Joshua Ross, Muskogee Agriculturalist

Joshua Ross is usually remembered as one of Muskogee's first businessmen. Overlooked today is his involvement in the promotion of improved farming practices.

Ross' move to Muskogee's east side brought many benefits. One arose from the railroad connection with eastern states. The Katy brought improved mail service. That meant Joshua received timely delivery of his "Illustrated Journal of Agriculture."

The magazine began publication in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1860, and then restarted after the end of hostilities. Printed much like a newspaper, farmers were reading its agricultural articles all across the American Southwest by the early 1870's.

The articles had a direct impact in Indian Territory. Joshua himself purchased a variety of merchandise from the magazine's advertisers. These items included knives, Berkshire pigs and a sewing machine for his wife.

Ross passed advice from the articles along to area farmers and customers. He especially talked about the benefits of raising a better breed of hogs. He encouraged area farmers to upgrade the quality of their pigs by offering his for sale at $10 each. Joshua was able to use his Berkshire pigs in demonstrating the animal's worth. Farmers commonly raised leaner hogs at the time.

Raising Berkshire pigs brought about a change to the way pigs were raised in Indian Territory. In the past, hogs roamed freely. Berkshire hogs were more valuable. Consequently, farmers learned to keep them in pens, which is the practice today.

Joshua Ross promoted other areas of improved farming as well. He was the first person to plant an orchard in Muskogee. Yes, there were many orchards already in Indian Territory. His planting one so soon after establishing his residence in the new town demonstrated further commitment to agricultural improvements. The trees he chose for his orchard were among the finest varieties of apple, peach and plum trees.

Ross' interest in improving agriculture in Indian Territory also included his promotion of farming practices among the civilized tribes. His service on the General Council of the Indian Territory began as early as 1873.

This council formed in 1869. It promoted improvements in many conditions affecting residents of the territory. The Civil War caused widespread destruction of homes, farms and businesses in Indian Territory. Joshua's focus on improving farming conditions led to his chairmanship of the council's Agriculture Committee.

In the spring of 1874, Joshua began acting as an agent promoting the "Cherokee Advocate," the Tahlequah newspaper. His connection with the newspaper provided him with a new outlet for his promotional efforts. The newspaper publisher encouraged its agents to communicate news of local events.

Ross' first effort in using a newspaper as an advertising medium was a simple announcement. He reported the forthcoming meeting on the last Wednesday in June 1874.

The paragraph called for a meeting of people interested in establishing a fair. It was to be held later in the year the announcement said. This meeting was the initial effort in planning the fair.

The subsequent fair inspired local residents to improve their farming practices in addition to providing entertainment. Many farmers entered livestock and crop samples in judging contests. The competition encouraged farmers to work on improving their crops and livestock in preparation for the following fair.

While Joshua Ross did not work alone in promoting agricultural improvements in Indian Territory, he certainly was a strong promoter. His adoption of improved practices on his own farm shows that he was an early Muskogee agriculturalist himself.

Muskogee Station's Christmas, 1872

That Christmas morning the road to Muskogee Station reached the Arkansas River. Continuing on the western side of the river meant leaving behind the established settlements of Fort Gibson and Tahlequah. In a sense, it also meant leaving civilization.

Ahead the muddy road was not yet dry from a winter storm. The prairie grass along side the road was now brown and blown over. Quail and rabbits populated the underbrush.

A deeply rutted and wider path marked the intersection of the main north to south road west of the Mississippi river leading to Texas and the American Southwest. There were no travelers this day on the Cherokee Road.

On the north side of the intersection stood a two-room house with an attached lean-to on the back. Not really much to look at now, but in a year or two it would soon be famous as the "Red Front" store operated by Joshua Ross.

It barely kept the wind out because it was built partially with freight-box wood. Nothing stopped the cold temperature. Getting dressed was the first action of the morning after throwing back the old handmade quilt.

The Ross house marked the eastern boundary of the settlement. With no other building nearby, the slightly curving road led to the heart of the settlement ahead.

Most of the settlement's buildings were on the western side of the iron ribbons of the railroad tracks. Wooden boxcars blocked the view of some of the buildings. There were three sitting on the side-track end-to-end. They functioned as hotel and restaurant for traveling railroad passengers. Men hawking merchandise sometimes stayed there to in order to break the monotony of camping along side the Cherokee Road.

The railroad tracks were laid on logs across the countryside. Crossing the tracks meant cracking the whip sometimes or else the team would not pull the wagon across. There was no grading for a crossing yet.

A new restaurant already provided competition to meals found at the boxcars. The diner's dirt floor and dim lighting misled the hungry traveler because the food was good. The cook welcomed customers every day of the year. There was no closing for Christmas.

The Atkinson and Robb store was the most important building in town. It was not much to look at despite being built of sawed lumber. It was only a couple of rooms big. Yet, the increasing business was forcing the partnership to consider adding another room to the store.

Muskogee Station barely had a street. It ran along side of the Katy tracks for about a hundred yards. Nevertheless, there was a sense of permanence growing in Muskogee Station.

The tent structures were disappearing, and so were the gamblers and roughs. They followed the railhead as the laying of track pushed southward.

The decadence of the rough life had driven Muskogee Station's merchants to build their homes away from the tent saloons and gambling dives of the previous Christmas season. The houses sat out on the prairie in isolated outcroppings. One day, they would be in the middle of Muskogee.

In a few homes, there was awareness of the Christmas holiday. Jessie Robb, the first white child born in the settlement, was too young to understand. Most of those who did lived away from the settlement.

Muskogee Station's population totaled less than fifty souls that Christmas. The town has come a long way in both population and celebration during the past one hundred and thirty-six years.