(con't)

Probably sometime between 1880 - 1886, the family immigrated to the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.

In 1937, Thomas M. Gray was interviewed for the Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma; he stated “In 1878, I came to Indian territory with my parents when I was seven years old.” This is not probable since the whole family is listed in the 1880 Illinois census.

They settled near the south end of Kickapoo Flat, on the Washita River. Kickapoo Flat is now known as Neill, which is about 5 miles west of Maysville, Oklahoma. In his Pioneer interview, Tom remembered “lots of Indians when they came there”. He also stated that “the Indians of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribes were very friendly”.         

Mattie’s younger brother, Samuel McKindry White had already moved to Oklahoma in 1871, when he was 17 years of age. In December of 1874, he married Melissa Ann Harris, daughter of Cyrus Harris, the first elected Governor of the Chickasaw Nation. Sometime later, Samuel and Melissa settled down in the Washita Valley, near Beef Creek (now Maysville), in Garvin County. There they had a large cattle ranch.