Rosetta Teaberry – Lincoln County, Oklahoma

Homesteading patent issued to Rosetta Teaberry under Theodore Roosevelt's presidency.

Government Land Office

Quick Facts

Significance:

Oklahoma Black Homesteader

Place of Birth:

Mississippi

Date of Birth:

1843

On September 23, 1902, Rosetta Teaberry submitted her application to claim ownership of her late husband’s homestead at the land office in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. Her husband, William Teaberry, passed away in May 1898 after several years of residing in Oklahoma.

The Teaberrys' homestead was situated in the Southwest quarter of Section 33, Township 13N, Range 4E, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. They settled on the 160-acre property in the fall of 1891 and made several improvements valued at $400, including the building of three log houses each 12ft by 14ft in size, several stables, and a water well. Additionally, nearly 30-acres of the land was cultivated for the growing of several different crops.

During the homestead application process, Rosetta's claim to the land faced challenges because she divorced William Teaberry on April 26, 1898, weeks before his passing. It was argued that Rosetta was not the rightful owner of the property because she was not William's widow. According to Oklahoma state law during this period, divorces did not take effect until six months after the date the divorce was granted by the Oklahoma district court. The court ruled, therefore, that Rosetta’s claim to her husband’s property was legal under Oklahoma state law.

Following the ruling, Rosetta provided several witnesses who confirmed the accuracy of her land claim, including Norman B. Eggleston, John Brown, and Douglas Weston, all residing in Clifton, Oklahoma. Rosetta eventually gained the rightful ownership of the homestead and was given the land patent on September 11, 1903.