to stay with the family. They were married in a help and moved the cattle to Blue County, now traditional Choctaw ceremony and set up a farm Bryan County, just west of Caddo. She settled on a and ranch in Indian Territory.” small farm in Choctaw Nation. She later received In 1878, J.O. Hamilton’s sister, Elizabeth the farm as an allotment and additional acreage for Hamilton Null, became seriously ill. Seeking her and her children due to the Dawes Act. The medical care, the family moved to Grapevine, Texas, original home site, and 80 acres of that first farm, for several years. Rebecca and J.O. Hamilton went remain in the family today. Only Hamiltons have with the family. But Mark Hamilton tells, “It seems owned the land since statehood.” The lands of the Texas government did not recognize their Rebecca’s children eventually dotted the area west Choctaw marriage. So, J.O. and Rebecca Hamilton to the Blue River. married a second time in a Texas church.” At the time of their marriage, Rebecca and J.O. f course, the story doesn’t end there. The were ages 15 and 23 respectively. After a few years, Otough-and-gritty-and-never-give-up spirit of J.O. their clan expanded with the births of Mary, Vercy, and Rebecca Hamilton lives on today. Their great- and Rufus, who was known as “Bud.” grandson, Dan Hamilton, founded Tri-Agri Farm Mark Hamilton describes, “The Null and Center in 1981, as the reworking of a farmers’ co-op, Hamilton families remained in the Grapevine area to make it more diverse and provide more services for several years. Elizabeth Null recovered and for the farming community. Tri-Agri expanded the families began assembling a small herd of peanut operations and began making pelletized cattle in preparation to return to Indian Territory livestock feeds, as well as adding fertilizer blending to reestablish their ranch. Their first attempt was capabilities. In 1999, the family added pecan clean- in approximately 1886, and they moved their herd ing and marketing, primarily due to the decrease in north. Their plan was to cross the Red River at the peanuts grown in southern Oklahoma. Dan Hamil- Willis Crossing in Marshall County, then Pickens ton was largely responsible for taking an innovative County. Story has it that after they crossed into approach to cleaning pecans, resulting in a very Indian Territory, they were ambushed by cattle clean product with very little loss. To fit the clean- rustlers from the Marietta area, and all of their cattle ing process, he retooled equipment that the Hamil- were stolen. J.O. Hamilton was shot in the hip during tons designed specifically for pecans. So, the pecan the altercation. The families returned to Grapevine aspect of the family business mushroomed, becom- with no cattle and J.O. Hamilton recovering from a ing a significant contributor to the pecan harvesting gunshot wound. They remained there until late 1887 and marketing industry. or early 1888, when they put together another small Dan Hamilton’s son, Mark Hamilton, is general herd and began the trek north again. This time they manager for the family business and has been hands crossed the river successfully and settled for awhile on with the business for the entire forty years. in the Willis area. While in Willis, J.O. Hamilton and a He spent 29 of those years teaching school. After few others founded the Willis Baptist Church during retiring from education in 2012, Mark Hamilton the spring of 1888.” devoted full-time effort to the family business and Unfortunately, J.O. Hamilton died on June 1, its expansion. He oversees the food operations and 1888, at age 41. Apparently the gunshot wound was manages grading and cleaning on the pecan side. fatal after all. His wife, Rebecca Hamilton, was left Dan Hamilton’s son, Paul Hamilton, manages with three small children who were ages ten, six, the feed production operation at the family facility. and four. She also had 35 head of cattle and a ranch Mark Hamilton says, “Paul is a huge contributor to run. The tenacious Rebecca Hamilton weighed during pecan harvest. He fills in anywhere needed a mere 100 pounds, was only 5’2” tall, and was a to keep things moving. He is super sharp and can strong-willed woman in charge. Of his great-great- repair almost anything. He will manage service and grandmother, Mark Hamilton tells, “She hired some parts for the equipment lines we are adding, and 14