This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: RobertLJackson29 Surnames: BURCHAM, CORBLEY, ROACH Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/9898/mb.ashx Message Board Post: THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Thursday, October 27, 1938, Volume LXII, Number 52, Page 1, Column 1, "U. M. Burcham Dies At County Hospital." [Transcribed on January 25, 2008 by RLJ from microfilm of the original newspaper on file in the Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library.] U. M. BURCHAM, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a former resident of Greene County, died at the Freeman Greene County Hospital Thursday afternoon. Mr. BURCHAM, about two weeks ago on a vacation trip, had been seriously ill at the Hotel Bloomfield and had been removed to the hospital at Linton suffering with pneumonia. He suffered a stroke the evening before his death. A son, Joe, who lives in California, arrived in Bloomfield Thursday but did not reach here until after his father's death. He and Mrs. BURCHAM left for Tulsa Friday, where funeral services were held on Monday. - NOTES-RLJ: (1) INDEX TO MARRIAGE RECORDS OF GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA, 1939, WPA, Index Page 125, Book Q, Page 33: Ulysses M. BURCHAM to Mary A. CORBLEY, June 1, 1902. (2) DEATH RECORDS OF GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA, Health Department, East Spring Street, Bloomfield, Indiana, Death Record Book CHO-2, Page 82, Entry #102: Ulysses M. BURCHAM, male, white, married, born 4 Nov 1866 in Indiana, died 20 Oct 1938 in Linton, Indiana at age of 71 years 11 months 11 days, buried in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 24 Oct 1938. Father-Solomon BURCHAM, born in South Carolina, Mother-Sarah ROACH, born in Tennessee, Information provided by his wife, Mary BURCHAM, of Tulsa, Oklahoma on 31 Oct 1938. (3) I have added an additional article below which appeared in the newspaper after Ulysses' death, however, I have not verified its accuracy or yet to located him in Tulsa's history found on-line. - THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Thursday, November 3, 1938, Volume LXII, Number 5, Page 4, Column 3, "Claim Greene Co. Man Was Founder Of City of Tulsa." [Transcribed on January 25, 2008 by RLJ from microfilm of the original newspaper on file in the Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library.] Ulysses M. BURCHAM, seventy-two years old, who died recently in the Freeman-Greene County Hospital in Linton, rightfully could be called the "founder" of the thriving city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a story which has come to light here. Mr. BURCHAM died of pneumonia in the Linton hospital while visiting with relatives here and in Linton. He was born and grew to manhood near Bloomfield, but in 1885, when he was about nineteen years old, he listened to stories of fortunes being made in the gold fields of California, and decided to go to that state. Mr. BURCHAM "stuck" with the hunt for the elusive yellow metal for a period of three years, but succeeded in finding but one large nugget, and this he believed to be worthless. At the end of three years the former Greene County resident decided that his future lay elsewhere, so he left California and went to the state of Oklahoma. Here, on sudden impulse, the story continues, he took the large nugget to an assayer and was agreeably surprised to learn that it was worth $1,100. This sum of money formed the basis of his fortune, for he purchased several acres of land with this amount and began farming operations. Later a railroad company wished to run a track across his property, offering to pay Mr. BURCHAM for the right of way. The former Greene County man declined the offer, but stated that he would donate them the right of way if the company would build a shipping depot on his farm. The company accepted this offer and the depot was built. Later after the petroleum industry entered the region this depot became the center of extensive shipping operations and the city of Tulsa sprang up, with Mr. BURCHAM's farm as its nucleus. He managed to "hang on" to his holdings and at the time of his death owned twenty-eight dwellings and several business buildings in the city. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.