Treasure Hunt at the Love County Courthouse: Uncovering Land Records

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of walking into a courthouse and uncovering a treasure trove of your ancestors’ records that exist nowhere else online. My research trip to the Love County Courthouse in Marietta, Oklahoma, turned into exactly that kind of genealogical treasure hunt. What started as a search for one specific 1913 deed mentioned in a newspaper article led to the discovery of over twenty records documenting the land transactions, oil leases, and property dealings of my Harris family ancestors during the transition from Indian Territory to Oklahoma statehood. Here’s the step-by-step story of how preparation, persistence, and a willingness to pivot when initial searches failed ultimately led to one of my most successful courthouse research experiences.

This is the third post in our onsite research series. Read the other posts here:

Onsite Research: Beyond Digitized Records: explains the onsite research series

How to Prepare for an Onsite Genealogy Research Trip: explains the kinship determination project I was working on for certification and my research objective for the Love County, Oklahoam, research trip

Preparation: Planning the Research Trip

Before I went to the Love County Courthouse, I called them to find out if they would have any closures on the Tuesday through Thursday I was planning to visit. I told them I wanted to look at my ancestors’ deeds. They told me that the deed indexes were organized by township, range, and section, and that I would need to know the section, because there are a lot of deeds for each township and range.

I knew there had to be a deed for my third-great-grandfather, John C. Harris, because of a newspaper article from 1914 that mentioned a land transfer from Allen B. Collins and his wife Eva to John C. Harris. The article mentioned that the parcel of land was in “part 6 of 7s1e” (Section 6, Township 7 South, Range 1 East, or Sec. 6, T7S, R1E). Here is a quick explanation of the township/range public land system:

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a standardized method used to divide and describe land in much of the United States, particularly in areas that were once public domain. The system creates a grid of squares: townships are six-mile-by-six-mile squares, while ranges indicate how far east or west a township is from a designated meridian line. Each township is further divided into 36 one-mile-square sections, numbered 1 through 36 in a serpentine pattern starting from the northeast corner. Understanding this system is crucial for genealogical research because land records, census data, and historical documents often reference these coordinates. For example, “Section 6, Township 7 South, Range 1 East” pinpoints a specific square mile of land, making it possible to locate exactly where ancestors lived and owned property.[1]

I prepared for the trip by reviewing the locations I had in Love County for John C. Harris with a map of Love County showing the townships and sections. I used RandyMajors.org, a helpful free map website that can show the Public Land Survey System overlaid on a Google Map of present-day locations. Below is a map of Love County from RandyMajors.org. When you click the button to turn on “labels,” it shows the township, range, and sections. When zoomed in closer you can see section numbers. I took a screenshot and highlighted the county borders.

Background: Tracking John C. Harris Through the Records

Based on my prior research, I had identified several locations where John C. Harris lived over the years:

1900 – John C. Harris resided in Indian Territory during the federal census.[2] The locality at the top of his page in the population schedule gave the following locality information:

• State: Indian Territory
• County: Chickasaw Nation
• Township or other division of county: Twp 7-S-R-1-W
• Enumeration District No. 177
• Page 1 of the “Township 7 South Range 1 West” division also stated that the name of the incorporated city, town, or village within the above-named division was “Burneyville Village.”[3]
• Burneyville today is in section 34 of T7S R1W.

1905 – The Marietta Monitor Newspaper reported that “Uncle Johnnie Harris was a business visitor to the city from Leon Monday.”[4] Leon is located in sections 5 and 8 of T8S R2W.

1908 – John C. Harris lived in Pike in 1908 when the newspaper announced his marriage to Arza: “J.C. Harris of Pike and Miss Arzy Spry of Leon were married in Burneyville.”[5] Pike is within section 8 of T7S R1W, with Pike cemetery located in the section just south of Section 8 – Section 17.

1910 – John C. Harris was enumerated in Marietta City within Love County, Oklahoma, in 1910.[6] They were part of Ward 2, living on Creek St. This is section 20 of T7S R2E, which includes almost all of Marietta. Marietta also spills over into sections 17, 18, 19, 30, 29 and 21.

None of these locations were in Section 6, T7S, R1E, but knowing that he bought land there, and knowing other places he lived, I felt confident that I’d know where to look for records about John C. Harris.

The Journey: Arriving at the Courthouse

My husband and I flew to Dallas on a Monday. The next morning, I dropped him off at work and then drove an hour and a half up to Marietta, Oklahoma. The Love County courthouse was beautiful, and it was exciting to be in the place my ancestors lived and once walked.

It was about 10:00 am when I arrived. I entered the courthouse and enjoyed looking around the halls for a few minutes. I noticed where different offices were located and got my bearings.

When I was ready, I went into the County Clerk’s office, introduced myself to one of the ladies working there, and let them know I was hoping to research my ancestors’ deeds. They showed me back to the room housing the deed books and indexes.

Getting Oriented: Understanding the System

At first, I spent some time looking around the room and noticing where the books were. There were two counters that were slightly angled to make reading the deed books easier. One was by the edge of the room near the windows and the other was like a center island.  There were shelves lining the walls and a few rows of additional shelves.

I noticed some books labeled deeds, others labeled miscellaneous records, and some labeled town patents. Some index books were located near the door, below the windows. Volume one of the deeds was across the room. The later volumes of recent deeds were in the rows of shelves. As I pulled out some of the index books, I learned that they each covered a different township within Love County. Some were combined. They had year ranges on the cover, usually starting in the 1910s.

Using the locations I discovered in my preparation from John C. Harris’s census enumerations and residences from newspaper articles, I decided to check the index book for T7S R1W. John was enumerated there in 1900, potentially in Burneyville, which is in section 34; also he was “of Pike” in 1908, which is in section 8.

First Discovery

As I opened the index for 7S 1W, I started paging through sections 1-8 to get to section 8. I stopped on section 7, because I saw at the top of the index page the name of my second-great-grandfather, Dock Harris! The grantee was Dock’s nephew, John R. Defoor, who was the son of Dock’s older sister Margaret Cinderella (Harris) Defoor Bone. She was eighteen years older than Dock, so John R. Defoor was Dock’s age. The index entry was for a deed from October 1915, recorded in book 8, page 579. I took a picture of the index page to document the information on the page and to remember my step-by-step experience in finding the deed.

I located deed record book 8 and opened it to page 579 It was exciting to see the name of Allie Harris, Dock’s wife, included in the deed! The deed recorded a sale of 126.2 acres by Dock and Allie Harris to J.R. Defoor in 1915 for $43. I used my phone to take a photograph of the page. I turned the page to make sure there wasn’t anything else relevant on the next page, and there wasn’t.

I then held my phone up higher to take a picture of the whole spread, even though Dock and Allie’s deed was only on the right side of the book. As an afterthought, I took a picture of the front of the deed record book so I would remember which book the deed was in and be able to write a source citation including that info.

Right then, I decided that for the rest of my research trip, I would document which book I was looking within by taking a photo of the front of the book first, then I would know that the photographs to follow would be images from that book. This protocol worked very well for the rest of my research in the courthouse and historical society and enabled me to make accurate source citations when I got home.

Additional Dock Harris Records

Also within the section 7 index for T7S R1W were two additional instruments including Dock Harris. There was a “Cert” in book 12 and a deed in book 11. I wasn’t sure if the “Cert” would be in a deed record book or miscellaneous record book, and the index page didn’t specify. I looked in the deed book and didn’t find it. I decided to try the miscellaneous record book 12, and sure enough found a certificate of purchase from the Department of the Interior’s Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes showing that Dock Harris and J.R. Defoor’s bid of $441.70 for 126.20 acres of land was approved on 4 June 1913.[7] The bidders had paid $66.25—15%  of the purchase price—and  were allowed to immediately use and possess the land but weren’t allowed to cut and remove any timber or drill for oil or gas or take any mineral from it until the full purchase price was paid.

The deed in book 11 was from the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations to Dock Harris and J.R. Defoor, completing the conveyance of the 126.2 acres in 1916.[8]

The index page had three more entries with only J.R. Defoor’s name, which I decided to check in case Dock was also involved. The first was in miscellaneous record 15 and contained a right-of-way contract where J.R. Defoor and his wife Daisy granted permission to a Missouri company called Producers Refining Co. to lay a pipeline for the transportation of oil and gas through his property for $17.88 in 1915.[9]

Miscellaneous record 12 included J.R. Defoor’s oil and gas lease to Plains Oil and Gas Company.[10] While getting the miscellaneous volumes off the shelf, I noticed a large green book sitting on top of the shelf. I pulled it down and saw it was titled “Township Maps of the Chickasaw Nation.” A letter taped to the first page of the book stated that it was from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and contained “township maps of the Chickasaw Nation…[that] indicate original Indian allotments within the Chickasaw Nation.” The map for 7S 1W included “Dock Harris and J.R. Defore” in  Section 7. The maps were such a neat visual index for land records in the transition period between Indian Territory and Oklahoma statehood.

It was exciting to find all these records for Dock and John R. Defoor, but I didn’t fully understand what was happening in the story of Dock’s life from what I found yet. I needed to read, analyze, and transcribe the information, but I felt rushed for time. There was so much to find in just that one section, and I hadn’t even found John C. Harris’s deed from Allen Collins yet.

As an aside, I think it’s a genealogical best practice to read, analyze, and log the records you’re finding as you go. That way you recognize when one record you found is leading to another and you can make sure to find that record as well. I knew I was coming back for two more days, so I planned to use my photographs as an informal log and then fill in the blanks later. I took pictures of book covers, index pages, and record pages, making sure to turn pages and not miss the end of any records that might be on the next page. I also planned to analyze my findings that evening in the hotel room. However, my husband and I went to dinner, worked out in the gym, and came back that evening tired out. Although I tried to prepare that evening, I didn’t spend more than twenty minutes reviewing and making a plan for the next day. The deed analysis would wait until I was home.

Finding John C. Harris’s Land Purchase

I turned the page in the index to section 8, where I suspected the area of “Pike” to be—where John resided—and was rewarded with finding a deed from E.L. Carlile to J.C. Harris in September of 1916. This was recorded in deed book 11. For $460, J.C. Harris and Arza Z. Harris purchased “the NE quarter of the SE quarter of the NW quarter of Sec. 8, T7S R1W, less 1.25 acres for the town of Pike, Oklahoma,” on 13 September 1916.[11] Although the deed doesn’t say how many acres of land were sold, it can be calculated by starting with 640 acres, the size of a standard section in the Public Land Survey System.

Here’s how the calculation works:

• The Northwest quarter (NW 1/4) of Section 8 is: 640÷4=160 acres.
• The Southeast quarter (SE 1/4) of that 160-acre parcel is: 160÷4=40 acres.
• The Northeast quarter (NE 1/4) of that 40-acre parcel is: 40÷4=10 acres.
• The description then includes an important exception: “less 1.25 acres“. This means you must subtract that amount from the calculated total.
• Final Calculation: 10 acres – 1.25 acres = 8.75 acres

 

Oil and Gas Records for Arza Harris

As I continued reading the index of section 8, I found that Arza Harris, John’s second wife, had an oil lease and conveyance of royalty in Miscellaneous record 61. These were unique records because they included details about Arza using the 8.75 acres in 1935, seventeen years after John C. Harris’s death. The records included the name of Arza’s second husband, J.M. McNiel, as well as her children: J.C. Harris [John Chiven Harris], J.M. Harris [Jessie Mathis Harris], and Ruthie Harris. For example, here is the oil and gas lease:

No. 2225

00-304 Producers–Special 88,

OIL AND GAS LEASE

AGREEMENT, Made and entered into the 27th day of May, 1935, by and between J. C. Harris; Arza Z. Harris now McNiel, an heiress, J. M. McNiel; J. M. Harris; and Ruthie Harris, Party of the first part, hereinafter called lessor (whether one or more) and Paul T. Morrell, 912 W Main, Ardmore, Okla./ W. A. Stine of Marietta, Oklahoma, party of the second part, hereinafter called lessee.

Witnesseth, That the said lessor for and in consideration of One and No/100 ($1.00) Dollars, cash in hand paid, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, and of the covenants and agreements hereinafter contained on the part of the lessee to be paid, kept and performed, has granted, demised, leased and let and by these presents do grant, demise, lease and let unto the said lessee, for the sole and only purpose of mining and operating for oil and gas, and of laying pipe lines, and of building tanks, powers, stations and structures thereon to produce save and take care of said products, all that certain tract of land situated in the county of Love State of Oklahoma, described as follows, to-wit:

The North East Quarter of the South East Quarter of

the North West Quarter of Section 8, Township 7 South,

Range 1 West less 1.25 acres for the town of Pike, Oklahoma,

of Section 8 Township 7 South, Range 1 West and containing 10 acres, more or less.

It is agreed that this lease shall remain in force for a term of 10 years from this date and as long thereafter as oil or gas, or either of them, is produced from said land by the lessee.

In consideration of the premises the said lessee covenants and agrees:

1st. To deliver to the credit of lessor, free of cost, in pipe line to which it may connect its wells, the equal one-eighth part of all oil produced and saved from the leased premises.

2nd. To pay lessor one-eighth (1/8) of the gross proceeds each year, payable quarterly, for the gas from each well where gas only is found, while the same is being used off the premises, and if used in the manufacture of gasoline a royalty of one-eighth (1/8), payable monthly at the prevailing market rate for gas; and lessor to have gas free of cost from any such well for all stoves and all inside lights in the principal dwelling.

That completed my search of Section 8 of T7S R1W.

Expanding the Search

Next, I checked the index for section 34 of T7S R1W, where I had located the town of Burneyville. I didn’t find anything in that section. I went back to the Pike area and searched Section 17, which I knew was where Pike Cemetery was located. I didn’t find John C. Harris or Dock Harris, but I did find two records for John’s daughter and son-in-law, Benjamin H. Moore and Martha Rosetta (Harris) Moore. They were listed as “B.H. & M.R. Moore.” They leased the SW quarter of Section 17 in T7S R1W to S. Westheimer, Max Westheimer, D. Daube, and S. Daube for $240 in an oil and gas mining lease.[12] I recognized the name Westheimer as a businessperson to whom Dock owed money, mentioned in the newspaper.[13]

I eventually asked where the index book for 7 South 1 East was located, because it wasn’t obvious to me. One of the other people researching in the room (I think a paralegal) showed me where to look. It was under the center island counter in a different spot than the first index books I had found.

As I turned the index pages, I came to section 6. I read through the entries, which included the grantor, grantee, type of instrument, volume, page, and year. I knew the deed was for 1914 between Collins and Harris but found nothing like that in section 6. I searched more of the sections within T7S R1E and came up empty. It was disappointing! I had a feeling the deed was in the room somewhere, but I was just looking in the wrong index.

Next, I looked for index books for the area where Marietta City was, T7S R2E, but didn’t find them. I looked in the indexes of T8S R2W, where the town of Leon was located (John C. Harris’ residence in 1905), as well as the index book for “6-7-S. 2-W.” I took pictures of the index book covers to remember that I searched through them. After spending thirty minutes reading indexes, I didn’t find anything.

So, I went back to 7S 1W. That’s when I struck gold.

The Big Discovery: Section 6 Treasures

Starting with section 1, I read each index page carefully for the years 1907-1920, and when I got to Section 6, I found the Allen Collins – John C. Harris deed, which could be found in volume 7. I also saw two deeds between Dock and John C. Harris, a deed between Dock and John R. Defoor, two records for just John R. Defoor, a deed between John R. Defoor and T. Harris, and an oil and gas lease for T.J. Harris. In all, there were eight records about my family on the first page of the index for Section 6. It was exciting to see so many relevant records on one index page! It made sense because Section 6 is near Section 7 and near the town of Pike. It also made sense that the Collins deed was there, since it wasn’t in 7S 1E. The newspaper had one letter off, and the actual land description should have read “part 6 of 7s1w.”

I located deed book 7 and opened it to page 363.

After reviewing the parties, land description, and the date, I recognized the deed as the one described in the newspaper from Allen B. Collins and Eva Collins to John C. Harris on 9 October 1913.[14] I had finally met my goal of finding that transaction!

STATE OF OKLAHOMA,

Love County SS.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,

That Allen B. Collins and Eva Collins, husband and wife, parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of One Hundred and Fifty and no/100 Dollars and the assumption of amounts hereinafter set out, in hand paid, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, do hereby Grant, Bargain, Sell and Convey unto John C. Harris the following described real property and premises, situate in Love County, State of Oklahoma, to-wit:

An undivided one half interest in and to the southwest quarter of Section six (6) Township Seven (7) South, Range One (1) West being a part of tract number; 515.

together with all the improvements thereon and the appurtenances thereunto belonging, and warrant the title to the same.

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD said described premises unto the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns forever, free, clear and discharged of and from all former grants, charges, taxes, judgments, mortgages and other liens and incumbrances of whatsoever nature, except the balance with interest due the Government on the purchase price of the above described land 1/2 which is hereby assumed by second party as the additional consideration of this transfer.

Signed and delivered this 9th day of Oct 1913.

WITNESSES:

Allen B. Collins

Eva Collins

I then returned to the Chickasaw Nation Township Maps book that I had left open on the counter and looked carefully at Section 6. It showed Allen B. Collins and Dock H. Harris as joint owners of the SW quarter of Section 6. It was directly above Section 7.

Completing the Section 6 Research

I then located and photographed all the records for Section 6, except a mortgage for John R. Defoor because the mortgage books were not available, and one of his oil and gas leases. I can’t remember why I didn’t photograph the oil and gas lease.

I thought I was done with Section 6, but I failed to recognize the importance of Allen B. Collins. I should have located and photographed two additional records indexed for Collins in Section 6 – a 1914 plat [map] by the Department of the Interior in 1914 and a deed from C&C Nations to Allen B. Collins in 1915. I didn’t realize the importance of these records until I was home several months later, transcribing the deeds, making source citations, and writing about the story of Dock and John C. Harris’ lives. It became clear in my analysis that Dock was probably a joint grantee on the 1915 deed, so I emailed the county clerk and asked if they would send me those two deeds. They sent them out the next day! I was surprised. My earlier attempt to email them for a deed was unsuccessful. Now I wonder if it was because the location of the deed I originally asked for was printed incorrectly in the newspaper, so they couldn’t find it in T7S R1E.

Additional Discoveries and Protocol Lessons

I reviewed all the other sections in T7S R1W. When I was done with that index book, I spent some time reviewing the plat maps again, looking for any related names. I did find Allie (Frazier) Harris’ brother, Coleman Frazier, owning land in 7S 2W, so I photographed four of his records as well. Lastly, I found Thomas J. Harris in the plat maps and recognized him as a stepson of John C. Harris. I found his certificate of purchase from the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes in 1912.[15]

At that point, one of the clerks walked through, and I asked her a question. Then she let me know that taking photographs of the index pages was not allowed. I felt a little silly for not noticing the sign about it. She said taking photos of the deeds themselves was fine.

Wrapping Up the Morning Session

At the end of my Harris research that morning, it was 12:45 pm. After two hours and forty-five minutes, I had I had located twenty-two indexed records about the Harris family and photographed twenty of them. It was exhilarating! Despite finding so much, I felt I had only scratched the surface. I still needed to figure out where the indexes for Marietta City were. I also wanted to find out more about tax and court records in the courthouse. But it was time for lunch! So I left the Clerk’s office and found a local place to have a sandwich. I went to Robertson’s, which advertised ham, bacon, and sausage.

My sandwich was great, but I was itching to get back to the courthouse! In the next post, I’ll share my adventures from Tuesday afternoon in the Love County Courthouse.

Note: It’s been over a year since I took this trip, and it was challenging to remember the steps I took in the clerk’s office. It was fun to review my photos and my research notes to recreate my experience for this blog post. I would recommend that even if you don’t have time to do all the research logging, notes, and analysis that you want to, at least take a voice recording or journal entry about the experience to help you remember what you did. During the trip I talked with my mom using the Marco Polo app so I was able to review those videos and remember my thought process. Here are some of the things I told my mom: “I am overwhelmed with the wealth of records and tax records and deeds. … It’s just so fun, I’m geeking out completely.” It was an amazing experience!

Tips and Takeaways

Before Your Visit

• Always call ahead to confirm courthouse hours and access policies
• Prepare by mapping out all known locations before your visit using tools like RandyMajors.org
• Research related family members – know siblings, in-laws, and associates who might appear in the same records
• Study local history – Understanding transitions like Indian Territory to Oklahoma statehood helps you recognize significant record types
• Bring multiple research strategies – Have backup plans for different township/range combinations when initial sources prove incorrect

 

During Your Research

• Be flexible – Newspaper references and other derivative sources may contain errors (like “7S1E” vs. “7S1W”)
• Ask courthouse staff for help locating materials – They know the filing systems and can point you to resources you might miss
• Check courthouse photography policies before starting – Rules vary, such as allowing deed photos but not index pages
• Pay attention to adjacent sections – Expanding your search geographically may help you discover additional records
• Look for visual aids – Township map books and plat maps can be unexpected goldmines
• Allow for discovery time – Budget extra time when you start finding multiple family records in one area

 

Documentation Best Practices

• Document your research process with photos and even better – in your actual research notes so you understand what you found and whether there are additional related records at the courthouse
• Develop a consistent photo protocol – Taking pictures of book covers first, then contents, creates a clear research trail
• Record negative results – Note which sections and time periods you searched with no results to avoid repeating work
• Gather what you need to make source citations – for me this included photos of the book covers

 

Building Relationships and Follow-up

• Build rapport with courthouse staff – Positive relationships can lead to helpful guidance and future assistance
• Follow up on discoveries that seem incomplete – Email can be effective for additional requests, as shown by the successful Collins deed request
• Take breaks to process findings – Stepping away helps you return with fresh perspective
• Analyze records together at home – Transcribing and comparing documents often reveals connections you missed during the courthouse visit
• Journal about the experience on paper or with a voice recorder app – It can help you process what you found and can be a starting point for additional analysis and note-taking you do after the trip

 

Good luck as you plan and carry out your own on-site research trips!

 

__________________________________________

 

AI Disclosure

I wrote most of the blog post myself. AI wrote the introductory paragraph, the headers, and the tips at the end.

Notes

[1] Explanation of the Public Land Survey System, Claude Sonnet 4, user Nicole Dyer, 11 August 2025, Anthropic (https://claude.ai/).

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, pop. sch., Township 7S Range 1W, ED 177, sheet 10A, dwelling 146, family 149, Dock Harris in John C. Harris household; image online, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/ITT623_1850-0358 : accessed 17 Aug 2023).

[3] 1900 U.S. census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, pop. sch., Township 7S Range 1W, ED 177, sheet 3A; image online, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/records/75001462 : accessed 10 August 2025).

[4] “Local and Personal,” The Marietta [Oklahoma] Monitor, 14 July 1905, p. 8, col. 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-marietta-monitor-local-and-personal/146656246/ : accessed 6 May 2024).

[5] “Leon.” The Daily Ardmoreiete [Ardmore, Oklahoma], 11 Mar 1908, p. 7, col. 4; image, NewspaperArchive (https://newspaperarchive.com : accessed 6 May 2024).

[6] 1910 U.S. census, Love County, Oklahoma, population schedule, Marietta Ward 2, ED 171, p. 6b, dwelling 119, family 121, John C Harris household; database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/22979149:7884 : accessed 5 May 2024).

[7] Love County, Oklahoma, Miscellaneous Records 12:422, Certificate of Purchase, no. 254, Dock Harris and J.R. Defore, 3 May 1913; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta, Oklahoma.

[8] Love County, Oklahoma, Deeds 11:81, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations to Dock Harris and J.R. Defore, 31 March 1916; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[9] Love County, Oklahoma, Miscellaneous Records 15: 60-61, Right Of Way Contract, J.R. and Daisy Defoor to Producers Refining Co., 3 August 1915; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[10] Love County, Oklahoma, Miscellaneous Records 12:650, Oil and Gas Lease, J.R. and Daisy Defoor to Plains Oil and Gas Company, 29 October 1915; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[11] Love County, Oklahoma, Deeds 11:189, E.L. and Georgia Ethel Carlile to J.C. and Arza Z. Harris, 13 Sep 1916; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[12] Love County, Oklahoma, Miscellaneous Record 47:57, B.H. Moore and M.R. Moore and S. Westheimer, D. Daube, and S. Daube, 31 January 1927; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[13] “County Court Docket,” The Marietta [Oklahoma] Monitor, 13 August 1915, p. 8, col. 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-marietta-monitor-county-court-docket/136441068/ : accessed 7 December 2023).

[14] Love County, Oklahoma, Deeds 7:363, Allen B. and Eva Collins to John C. Harris, 9 Oct 1913; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.

[15] Love County, Oklahoma, Deeds 12: 256, Certificate of Purchase, Tom J. Harris, 9 December 1912; Love County Clerk’s Office, Marietta.