On November 16, 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

2007 is the 100th year for Oklahoma. Our Fishers were living and

working in Indian Territory before statehood and celebrated statehood day.

As you look at these photographs of our ancestors in Indian Territory,

think about how they lived and what they may have thought about being

part of a brand new state, and celebrate with us "okies".

"We know we belong to the land, and the land we belong to is grand".

The Fishers and Roarks in Indian Territory 1907

"Hard work - burnt out"
This is what Thomas Monroe Fisher wrote across the bottom of this postcard that he mailed to Mr. W. H. Williamson, his brother-in-law, back in his native state of Tennessee. The picture is of Elisha Grey Roark with his sons, Osco and Robert, and son-in-law, Tom Fisher, at work cutting wood for barrel staves on the Washita river bottom near the town of Davis in Indian Territory. Tom Fisher wrote to his friend:

"Well Wess you can use this to scare off hawks. We are so close to the bank of the river the

 fish won't bite. It is no good to keep off the Washata mosquitoes for they are here. So am I.

 T M F"

The Postcard is postmarked "Davis Oct 5 10AM 1907 Ind T". I believe Tom Fisher was sending the card to his brother-in-law because Indian Territory was scheduled for statehood in Nov. of 1907 and the "Ind T" postmark would become a novelty. My father, Chester Fisher (son of Tom Fisher) found this postcard in the 1970s while looking through papers left by the late W.H. Williamson in Huntingdon, TN.

Larry Fisher provides the information on this picture as told to him by his Father, Connie Fisher.