 Bicycle
Shop, Perry, Oklahoma 1896-97 (?), Owned by Joseph Hubbard Jones Bellzona,
Gertrude standing in front of her, Joe to the far right.
Hot dusty periods in Oklahoma history made
the use of horses for transportation something of a problem and, no doubt,
Joe was thinking of this with the desire to introduce bicycles. He loved
the English racing bikes with their gears and thin wheels allowing for
speed and long distance travel. Years later for his grandchildren Joe
easily put parts of bicycles together to keep the children supplied with
mobility. This was a necessary element for a success which was a part of
the Jones culture as far back as to their Irish roots and the blooded
racehorses of Ireland. The business effort failed. Joe and Bell left
Perry. They then moved to the panhandle of the state. Thus, Joe gave up
the land he had won in the "Cherokee Strip," at Marshall,
Oklahoma.
This is one story told about the land run,
"Up ahead I caught sight of an Indian family. They were standing by a
fire, outdoors, where a large granite coffee pot was being used to serve
the tired, thirsty men who were rushing by in what seemed to them a panic.
As the rider approached, the Indian man standing there could speak no
English except to say "get off, eat-" The Indian family offered
water, coffee and the light fluffy pieces of bread cooked in the kettles
of hot fat.
Years later a native aunt, Creth or Annie,
told the same story from the Indian side to Lizzie. She said, "We
didn't know what was the matter. We thought there was something the men
were running from. It frightened us, but we didn't know what else to do
but to try to give them some food." |
