Pioneer Stories of Canadian County, Oklahoma

Christian County, OK Pioneer Data

22 April 1889 Oklahoma Territory's First Land Run
Pioneer Family -- Canadian County OK
Jeremiah Milton & Emma Jane (Dolby) Stout
Contributed to Genealogy Trails by Christine Walters

This story is unique in the fact that a mother of 7 young children actually achieved it.
The family always said that "Grandma" made the "Run of 89". The statement was a matter of fact, accepted and not unusual. But in retrospect it was exceptional that a wife and mother of 7 children had the grit and determination to accept the task of making a land-claim for her family. Emma Dolby, born, January 13, 1863 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania married Jeremiah Milton Stout, born June 15, 1853 in Lewsburg, Pennsylvania.

As a child, Milton was gored by a bull in the throat. This left him handicapped with a speech and hearing deficiency. With these two physical problems, Milton chose to ride the train from Kansas to Oklahoma with the family's furniture and allow Emma to make the "Run". The family settled on a farm north of El Reno which would be the Sunny Side School District and began the hard demanding life of early settlers.

In 1902 Emma, always the aggressive one, met on a Sunday afternoon with a group of 35 people to hold religious services. As the year passed everyone agreed that a minister was needed. The Stout family had been members of the United Evangelical Church in Pennsylvania and in Kansas. Emma contact D F Honstedt from Clay County Circuit in Kansas to come and hold revival services. The people in the community wanted a church and in 1903 Jacob Wesley David, son in law of Emma, and Rev. Honstedt sought pledges for a Church Building and Mt. Zion Evangelical Church was formed. Emma was the only woman appointed as the first trustee. Other trustees were: Fred Heckes, Jacob Wesley, David W. L. Burce and J. A. Bruce. Emma was also a charter member of Women's Missionary Society of Mt. Zion.

Emma was the daughter of Christian Dolby, born in 1818 and Catherine Zimmerman, born in 1820. Both had come from Germany. Milton was the son of Jeremiah, born October 15, 1825 and Salome (Smithers) Stout, born December 4, 1831. They were married March 15, 1848 in Pennsylvania. The children of this pioneer couple were: Dora, born Feb 14, 1882 in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania married Jacob Wesley David; Mary born December 23, 1883 in Longford, Kansas, married Harvey Reynolds and later Asher Stephens. Asher was a nephew of Wesley David and both had come from Canada. Other children were Joe, Charlie and Chris (see story) who were twins, born February 21, 1892 and Roy born in 1900 and Esther born in 1902 married later to Floyd Trindle of Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
View Obituaries of Emma and Melton Stout