Stone Gardens: The enduring Leflore County legacy of C.C. and Annie Mathies

Based in LeFlore County, the story of Christopher Columbus "C.C." Mathies and his wife, Annie Lee Carnall Mathies, is woven into the fabric of the region's history.

Known as a pioneer, a statesman, and a true southern gentleman, C.C. Mathies left an a legacy on eastern Oklahoma, while Annie's grace and devotion complemented his life. Their lives, marked by service, resilience, and love, are a testament to the spirit of the Arklahima region.

Born on May 3, 1850, in Alabama to William Henry and Ann Alford Mathies, C.C. Mathies was named after the famed explorer, a fitting choicer for a man who would chart new paths in life.

At just 13, driven by a sense of duty, he left home to enlist in the Confederate Army, joining Lunden's Battery in Mobile, Alabama, in 1863. As a private, he fought courageously in the Battle of Missionary Ridge, where he was wounded and mistakenly reported dead.

Miraculously, the young soldier survived, mustering out of the Confederate Army in Mississippi on May 9, 1865, at the tender age of 15.

Undeterred by the hardships of war, C.C. pursued education in Mississippi, working his way through school to become a teacher by 1872.

Mathies, affectionately known as "Captain Mathies," was a towering figure in LeFlore County, described as one of the "best known and most loved men in eastern Oklahoma" and a "pioneer citizen."

 President Grover Cleveland

His service to the community was vast and varied. During c's first administration, he was appointed the second postmaster of Monroe, Indian Territory. A devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he served as a board member and delegate to district and annual conferences, representing his faith with humility.

His political career was equally distinguished. As county clerk for the Choctaw County Court, a two-term state representative, and a two-term county commissioner, C.C. earned the title "father of LeFlore County."

His most enduring contribution came as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention, where he helped draft the state’s founding document and mapped and named LeFlore County. Remarkably, he declined the honor of having a county named after himself, a testament to his selflessness.

A LeFlore County Sun reporter wrote, "His sympathy was always with the unfortunate, and he would go his length to right a wrong… He was very unassuming, very kind, and loyal to his friends."

C.C.'s generosity extended to his relationships with the Choctaw and other Native American communities, whom he aided without expectation of reward, earning him deep respect across cultural lines.

C.C.'s personal life was marked by both tragedy and enduring love. In 1875, he married Almeda Killen in Arkansas, settling in Monroe, Indian Territory.

Tragically, Almeda died just a year later. In 1877, he married Ocie Woodson, but she too passed away in 1879. It was his third marriage, to Virginia native Annie Lee Carnall on January 1, 1884, that brought lasting companionship.

Annie, born in 1863 in Virginia, was orphaned young and moved to Arkansas in 1873 to live with relatives. Educated at Arkansas schools and Virginia’s prestigious Milligan Private School in Prince William County, she was refined and well-versed in the social graces.

Yet, as she later shared in a 1938 interview, she preferred the simplicity of farm life in Wister, where she and C.C. settled. From their front porch, they savored views of the "grand mountains," a setting that suited Annie’s love for nature over the "glamorous life of the drawing room."

C.C. and Annie Mathies’ marriage was blessed with four sons, who became integral to their vibrant family life in Wister: Tilden Mathies (1892–1901), Henry Carnall Mathies (1892–1955), Joe Paul Mathies (1895–1966), and Ben Woodson Mathies (1900–1975), all four of which lived their entire lives and died in rural Leflore County.

C.C. Mathies passed away in Wister in January 1915. His death was front-page news across eastern Oklahoma, with the Poteau News declaring, "Captain Mathies is No More."

The paper noted, "This county has lost its biggest man, and the fact that he was loved was evidenced by the enormous crowds of sorrowing friends from all over the state and Arkansas who followed the remains to the cemetery."

The Heavener Ledger echoed, "Our county seriously mourns the loss of one of her best citizens."

C.C. was laid to rest in Wister, surrounded by the mountains he and Annie cherished, with a funeral that drew mourners from far and wide, reflecting his widespread impact.

Annie outlived her husband by nearly three decades, passing away in Wister on August 8, 1942, at the age of 79. Her death marked the end of an era for the Mathies family, but her legacy as a gracious partner to C.C. and a beloved community member endured

She was buried alongside C.C. in Wister, their graves a quiet testament to their shared life in the heart of LeFlore County.