Paternal Family History

The Faulkners, Smiths, Browns, and Carsons were all early settlers in Oklahoma Territory.

James Washington Faulkner and his wife, Sarah Smith Faulkner, moved to Oklahoma in 1891 from Jellico, Tennessee. They first settled in Spring Creek Township, believed to be in the Edmond area, but soon moved to Frisco, in Canadian County. "Uncle Jimmy", as he was known by everyone, was a quiet, frail man. He loved to read the Bible and go to church meetings. Sarah finally limited his Bible reading to one day a week. She was afraid he was getting "too much religion". Uncle Jimmy kept bees, made alfalfa tea, and kept produce from his garden in the root cellar. Sarah was an immaculate housekeeper and a wonderful cook. Uncle Jimmy’s brother, John, also moved from Tennessee to Oklahoma for a short time, but moved back to Jellico. He told stories to his children about how the wind blew so hard in Oklahoma that you could hold your hat up against the side of the barn, then take your hand away, and the hat would stay put.

Sarah’s father, James "Jimmy" Smith and mother Eliza came by train for a visit. He went back to Tennessee, declaring that he had found the "garden spot of the world", gathered up his whole family, and moved them to the Yukon area. He used money from the sale of his coal mines and other property in Tennessee to buy farms for all seven of his children in Canadian County. He was happy to get his family away from the "undesirable influences" that were brought by the new railroad to the coal mining town of Jellico, Tennessee. Life was not easy in the new territory, but it was perhaps easier for the Smiths than for many others because they had money when they came to Oklahoma Territory. Many who settled in the area were very poor, attracted by the promise of free land. Thirty years after moving to Oklahoma, Jimmy was laid to rest next to Eliza in Frisco Cemetery on land donated by the Smith family. He died exactly one day before the birth of his great grandson, James Leroy Faulkner. Many of the Smith descendants still live on land purchased by Jimmy.

The Browns and Carsons were among the many people gathered in Kansas, waiting for Congress to decide to open the land for settlement. Land claimed in the famous land run of April 22, 1889, included the area that is now Yukon. Nearby, Frisco City was platted before the land run of ’89. Instead of being opened to settlement by land run, lots were awarded to Civil War veterans from Kansas, who moved to the town site one month after the run. At first a thriving community with the prospect of becoming the county seat, Frisco soon disappeared into history, largely because of the railroad’s decision to locate south of the North Canadian River. That decision helped lead to the growth of Yukon. Many merchants and residents of Frisco relocated there. Among those early homesteaders were the Browns from Riley County Kansas and the Carsons from Crawford County Kansas.