I have re-vamped the online book, "Growing Up With Tulsa" by Blanche Opal Kern Schad. This book has been reprinted by permission from Harry Schad, son of the author Blanche Opal Kern Schad. This book was written and self published by Blanche Opal Kern Schad of Tulsa, OK. Her family came from Saunders County, Nebraska to Oklahoma in 1893. Opal was a Harrison descendant and first cousin to my G-grandfather, Herman Harrison who lived in Saunders Co., Nebraska. Opal's mother Emma Justine Harrison and my GG-grandfather Richard Harrison (Cuming Co., NE) were siblings. Emma and her husband Charles Wesley Kern went from Saunders Co., NE to OK Territory in 1893 and settled in Tulsa. Enjoy! http://freepages.books.rootsweb.com/~irishrose/tulsa/index.html >From the book: "In 1893, my family lived in Weston, Nebraska, where Dad had a wagon and cabinet shop and was a building contractor. My grandfather, William B. Harrison, decided he wanted to see the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in Oklahoma Territory. He was eighty years old at the time and Mother tried to discourage him. Dad was working at the shop cutting lumber for door frames, window frames, and other items that could be precut or fabricated before hauling to the job site. He always did this and would say that anyone not knowing how would ruin more material than he would use. Mother sent my eight-year old brother Harry to get Dad to see whether he could talk my grandfather out of wanting to make the trip – a trip that was not a small undertaking in those days. Dad could not talk Grandfather out of going to see the opening, so Dad told him that if he would wait a few days to give Dad time to close up the shop and get a wagon fixed up and equipped for traveling, Dad would take him to see the run. Making the trip from Weston, Nebraska to the Kansas – Oklahoma Line took them quite a spell. My Dad and Grandpa Harrison were traveling in a covered wagon and did their own cooking along the way. They passed through some orchards and helped themselves to some peaches. Grandpa kept eating the fresh peaches and Dad was afraid he would get sick, but Dad didn’t want to hurt Grandpa’s feelings by asking him to stop. Finally Dad said, “ Don’t you think those peaches would be good cooked?” To his surprise Grandpa agreed. This solved the problem of possible sickness delaying their trip and added to the enjoyment of eating fresh – cooked peaches. Dad and my grandfather reached the Oklahoma – Kansas border several days before the run was to begin. People were camping and waiting for the opening of the territory. Since the water supply was very scarce, Dad got some barrels and filled them with water. He drove through the crowd saying, “Water! For five cents a drink and, if you don’t have a nickel, you can drink anyway!” He must have made many trips a day because he told me that some of the people he had given free drinks to often gave him a dime for their next drink. Dad put the horses and wagon up at a livery stable and he and Grandpa boarded a crowded train that ran from the border to Ponca City. They watched the crowds of people racing their horses to try to get to a place to stake out their claims. They watched the towns pop up overnight. Dad being a building contractor decided that Oklahoma was going to be a growing and prosperous place to live even though it was still Indian Territory. The following year, 1894, my father moved the family to Oklahoma. Grandfather Harrison stayed in Nebraska with his daughter, my Aunt Clysta. The family consisted of my father, Charles Wesley Kern, my mother Emma Justine Harrison Kern, my brother, Harry L. Kern (1885), and my sister, Princess Marie Kern (1893). They stayed in Ponca City in Oklahoma Territory for a few months and then moved to Tulsa, Indian Territory. Dad built a window frame and cabinet shop on the north side of the Frisco depot facing the depot to the south. There were no power tools in those days. All woodwork was done with hand tools, such as saws, hammers, chisels, bit and brace. He did rig up some treadle-powered tools, which were considered rather ingenious for the times. The family home was above the shop." Thanks, Kathie Harrison Harrison Roots & Branches http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~irishrose/index.htm