GOODWATER, OKLAHOMA • FAMILY HISTORY • PRESERVATION

A family story rooted in Goodwater for generations.

This campaign is documenting and preserving the Whiteman family's connection to Goodwater, Oklahoma, while working to keep the family property from being lost.

Help Preserve the Legacy See the documented history ↓

$125,000campaign goal

May 2027deadline

1893W. J. Whiteman settled in Goodwater

THE STORY

This is about keeping a piece of family history alive.

My name is Roy Whiteman. I am a great-grandchild of W. J. Whiteman, a pioneer resident and merchant of Goodwater in what was then Indian Territory.

Generations of my family have been connected to this place. I am working to secure the property by May 2027 and preserve the photographs, records, stories and physical place that connect those generations.

This site is being built as a public record of that history. Where possible, family history is paired with independent archival sources so visitors can explore the record for themselves.

DOCUMENTED HISTORY

The archive is already telling the story.

1893

Arrival in Goodwater

A 1923 biographical account says W. J. Whiteman was born in Clarksville, Texas, in 1869 and came to Indian Territory in 1893, settling at Goodwater.

Read the biographical record ↗

1918

A community record

The McCurtain Gazette recorded W. J. Whiteman helping Goodwater School District No. 8 meet its wartime fundraising quota and described other charitable assistance.

View the 1918 newspaper ↗

1920

Pioneer merchant

The McCurtain Gazette called Whiteman one of McCurtain County's pioneer merchants and reported that he had been in business at Goodwater for years before Oklahoma statehood.

View the 1920 newspaper ↗

The W. J. Whiteman home

The Oklahoma Historical Society's Gateway to Oklahoma History catalogs a photograph of the W. J. Whiteman home in Goodwater and describes it as built before 1907.

View the OHS record ↗

Archival photograph cataloged by the Oklahoma Historical Society as the W. J. Whiteman home in Goodwater, Oklahoma

Archival image: Oklahoma Historical Society / Gateway to Oklahoma History. Source record.

A PLACE WITH A RECORD

Not just a story passed down.

The historical record independently places W. J. Whiteman in Goodwater before Oklahoma became a state. Newspapers document his business activity, community involvement and property interests. The Oklahoma Historical Society also preserves an archival photograph identified as his Goodwater home.

Family tradition dates the home to 1893. The OHS catalog independently describes the home as built before 1907. Research is continuing to document the property's earliest history as precisely as possible.

Explore the primary sources →

“The goal is not simply to own a piece of property. It is to keep a tangible connection between the people who came before us and the generations who come next.”

Roy WhitemanCampaign organizer & great-grandchild of W. J. Whiteman

THE CAMPAIGN

Help keep the story connected to the place where it happened.

The campaign goal is $125,000 by May 2027. Contributions are handled securely through GoFundMe. If you cannot contribute, linking to this history from a genealogy, preservation, history or family-heritage website can help more people discover it.

Visit the GoFundMe Campaign ↗Donations are processed on GoFundMe. This website does not collect payment information.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Follow the record yourself.

Oklahoma Historical SocietyW. J. Whiteman home, Goodwater, Oklahoma • archival photograph McCurtain Gazette, January 3, 1920W. J. Whiteman described as a pioneer merchant of McCurtain County McCurtain Gazette, August 31, 1918Goodwater School District No. 8 and community assistance Haworth Herald, April 13, 1917W. J. Whiteman and agricultural investment in the Goodwater community The Beacon-Times, October 13, 1911Goodwater district context and W. J. Whiteman's regional activity Oklahoma State Historic Preservation OfficeNational Register information and preliminary eligibility process

Research is ongoing.

This site distinguishes between family history and independently documented archival facts. Additional deeds, photographs, newspaper records and family materials will be added as they are verified.