Lavina R. Beavers

http://okgenweb.org/pioneer/ohs/beaverslavinar.htm

I was born near Eagletown, the daughter of Indian Chief Calvin HOWELL. My father, the Chief, was born also near Ealgetown in what was then Eagle County, Choctaw Nation, on March 4, 1843. His father, Calvin H. Howell came from Mississippi when the Choctaw Indians came to this country in 1832. My mother, Rhoda PITCHLYN Howell, was also from Mississippi.

My grandfather, Calvin H. Howell, settled a quarter of a mile north of Eagletown where he built a fine mission. He owned many slaves to do the work and he put in a large plantation.

Around the house [,] he had big orchards, vineyard, garden, rice patch. One of the pear trees is standing there yet.

My grandparents raised a large family of nine children, John, Margaret, Mary, Edward, Calvin, Ellen, Tom P., and Fannie Howell. In the time of war, grandfather died in 1865.

Grandmother moved to Davis after the war and settled in the Washita Valley and put in another plantation and the children all married among the best citizens of that county.

Calvin Howell Jr. stayed at Eagletown with the farm and married Miss Fannie LEFLORE, Governor LeFlore’s granddaughter.

During the time of the Choctaw Government Father served his people in many public capacities. Under conditions that existed in the country during his youth, his education was of course limited, but was sufficient to enable him to compete successfully in the business world. At one time he represented his county in the Councils of his Nation.

Calvin Howell and Levina HUDSON were married June 23, 1900, and in 1901 moved up to the Bend on an unimproved place. Many white oak trees were cut down to be made into shingles, rails and post.

He first put into cultivation 55 acres and after a few years he put in another 75 acre farm on a river two miles north of the place where he first settled. Indians call this place Bokfolota in Choctaw which is “winding around river” in English; but white people call it Beaver’s Bend because there were many beaver in this river in those early days.

Calvin Howell liked to hunt game and fish and that was why he located on these places, and he did his share of hunting and fishing while he lived. He died in 1910 and his mother, aged 99 years, died in the same year.

His son, Daniel H. Howell, who is 29 years old now, owned these places until 1926 when he sold them to the Choctaw Lumber Company and the Company later sold to the State for State Park, and a C C C Camp was established on the place with about 200 C C C boys working. This place was known once as Howell’s Ranch; later as Beaver’s Ranch. The cattle belonging to me were branded C. H. on a hip. Those branded D. on the left side were Daniel Herbert Howell’s and D. on the left hip were Douglas Beaver’s brand. These cattle were all bunched up and sold out in 1924 - 400 head, brought $4,900.00 and we folks have regretted that the cattle were ever sold many times.