Pylant Geneology

Works Progress Administration - Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma - W. J. Pyland Interview (#6749), dated July 16, 1937:
Mr. Pyland was born in Greene County, Arkansas, May 3 1865. He owns a little store about seven miles east of Talihina and six miles west of Whitesboro, on what is now called Upper Road. This road is one of three roads leading from Talihina to Whitesboro.
He quotes: "I am of Irish descent. I came to the Indian Territory in 1887, which was fifty years ago. My occupation was hunting and trapping fur bearing animals. The first night that I spent in what is now called Oklahoma was at the old Council House at Tuskahoma. It was a wonderful sight as there was a trial of some kind going on. I suppose there were three or four hundred Indians there, and I never saw so much barbecued beef and goat in my whole life. The Indians were very friendly to me, and offered me any amount of meat that I wanted. The sheriff would not allow me to go in to court. I am not sure who the Governor was but I think it was McCurtain.
There was just one road leading through the valley then, and that was the Arkansas to Strington road.
Some of the Indians' homes were built of logs, but the most of them were built by driving four posts in the ground and putting a brush top on.
I remember one time I was trying to find a man by the name of Kennedy. I rode up to a house, and asked a boy who was about eighteen years old, where he lived. He wouldn't say anything, but only shook his head when I asked. It made me very angry but there wasn't anything I could do about it. As I was leaving I took a chew of tobacco and offered him a chew. He seemed pleased about the tobacco, and then he walked five miles and showed me where Mr. Kennedy lived without saying a word. It was the hardest thing in the world to get information of any kind. As a rule when you rode up to the house the Indians would go out the back door, and you would hardly ever find the man of the house at home. He was usually hunting or fishing.
The Indians were very queer about their food. I came to an Indian camp on the bank of the Kiamichi River late one afternoon. As I sat around waiting for the man folks to come in, I noticed some of the women kept digging something out of the fire and covering it up again. I decided to find out what it was. It was these Terrapins of which we see so many in the summer time. They said that they were fine to eat, after they were toasted."

W. J. Pyland listed in Polk Co, AR Record of Voters, 1892-1898. Voted in Center Township in 1892.

1900 census notes 5 children, 3 living.

 Jake did not move permanently to OK until 1900 and built his country store six miles east of Talihina, LeFlore County, OK.  After Jake's death his son Edward B. Pyland continued to operate the store until 1974.