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James Thomas "Tom" George
Sep 19, 1847 - Dec 15, 1902
Posted by Don

Factual revision of the short Bio of James Thomas George. See Tom George Cemetery:
 
James Thomas "Tom" George was born 19 Sep 1847 near Hagarville, Perry Twp, Johnson County, Arkansas and was the fifth child of John Byrd and Jane (McKinney) George who had migrated from Tennessee sometime before 1840. In 1857 when Tom was 10 years old the family moved to a land grant just East of Bonanza, Marion Twp, Sebastian County, Arkansas. Then sometime before 1870 the family moves across the Arkansas line to a farm northwest of Cameron in the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory. Tom grew up near Backbone Mountain and was a farmer and owned a blacksmith shop in Pocola where he met and later married Sefronia "Fronnie" Pitts in 1867.
 
William Henry George was Tom's second son.  He often told stories about his Father; how Tom liked to look out over the valley. He especially loved one pine tree that stood only a few feet away from where he would always sit. He told his family that he wanted to be buried under that special pine tree. His grave in the cemetery was near that old pine tree just as he had asked. The old pine tree is no longer there but now a new pine tree grows near his grave.
 
Tom's first wife , Sefronia, died on 27 February 1890. Tom had her laid to rest under that special pine tree. No one seems to remember who was the first folks to be buried in the Tom George Cemetery but many family members are buried there along with others who are not related to Tom George, but the space under the pine tree was always reserved for him.
 
Tom's second wife was Sarah Barnes. His last child was born on Backbone Mountain. Sarah Barnes' mother's maiden name was Spicer and a sister to William Henry Green's wife who owned a farm and Store in Williams Oklahoma.
 
On December 15, 1902, James Thomas George was laid to rest under his pine tree with his first wife, Sefronia. They share the same headstone with her name on one side and his name on the other. In the year 1995 or thereabouts the cemetery was damaged by vandals, and the Tom George Tombstone was knocked down. It has been replaced under the pine tree but has suffered damage.
 
In 1905 the mountain was awarded to Frank and Lela Dunnam, who deeded off a 100 foot X 100 foot cemetery plot and a 10 foot wide 450 foot road to the main county road. The easement and deed and the key to the cemetery gate was given to Mrs. Edith (Hobbs) Green because of her grandparents and relatives buried there. She and her family have tried to maintain and keep the cemetery clean. The cemetery is now maintained By Lula Faye (Green) Vanvekoven.
 
This cemetery is located on Backbone Mountain about five miles west of Pocola on a bluff overlooking the Poteau River. A county road runs from the Tom George Road to Williams, Oklahoma. The old river (wagon) crossing was called the Hardaway Ford to cross to Spiro Oklahoma (Race Track) area. The Hobbs family also had a log cabin on Backbone Mountain south of the Tom George cemetery. There are about 30 each sandstone (Indian) graves unmarked. Belle Starr and many Indians had horse races at Spiro at Race track area.
 
Jude Green who is presently 95 years old remembers playing with several Indian boys that lived on Backbone Mountain. Jude's wife Edith Green has her grandparents, Thomas D. Hobbs and Charlotte (Pickins) Hobbs, their two son's, daughter, and grandchild buried in Tom George Cemetery.
 
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