“Brothers of the Cross Timber,” a novel set in Shawnee during the early 1920s, will premiere with a book-signing event at the Chicago Street Deli across from Oklahoma Baptist University Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“This was an exciting period and one Oklahoman’s should be proud of,” Bob Perry, the book’s author, said. “The state grew rapidly with the emergence of the oil industry and there were plenty of unique characters making it an interesting place.”
The population in Pottawatomie County nearly tripled from 1900 to 1930 as many people moved into the county. Shawnee was the third or fourth largest city in Oklahoma during this period and was larger than Tulsa until 1916.
“‘Brothers of the Cross Timber’ is the story of three boys growing up on farms near Salt Creek and the old town of Romulus, who face the challenge of transitioning from life on the farm to life in the city,” Perry said. “The characters’ commitment to each other is challenged as they make this change.”
“I liked the setting and the time period for the story,” Perry said. “To think that most of the county was served by the railroad in 1920 and a five mile walk would take you to train stations in Maud, Romulus, Asher or Wanette, is exciting to me. I remember my grandfather telling stories about the Doodlebug that ran into the south part of the county and thinking what an exciting trip it must have been to travel to Tecumseh or Shawnee by train.”
“Cotton was the main crop in the county. Much of the Cross Timber was cleared to plant cotton, but the soil didn’t last long and it seems that cotton farming was pretty much over by the Great Depression,” Perry said.
The Cross Timber is the rugged forest of post oak, hickory, and blackjack trees that covered most of southern Pottawatomie County. Washington Irving in his trip through the county in the mid-1830s described it like, “struggling through forests of cast iron.”
“This is the third novel I’ve done about this era of Oklahoma history,” Perry said. “The Broken Statue was about the Marland story in Ponca City and Mimosa Lane was set during the time period of the race riots in Tulsa in 1921. Brothers of the Cross Timber is a lot closer to home and in ways, more personal for me.”
“Much of the action is based on events I remember my grandparents talking about, but I found plenty of interesting situations to make a story,” Perry said. “Pottawatomie County was one of the last areas settled before statehood and the county was bordered on the east by the Seminole Nation and the south by the Chickasaw Nation. Since Indian Territory was dry and Oklahoma Territory was not, there was a robust liquor trade along the border of the county. Towns like Keokuk Falls, Violet Springs, and Corner were notoriously violent places.”
“Brothers of the Cross Timber” takes place entirely in Pottawatomie County. Salt Creek, Romulus, Tecumseh and Shawnee are all used as settings in the story.
“Bootlegging, the transitions from the farm to the city, the railroads, the battle between Tecumseh and Shawnee for the county seat, and of course the Great Railroad strike of 1922 are all part of the story line,” Perry said. “Shawnee was a railroad town and the strike left an indelible mark on the city that I think is still part of our culture.”
The book signing at Chicago Street Deli will feature a come and go reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be a short presentation about the contents of the book and its relationship to the county’s history at 6 p.m.
“Brothers of the Cross Timber” is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. A Kindle version is also available through Amazon. More information about “Brothers of the Cross Timber” is available at the author’s Web site, www.bobp.biz.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
