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WHITE CHURCH & LOCKRIDGE CEMETERY, Broken Arrow,
Oklahoma
The legal description
of the old White Church is the northeast corner of SE of NE of Section 5, Township 17 N
Range 14 E on the David Hodge allotment. Adjoining the church lot on the north is a five
acre plat, the Lockridge (Loughridge) Cemetery. The description of this is the SE of NE of
NE of Section 5, Township 17 North, Range 14 East on the Nancy Chisholm allotment.
The fact is not clearly established as to the age of the church and the
cemetery. Mrs. McIntosh Childers says that the church was built according to local report
in the 70's. Her husband's father, old Daniel Childers, built it in order that Dr.
Loughridge, who was in charge of Coweta Mission, might have a place to preach to the
Indians in this community. Mrs. Childers says that the lumber was brought overland from
Coffeyville. It was called White Church because it was painted white. Painted buildings
were quite unusual in those days. The five acres adjoining the church lot on the north
became a cemetery which was named for Dr. Loughridge.
The church is in a fair state of preservation due to repairs. It is
about twenty feet wide and forty feet long. A small room has been added on the south. The
native rock foundation is still firm and solid. The old belfry with its rusty bell seems
substantial. Mrs. Childers says that the bell is still used; its tone as good as ever, but
she doubts the safety of its hanging in the belfry, it is so heavy.
The church was used as a school house during week days in the early
"80's. Reverend Thomas Perryman (son of Lewis) lived in that vicinity at that time
and preached at the White Church. Ida, Tom and Arthur, children of Reverend T. Perryman,
went to school at White Church during the early "80's Arthur recalls his attendance
there and while Walter, who is younger, did not go to school there, he remembers when
Lilah D. Lindsey taught there. Mrs. lindsey says she taught there between 1880 and 1885.
The church was just primarily a community church but was looked after by the Presbyterian
board. Mrs. Arthur Perryman says that the Presbyterian Board still considers it under
their control as a community church. Mrs. Childers says that it is used at present by a
Holiness group.
The Loughridge cemetery adjoins it on the south (on the north). It
covers about five acres, is fenced with heavy wire net. It is still used for burial
purposes by the old families who have burial lots there. Years ago it had quite an
imposing entrance on the east, a wire arch of fancy design with large copper letter,
spelling LOCKRIDGE, named for Dr. Loughridge. Only the letter K is left today. The
cemetery is shoulder high in heavy wire grass and matted with an undergrowth of burrs.
There are more than 100 tombstones and markers but there is no record of the number of
graves though the indications are of more than 200.
The oldest grave found was that of old Daniel Childers buried in 1885.
Mrs. Arthur Perryman said that Reverend T. Perryman had a sister who was buried there in
the late '90's and a daughter, who died when she was three years old, was buried there
about 1883. This child's body has since been disinterred and placed with her father, the
Reverend Thomas Perryman, at Oaklawn Cemetery, 11th and Peoria, Tulsa. The marker was
brought from the Lockridge Cemetery and shows the date of burial.
1851-1921 Lydia (Perryman) Childers
1904-1904 Kotchah Childers
1873-1903 Dema (Craig) Fry
1800-1878 Nathaniel Hodge
1818-1886 Nancy Ann (Mc Kellop) Hodge
1861-1885 Hattie Ann (Perryman) Mathewson
1892-1894 Mary Orcutt
1901-1906 William Mc Kinley Orcutt
1861-1914 George R. Perryman
1856-1891 Martha ( ) Perryman
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