from John A. Bell. He was also the 1900 census enumerator for Skeleton, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma. A W.T. Rainey appears in 1906, Skeleton, Kingfisher County (19 North, Range 5, Section13) a few miles from John Rainey, his uncle.

    

     He married Elizabeth MYRICK, 5 Aug 1877 in Gentry County, MO,⁶  b. 9 Oct 1861 in Gentry County, MO,⁶  (daughter of Charles Wesley MYRICK and Rebecca J WARD) d. 15 Dec 1937 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁴  buried 1937 in Enid Cemetery, Garfield Co., Oklahoma.

    

II.  Anna Mabel RAINEY, b. 15 May 1861 in Missouri,⁶  d. in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,^[8] buried in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma.⁶

    

     She married⁶  Levy Newton HOBBS.

    

III. Elizabeth Jane RAINEY, b. 26 Jan 1863 in Missouri,⁶  resided in Missouri,⁶  d. 1887 in Missouri,⁶  buried in Winslow Cemetery, Dekalb Co., MO.⁶

    

     She married⁶  Andy L MATTERSON, resided in Missouri.⁶

    

IV. Margaret Matilda RAINEY, b. 10 Dec 1864 in Missouri,⁶  resided in Missouri,⁶  d. 1885 in Missouri,⁶  buried in Winslow Cemetery, Dekalb Co., MO.⁶

    

     She married Rufus E GORE, 22 Feb 1882 in Gentry County, MO,⁶  resided in Missouri.⁶

    

V.  George RAINEY, b. 2 Jan 1866 in Gentryville, Gentry County, MO,^[9] resided in Missouri/Oklahoma,¹  d. 30 May 1940 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,^[10] buried 1940 in Enid Cemetery, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁴  occupation educator/author/historian.^[11],[12]

     George migrated to what soon became the 5th County (now Kingfisher County), Oklahoma in 1889. This trip from St. Joseph, Missouri to Orlando, Oklahoma was on a Sante Fe train so crowded, George found himself standing all the way. He filed a claim on 160 acres of land eight miles east of Hennessey, Kingfisher County.[1]

    

     He taught school and was appointed the first county clerk of "C" county, now Blaine County, by Governor A.J. Saey of Oklahoma Territory when the Cheyenne-Arapahoe country was opened to settlement in 1892. George made the 1893 Land Run into the Cherokee Strip into Garfield County, Oklahoma, where he taught school and served as school superintendent of Garfield County 1904-1913. [2]

    

     George was also a member of several organizations. His love for teaching prompted his first published book, "Oklahoma School History", as he saw the need for the schools to have a preserved form of Oklahoma History. (Officially, the book was co-authored by

     Frank Wyatt, but Mr. Wyatt was actually in France at the time the text was prepared). The manuscript was soon adopted as the official text for public schools of Oklahoma.  [1] This was only the beginning of a long string of educational books and maps about the history of Oklahoma George would author.

    

     George was inducted into the Oklahoma Heritage Hall of Fame in 1938.

    

    

     George authored several Oklahoma related history books. I have read "No Man's Land-the Story of a Landed Orphan",(Co-Operative Publishing Co., Guthrie, OK, 1937), an history of the

     settlement of the OK Cherokee Outlet. From Indiana, I went to an Oklahoma

     library, who eventually located a copy in the state of Tennessee.

     George purchased land in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, September 28, 1889

    

     SOURCES

    

     1 - "George Rainey, 1866-1940", 'Chronicles of Oklahoma XIX', September 1941 #3, pg.       248-249, Isaac Newton McCash

    

     2 -  Letter written by George Rainey to Mr. Scott P. Squyres, Oklahoma Memorial  Association, October 28, 1938

         ____________________________________________________

    

     [The following was supplied to me by Michele Kerby  <bkerby@airmail.net>]

    

    

     Bibliographical Information:  "Oklahoma A History of The State and Its People" By

     Joseph B. Thoburn and Muriel H. Wright  Volume III  Lewis Historical Publishing

     Company, Inc.  New York  1929

     Page 360

    

     GEORGE RAINEY--Author of several of the textbooks which are on the approved

     list of volumes authorized by the State Board of Education, George Rainey has a

     record which comprises a number of other important, beneficial and advantageeous

     deeds he has performed for the community in which he has made his home.  Mr.

     Rainey has the greatest collection of Indian pictures, not equaled anywhere

     excepting in such institutions as the Smithsonian.  He was the first and second

     president of the "Oklahoma Free Home Association," 1892 and 1893.  The purpose

     of this organization was to relieve settlers of the purchase price placed upon their

     land  by Congress.  He has been prominent as an educator and was Superintendent

     of Schools in Garfield County.  At this time Mr. RAiney is officiating as postmaster

     at Enid, being first appointed by the late President Harding and receiving his

     reappointment from President Coolidge.

          Mr. Rainey was born in Gentry County, Missouri, January 2, 1866, the son of

     Samuel S. and Frances (Mathis) Rainey, the former a native of Tennessee, and the

     latter of Andrew County, Missouri.  The great-grandfather of Mr. Rainey, Benjamin

     Rainey, was Chaplain with the North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War.

     Mr. Rainey's mother was the daughter of Littleton Mathis, of Floyd, Virginia, whose

     father fought in the War of 1812.  Littleton Mathis himself had done much to make

     Oklahoma history, for he was a member of the company of United States Dragoons

     which made the memorable expedition with General Henry Leavenworth and

     Colonel Henry M. Dodge in 1834 across what is now the State of Oklahoma.

     Samuel Rainey was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company H, First

     Missouri Cavalry.

          The early education of Mr. Rainey was obtained in the public and high schools of

     Albany and Stanberry, Missouri, following which he graduated from a business

     school at the latter place, known as the Stanberry College.  After leaving the

     Stanberry College, Mr. Rainey taught for four years in the schools of Missouri, after

     which he came to Oklahoma.  This was in 1889 and he homesteaded in Kingfisher

     County.  He was appointed County Clerk in Blaine County then "C" County, in April,

     1892.  He served in this capacity for one appointive term and one elective term.

     Returning to Missouri, he taught school in that State for another five years and then

     came once more to Oklahoma.  He settled this time in Garfield County, where, in

     1904, he was appointed County Superintendent of Schools.  He was elected to that

     office in the fall of that year and was subsequently reelected, serving until July,

     1913.  Mr. Rainey holds a life certificate entitling him to teach in Oklahoma high

     schools.  He organized and was principal of Pawhuska Junior High School in the

     late part of 1915.  He was in this post until 1917, in which year he returned to Enid,

     where he taught school until appointed acting postmaster in 1921.  This

     appointment was made regular in the spring of 1922 by the late President Harding

     and, as stated, Mr. Rainey was re-appointed by President Coolidge in 1926.

          Of the books which have been written by Mr. Rainey, some of the most

     important are in the following list:  "The Oklahoma Historical Charts," which have

     been used as textbooks in the schools since 1917; "Civil Government, National and

     State"; "History of the Cherokee Strip;" and "Indians of the United States."  Mr.

     Rainey was also joint author of a school textbook, "Oklahoma History," which was

     used in all the schools from 1919 to 1924, inclusive.

          In Masonry, Mr. Rainey has held and still holds some very high offices.  He is an

     active member of Enid Lodge, No. 80, Free and Accepted Masons; Enid Council,

     No. 34, Royal and Select Masters; Enid Chapter, No. 27, Royal Arch Masons; Enid

     Commandery, No. 13, Knights Templar; Guthrie Temple, Ancient Arabic Order

     NObles of the Mystic Shrine; received the Order of the High Priesthood; served as

     Worshipful Master of Washahsha Lodge, No. 110, and of Enid Lodge, No. 80; High

     Priest of Pawhuska Chapter, and Generalissimo of the Commandery of that place.

     He was appointed Grand Sentinel of Oklahoma Grand Jurisdiction of the Order of

     the Eastern Star in 1927, and is now its Associate Grand Patron.  For two years he

     was chairman of the Advisory Council of DeMolay in Enid, and for one year

     president of the High Twelve Club.  He is an active member of the Enid Chamber of

     Commerce and of the Lions Club, being district representative of that organization

     for 1927.  He is a member of the Enid Writers' Club; the Enid Camp of the Sons of

     Veterans; president of the Oklahoma Association of Postmasters, 1923 to 1927;

     regional vice-president of the National Association of Postmasters for the States of

     Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, 1925 to 1928, and was on the State Library

     Board for 1906 to 1908.  An active member of the Christian Church of Enid, Mr.

     Rainey was for seven years chairman of the official board and has been for several

     years past superintendent of the Junior Sunday school.  He has also served for

     three years as a member of the Enid Park Board.

          On July 20, 1890, Mr. Rainey married, at Orchid, Missouri, Lulie Gilbert,

     daughter of Thomas and Sarah (McGinnis) Gilbert, the former a veteran of the Civil

     War who fought with the Sixth Missouri Cavalry.  Mr and Mrs. Rainey are the

     parents of a son, Thomas Gilbert Rainey, born April 2, 1907.

    

     He married Luretta GILBERT, 20 Jul 1890 in Orchid, Missouri,⁵  b. 1871 in Missouri,^[13] (daughter of Thomas GILBERT and Sarah MCKINNIS) resided in Missouri/Oklahoma,¹⁰  d. Oct 1962 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁶  buried 1962 in Enid Cemetery, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁴  occupation educator/historian/writer.¹

     Luretta: Luretta has published written works which name George as her husband. She taught high school english at Franklin School, Pawhuska 1913-1916.

    

     A.  Thomas Gilbert RAINEY, b. 2 APR 1907 in Oklahoma,⁵  resided 1907 in Oklahoma.

         

          1.   Roy G. RAINEY.

 

VI. Lucy Cornelia RAINEY, b. 17 Apr 1870 in Missouri,¹  d. 1890 in Missouri,⁶  buried in Winslow Cemetery, Dekalb Co., MO.⁶

 

VII.     John Littleton RAINEY, b. 24 Mar 1872 in Gentry County, MO,¹  d. 7 Apr 1940 in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁶  buried in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma,⁶  occupation Insurance.

    

     He married Florence Dusene TILBURY, 27 Feb 1895 in Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma Territory, OK,^[14] b. 25 Sep 1876 in Champaign, Illinois,⁶  (daughter of Henry TILBURY and Catherine PENNY) d. 7 Apr 1950 in Hawthorne, California,⁶  buried in Enid, Garfield Co., Oklahoma.⁶

    

     A.  Anita Blanche RAINEY.

 

     B.  Hattie RAINEY.

 

     C.  Nellie RAINEY.

 

     D.  Julian C. RAINEY.

         

          1.   Delores RAINEY.

               Delores Rainey Currie has referenced her extensive research in publications such as "The Rainey Times" - I continually search for her--if anyone can provide contact information, it would be appreciated!.

              

               She married Mr. CURRIE.

              

     E.   Max Harvey RAINEY.

 

VIII.    Mary Bell RAINEY, b. 24 Oct 1874 in Missouri,¹  d. in Pamona, CA.⁶

 

IX. Harriet "Hattie" RAINEY, b. 13 Feb 1877 in Missouri.¹

    

     She married⁶  W S BRADLEY.⁶

    

X.  Emma Gertrude RAINEY, b. 3 Sep 1880 in Missouri,¹  d. 25 Jun 1926 in Oklahoma,⁶  buried in Grandfield, OK.⁶

    

     She married James WARHURST, 26 May 1899 in Oklahoma Territory, OK,⁶  (son of James Anderson WARHURST and Rufina VINCENT).

     James: Information on this line provided by Jim Morgan 3/2000.

    

 

Note 1  Samuel lived with his parents until c. 1850, then with his wife and

children in Gentry County, Missouri c.1858-1880. They moved to

Sheridan in Oklahoma Territory c. 1890. A Samuel RAINEY is enumerated

as a participant of the April, 1891, Oklahoma Land Rush.

I believe this is the same Samuel -both moved

from Sheridan and staked claims in Enid, Garfield County.

 

8/10/02- I have changed the spelling of Sam's middle name to  'Swinney', based on the information provided to me by Roy G. Rainey, his grgrandson.

Note 2  Samuel Sweeney RAINEY lived here until his death. His sons, George and

William lived Kingfisher County, Oklahoma (south of Garfield County)

during this period, along with their uncle, Samuel's youngest brother,

John. George purchased land in Kingfisher on Sept. 28, 1889 and later

sold this 160 acre tract to his uncle, John Rainey, February 28, 1890.

Samuel's son William also purchased land May 17, 1890 in Kingfisher,

160 acres on a five year note, from John A. Bell. George authored a

biography in 1937. William was the 1900 census enumerator for

the Skeleton area of Kingfisher County.

 

 

Note 3  RAINEY, Samuel 1833-1917 Pvt Co H, Ist Cav, Civil War

Earned: Military Service Metal Member: GAR

Samuel's Union troop served out of DeKalb County, Missouri.

 

Note 4  Exerpt From: "Run Made Across Cherokee Strip", by Tess Stegman Ellis (Friday, April 3, 1987, St. Joseph, Missouri Gazette)  [article sent to me by Ms. Lucinda Teaford of Missouri written about Tess Ellis' grandmother, Malinda Jane Rainey] ('Uncle Sam' refers to Samuel Rainey, brother of Melinda's father, Joseph)

 

I wonder if Malinda Jane Rainey, a mere slip of a girl from Gentry County, MO., ever really realized that she was a part of the early history in the making of a new frontier.

 

She had gone to Oklahoma to visit her 10 cousins, the children of her Uncle Sam and Aunt Frances Rainey They had lived in DeKalb County, MO., but on March 27, 1891, they started the move to King Fisher[sp?], Okla., to make their home...

 

...The Second land run was Sept. 16, 1893. It was at that time that Malinda Jane Rainey was visiting her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Sam Rainey decided to make the run across the Cherokee Strip for his 125 acres.

 

Hattie was about Malinda's age, and her dearest cousin and friend. We know the two girls made the wild ride in the wagon with Uncle Sam, but we wonder if he took his wife and the other nine children. If so, don't you know they made a picture in their wild dash for land! I can just see the calico dresses and bonnets and apron strings flying. The long brown stockings and high button black shoes!

 

They staked their claim 10 miles east of what is now Enid, Okla.. They lived there 10 years and then moved into Enid. It is not known if some of the older children stayed on the claim.

 

Malinda never talked much about this exciting bit of history, just the fact that she was there.

 

On Sept. 20, 1896, Malinda Jane Rainey was wed to tall, handsome Isaiah Ferguson and settled down to homemaking 1 1/2 miles west of Berlin, Mo.. They had five children, Gerry, Velma (my mom), Maurice, Lawrence, and Wilbur. At the age of 38, when Wilbur was just six months old, Isaiah died on June 29, 1910 leaving Malinda to raise her children alone. Her parents, Joseph and Mary Rainey along with her brothers and sisters were a great help to her.

 

And as I sit here, I can picture my grandmother still.

 

Tess Stegman Ellis

Albany, Mo.