Ezra pulled hard to tighten the reins and stopped the horses at the top of the rise. He had been following the sun all day, heading into the U.S. Western Territories. The broiling sun was setting out on the prairie, but the deep golden glow only amplified the stillness of the place. The snorting horses made the only other sounds Ezra heard. He stood up to his full height on the battered Conestoga wagon and scanned the horizon. There was no tree or bush higher than a man's knee anywhere in sight. He looked at the expansive plain that gave the appearance of a sea of tall waving grass. The rutted wagon trail that served as a guide ran out a few miles back -- beyond the bustling town of Norman, Oklahoma. Since noon, no one else had been seen on the trail.

Ezra took off his sweat-stained hat to fan his face. He was tall, dark-skinned, muscular and in his early twenties. There was a nagging question as to whether this place was the desired spot. His deeper feelings said they were hopelessly lost.

The U.S. Civil War had ended several years before when President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation set all slaves free. Union forces were victorious and millions of blacks rejoiced over the news and the promise of equality for all. Regretfully, after several years of trying, Federal Reconstruction plans for the South did not fulfill the hopes and dreams of the freedmen. The Confederate southern rebels lost the bitter war to the northern Union forces after four long years of costly battle. Consequently, there was little motivation for former slave holders to honor the government's intention to ease the miserable conditions of thousands of newly freed black people. Most slaves were merely told by their former masters that they were now free. Then they were ordered to immediately get off the land. This was the thanks given for generations of free work that made fortunes for many white families. These penniless black people received no money, food, clothing, or transportation. They just had to leave.

The Southern politicians and citizens also resisted the humanitarian efforts of Federal troops and other agents in the Reconstruction process as they tried to improve conditions for black people. White defiance caused blacks extraordinary problems of unemployment, poverty, lack of housing, poor health care. White Southerners maintained their superior role by instituting illegal segregation laws and continuing the powerful force of custom. To them, black people were still not human. In addition, little social or legal justice existed throughout the Southland. This attitude and practice triggered a westward migration of black individuals and families in quest of better living circumstances. Some social activists of the time called the movement of thousands of such people an "Exodus," much like the biblical trek of the Hebrews out of Egypt. A collective nickname of "Exoduster" was coined to describe the travelers as they trekked west. These former slaves hoped to find a better life in the lands west of the Mississippi River. Some were so desperate and so poor that they walked daily in their bare feet, always following the setting sun trying to reach a "Promised Land." It was a hard life, but to their minds, slavery was harder. Despite countless difficulties along the way, hope remained high.

"Do you know where we are, Ezra?" Ruth's voice came to her husband from inside the canvas- draped wagon. Ezra hesitated, and sucked in his breath before answering his wife of two months.

"Plumb nearly somewhere in the Oklahoma Territory, I reckon." Ruth came out of the wagon's darkened interior to sit beside Ezra. She put her arm around his sagging shoulders, trying to comfort the despondent man.

"Maybe this is the place the Land Officer told us about. Look, over there -- a pile of stones just like he said."

"Maybe so, maybe not! Ezra ground his teeth and then, in a softer tone, "Let's stop here for the night." His disgust with their situation clearly showed. <<<0>>>

After a supper of dried beef cooked with beans, hardtack, and hot coffee, Ezra's gloominess somewhat diminished. He watched Ruth as she went about preparing and later cleaning up after the meal. A smile spread across Ezra's face as his thoughts went back to the first time they met in Memphis, Tennessee. It was springtime. He, like hundreds of other blacks, was finally free from slavery and allowed to leave the Camellia Rose Plantation in north Louisiana.

Since his former master gave him nothing in parting, Ezra started walking westward with only the clothes on his back. There had been talk of good things to be found out past the Mississippi River. No one bothered to tell the travelers how great the distances were, or how difficult it was to travel when the road ran out.

Ezra soon joined a group of other freedmen he saw on the road. Like most slaves, he had never been permitted to leave the plantation borders. Everyone was a stranger to him. All of his new companions had also heard many tales of the West and were sure that any place was better than where they had been. The journey was arduous and full of trials for the people. Often times Ezra and his traveling comrades removed the road dust from their bodies and tattered clothing by simply jumping into any creek or lake they happened upon. The hot sun's rays dried not only their clothes, but their parched skins as well.

Food was so scarce that they survived only by the benevolence of kindly citizens along the way who offered a welcomed loaf of bread, a few potatoes, or some other basic food. Much of the time they lived off the land, picking wild berries, digging roots of particular plants, or by catching a fish in a stream. The shared meager food barely kept body and soul intact.

Weeks later, the road weary companions parted company once they reached the city of Memphis. Once good wishes were spoken, each man went his own way to seek an individual fortune. After a few anxious, homeless, and hungry days in the busy city, Ezra found a job with a livery stable. That job also afforded him a place to live – in the hayloft. The stable owner's wife also prepared one meal a day for Ezra as a part of his small weekly pay. He was grateful for the interest the owner took in his welfare. Inside the barn, he cleaned up his tattered clothes in a large bucket, finally pouring the soapy water over his head and body. There was nothing to waste.

Within weeks, Ezra could purchase some decent clothes and a pair of leather boots. These were the first shoes he ever had on his feet. At first, the shoes were difficult to wear, and they made him walk with a different gait. It took some time, but he soon became used to having his feet covered most of the day.

The attractive Ruth had been set free in New Orleans a year before the Emancipation Proclamation according to the terms of her deceased owner's last will and testament. That act of manumission was a total surprise for Ruth who assumed that she would be a slave forever. She cried for joy to be legally granted freedom, complete with documenting papers.

As a young slave girl, Ruth' owner hired her out to keep house and cook for a wealthy white family. She was barely in her teens, when Ruth worked in the family's New Orleans town house. Because of her own racial mixture, Ruth had a lovely "cafe au lait" complexion. A head of long, black, straight hair enhanced her beautiful skin tone. Even as a little child, she was very pretty. As a young adult, her sultry hazel eyes turned the head of many a man when she walked down the street.

Ruth never knew for certain, but the slave quarter gossip said she was the daughter of her mistress's father and an unfortunate slave woman he desired. Ruth's mother died shortly after giving birth, so a childless slave woman who loved her raised the baby. That is, until the plantation mistress chose Ruth from among the other slave children to work in the big house as a maid. <<0>>

Both Ruth and Ezra arrived in Memphis by separate ways. Ezra had walked barefoot across miles of harsh land and through inclement weather. Ruth, on the other hand, traveled on a Mississippi river boat, earning her passage as an unsalaried maid aboard. She did however, earn generous tips from the women passengers whom she served daily, making their beds, fetching food from the galley, and performing other personal tasks.

Like other former slaves, Ezra and Ruth believed that out west plenty of cheap land was over the next hill. Unhappily, for most of these Exodusters there was only pain and disappointment in their futures. The obstacles of color prejudice and a harsh climate would crush their expectations in a few months. Some would remain abysmally poor and would even die of hunger or disease without realizing their goals.

For several months in bustling Memphis, Ruth served food to customers in Jesse's Cafe on the banks of the Mississippi. The work was hard and the pay small, but she saved her money hoping to join a wagon train going west. She dreamed of buying some land, or working as a cook in a small town. At any rate, she counted on becoming a successful landowner.

Ezra, on the other hand, worked in the city at the livery stable shoeing horses and doing odd jobs. It was difficult to find a good paying job since he had few skills to offer. The other critical problem they both faced was the lack of adequate housing for people of color. They were free people, but racial hatred and color prejudice marred their daily existence in Memphis. Ezra hoped to save enough money to trek farther west where social and economic conditions promised to be better. <<0>>

The young couple happened to meet when they attended Sunday services at the Thessolonia A.M.E. Church. Ruth sang beautifully with the sopranos in the church choir each Sunday morning. Ezra listened to and liked the music, but was awestruck by her pretty eyes. Bold romantic thoughts soon entered his head. He knew instantly, that he must meet, court, and eventually marry this lovely young woman. Just looking at her up in the choir loft created a warm, loving feeling inside the young bachelor. Of course he wondered if this was the first signal of love.

Following a church service one Sunday, Ezra waited outside and with crumpled hat in hand hesitatingly introduced himself to Ruth. He threw caution to the wind and boldly asked, “Miss Ruth, can I walk you home today?” Ruth was so surprised by this handsome young man's clumsy but forward manner that she accepted his offer.

In the days and months that followed, the comely twosome discovered that they enjoyed each other's company. It was the first time since Emancipation that either permitted themselves to follow their own wills and begin a romantic friendship. Ezra finally got up the courage to say, “Miss Ruth, will you marry me?” A breathless moment followed with both hearts pounding Ruth suddenly threw her arms around her suitor and emphatically said “Yes!” The short, but romantic courtship then led to a brief marriage ceremony at the Thessolonia A.M.E. Church. The simple wedding was followed by an invitation from Pastor Willie Simpson whose house was next door. Mrs. Simpson, the pastor’s wife, not only witnessed the occasion, but also made a fine celebration dinner for the couple in her kitchen. The couple had found wedded bliss.

Since both were born in slavery, neither Ruth nor Ezra had surname. Slave owners did not permit it. Now they were free persons, and a second name became necessary. Everyone expected it. After a solemn discussion, the couple adopted the name of the land promised by God to the Hebrew children. They likened themselves to some of the characters in the Bible’s Genesis story. Thus, after the exchange of marital vows, they became "Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Canaan."

The newly-weds were sublimely happy with each other and were totally surprised once more by the pastor's wife who offered to share the parsonage with them. It had two bedrooms along with the kitchen and a parlor. So, for a time, the two occupied one of the bedrooms of the parsonage. Ezra insisted on paying the Simpsons a dollar a week for that privilege. Indeed, Ruth and Ezra were very grateful for the opportunity to live in a proper house with a bed and other furniture.

In spite of the dwelling comfort, Ruth and Ezra anxiously yearned to leave Memphis for other points west. In time, they pooled the money both had saved and made plans to travel. Their first stop was a wagon outfitter's shop. They first bought an old Conestoga wagon and two horses. Traveling such a distance would be easier this way. A few dollars were held on the side for food and other supplies. The manager of the store was kind enough to give them free advice about the hazards of such travel. So, within a few days, they had collected enough equipment and courage to begin the journey to Norman, Oklahoma and the unknown western land beyond that outpost. <<<0>>>

The pitch-black prairie night retreated somewhat from the pale yellow light of their small campfire and the winking stars overhead. Because there were no other people or large animals around, a strange stillness settled on the plain. The silence was distressing to them both, but neither chose to discuss it. Ezra finished his food and looked up from his empty plate. He said, "Ruth, we must find our homestead location tomorrow -- before we get too far from Norman." A worried expression came over Ruth's face, but she hid her anxiety from him.

"Would it help," Ruth asked, "If we could find that little stream the Land Officer said was out here?" Ezra muttered a low, "Yes." He let out a soft sigh, closed his tired burning eyes, and rested his back against a wagon wheel. Later, he tied the horses to a stake in the ground, put out the cook fire, and then joined Ruth in the wagon. They slept on a pallet placed next to the boxes containing supplies and all their personal possessions. Fortunately, Mrs. Simpson had insisted that Ruth accept two finely sewn warm quilts she had made. The night air out on the plain was cold but the day was extremely hot. Those thick quilts made the night air quite tolerable.

Early the next morning, weak rays of sunlight filtered through the dusty, threadbare canvas above them. Ezra quietly slipped out of the wagon being careful not to awaken Ruth. He stretched his stiffened form, looked about their camp, and instantly felt a stabbing pain of panic.

"Ruth! Wake up! I can't find one of the horses!" Shielding her eyes from the morning sun, Ruth stood on the wagon seat to look around the area.

"I see him, Ezra – over that way, down the slope." She pointed south of the wagon. The escaped animal calmly grazed on the prairie grass. Ezra raced down the grade and caught up the tether in nervous hands. The beast had chewed through the leather thong Ezra used to keep the horse from wandering. He would have to change his way of tying up the horses. A relieved and thankful Ezra tugged on the line and started back up the slope toward the wagon. The still munching horse meekly followed. Then Ezra saw what glistened like wet mud on the horse's front hooves and fetlocks.

"There must be water nearby!" he said aloud with some disbelief. Backtracking some twenty yards, Ezra discovered a small, softly flowing creek hidden by the tall prairie grass. Apparently, the horse smelled the water and broke away during the night to have a drink. Shouting and running, Ezra exclaimed, "Ruth, get out the land plot map. This dumb old horse just found the stream and maybe our homestead for us!" <<<0>>>

Carefully following the brief instructions from the Land Office, Ezra set out the wooden stakes he brought from town. That took most of the morning. The sweat ran in rivulets down Ezra's broad back as he labored in the sun. Ruth walked over to him with a bucket of cool water as he drove the markers into the dry, compact soil. She winced when she saw once again the stripes of an overseer's whip across his broad back. How she ached for her husband who must have suffered terrible pain and degradation from a beating. It reminded Ruth how her former mistress would lash the younger slave children for no reason at all. Wanton acts of brutality only made the slaves hate the masters more.

"Ezra, would you like a cool drink of water?" He turned to face his wife and with a broad smile, accepting the dipper she offered. Ruth averted her eyes, but he knew that she was reacting to the repulsive scars on his back. Of course, this was not the first time she had seen the welts, but today, Ezra felt a need to explain.

"One day on the plantation, the overseer caught me stealing food out of the main house root cellar. It was only a few turnips. Down in the slave quarter we were so hungry. The master never gave us slaves enough to eat. Yet, we had to work out in the fields from sunup to sundown. I was only ten at the time. He beat me with a buggy whip until I passed out on the ground." Shrugging his shoulders, he added, "But they don't hurt anymore." After pouring a dipper of cooling water over his head, Ezra returned to his task with renewed vigor.

By sundown, Ezra and Ruth had measured off the forty acres of public land they wanted to claim. A few days before starting on the trek, the Norman Land Office had prepared papers locating the tract. The cost was twenty-five cents per acre. A real bargain. They were also told that if they lived on, and worked the land for five years, it would become permanently theirs. The persistent pair hoped to cultivate the forty acres and produce a cash crop of grain, or other salable farm produce. Ruth also planned a small vegetable garden to help feed themselves over the next few months.

The Canaan’s next important task was to build a house to live in. The people in Norman had warned the young couple about the fierce winters that homesteaders faced on the open plains. Ezra wanted to build a temporary shelter before the cold winds started to blow, then construct a proper house in the spring. Little did he know how far astray his plans would go before they would find a peaceful life in the West. <<<0>>>

Just before the sunlight faded to darkness, Ezra said, "I'll never forget the suffering on the Camellia Rose Plantation, but that is in the past. Together, Ruth, we can turn our land into a good place to live. We can also make it a safe stop for people like us." Pointing to the east, he continued, "See that little piece of land down the slope? We can put it aside for traveling home seekers who need a place to rest. They can camp there just like we did. Someday, I'll build a little house there too." With tears of joy in her eyes, Ruth exclaimed, "Oh, Ezra, what a wonderful idea! Let's call it 'Freedom's Acre' -- a place where everyone is welcome!" Ezra said a hearty "Amen!"

The voiceless prairie night gently enfolded them long before they finished supper. It was the end of an exhausting day of plowing to plant the winter wheat crop. Ezra hungrily ate hot pan-fried corn bread, potatoes, and dried rabbit that Ruth cooked into a stew. She found a tasty herb growing nearby and added it to the pot. It gave the food a savory aroma and taste which Ezra liked. The two candle lanterns they bought in the Norman outfitter's shop gave a comforting glow that drove back some of the nighttime gloom.

Earlier in the day, Ezra had lashed a water barrel to the side of the wagon. Ruth filled it, bucket- by-bucket, from the small stream flowing through their claim. Now they had ample fresh water for drinking and some for washing. After such a long day's hard work, sleep was for both, a welcome companion. <<<0>>>

Ezra awoke to the sound of Ruth singing -- "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound . . ." He let her finish the first stanza before getting out of the wagon. "It's been many days since I heard you sing like that." Teasing her, he said, "At first, I thought it was an angel calling." Ruth looked up from the cook fire and coyly answered, "Ezra, you go on like I'm something special. Come eat your food before it gets cold." Before he could respond, the rumble of horses' hooves and the sound of a pistol shot shattered this tender moment.

Less than a mile to the east, the couple could see a rider astride a black horse heading for their camp. A squad of U.S. Cavalry followed in hot pursuit. Badly frightened, Ezra and Ruth didn't know what to do. They just stood there with arms around each other. The shotgun Ezra bought for their protection and hunting, was inside the wagon and out of reach. The harried rider pulled the lathered horse to a sudden stop in the middle of the camp. He slid off his mount and ran for cover under the wagon. The mounted soldiers surrounded the wagon and leapt from their horses with guns drawn shouting for the fugitive to come out. Meanwhile, Ezra and Ruth watched wide-eyed as two of the dismounted soldiers pulled a kicking, screaming Indian from under the wagon only to discover that he was a youth – not more than a boy. Holding him by the waist of his deerskin pants and grimly smiling, the Sergeant in charge jerked the protesting young fellow over to where Ezra and Ruth stood.

"Does this little red pepper pot belong to this camp? We must've chased him for five, six miles. Thought he was the thieving savage that made off with some of our camp belongings. He really took us on a wild goose chase!" Before either could answer, the Sergeant shoved the lad in Ezra's direction.

"Here, you can have him!" Then to his squad, "Mount up boys, we followed the wrong one. Let's move on out." The soldiers unhurriedly rode away, all swearing at their futile pursuit. The sweating, breathless boy grinned at the stunned couple then he looked hungrily at the pots on the campfire. Ruth spoke first.

"Ezra, he's only a boy. I know boys are always hungry. So I'll fix some food for all of us." Ezra sat on the ground and gestured for the lad to do the same.

"We eat now. What's your name, boy?" There was no response.

"Ruth, I never talked to an Indian before. What do I say?" Ruth smiled while serving a portion of bacon, grits and a hunk of sourdough bread on a blue enameled tin plate.

"I'm sure he can understand this kind of talk." The boy reached out and eagerly took the victuals that Ruth offered. He hungrily ate with his fingers. She said, "Lord, he must not have eaten for a week! Look at that food disappear." Ezra ate in silence, wondering what to do about their uninvited guest.

Having satisfied his hunger, the boy wiped the grease from the plate onto his forearms. To him, it served as an unguent on his skin. He smiled at Ruth and patted his stomach to show a good feeling. Then in perfect English said, "That was good food. Thank you for letting me stay here with you." Turning to Ezra, he placed his right hand over his heart in the Apache gesture of goodwill and friendship. Both of his hosts were amazed.

"They call me Geronimo," he said. Ezra pointed and said, "Ruth is my wife." He identified himself simply as "Ezra." Standing up, the youth whistled to his horse that came immediately at the shrill summons. He was about to mount the animal when Ezra put a firm hand on the boy's bare shoulder.

"Hold on there, Geronimo. You don't have to go now." Ezra pointed to the small cloud of dust in the distance as the soldiers went their way. "Let those horse soldiers get out of sight first." The restless youth relaxed after hearing Ezra's admonition. He began to talk softly in the Apache language to calm the snorting, pawing black horse. As soon the soldiers disappeared over the horizon, Geronimo leapt upon his steed and raced away. Ruth and Ezra watched in wonder as he vanished over the next rise. <<<0>>>

For the next few weeks, Ezra worked from dawn to dusk breaking the hard virgin ground. They expected to see grain growing next spring. It was grueling, tiresome work under a hot sun and relentless wind. Ruth cooked their meals over an open fire and washed their clothes in the little stream. She sometimes followed Ezra's plow to break up large dirt clods with a hoe. They both wore large, wide-brimmed straw hats to shield their heads and faces from the broiling sun as they worked the field. It was slow going. Ezra remembered his field days at the Camellia Rose Plantation and kept the rows straight. He was sure that their new crop would grow well under the sunny skies.

One night after supper, Ruth said, "Today I felt a cool breeze from the west. Do you think winter will be here soon?" The tired would-be farmer grunted, turned over, and went to sleep.

The next day, Ezra dug sod bricks to start construction of their house. He sliced deeply through the turf, below the root line, and lifted out a large slab. This work required enormous energy since each brick had to be dug by hand. Ezra laid the crude bricks in courses to construct the house walls. In a few days, they began to see the results of their work. The sod walls eventually rose higher than a man's head. Perhaps the dwelling would be finished before the cold winds of winter arrived.

The couple made the trek twice to the town of Norman to find needed materials for the house. Among other basic supplies they needed roof timbers, a window or two, and a door. Fortunately, Ezra found a used door from a house that had burned down. It was in good condition and could serve well. Unfortunately, their ready cash had dwindled, so they bought only enough food staples to last the winter. Perhaps Ruth’s garden could supplement their meals with hearty root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Although the house would be dark inside, they decided that windows had to wait until they sold the yet unplanted crop.

Each time the Canaans went to Norman, Ezra picked up tree branches along the trail and threw them into the wagon. He laced the roof timbers with any available boughs and put sod on top for the roof. That would have to do, until Ezra could build a proper house of wood with glass windows. The left over pieces of wood he found were stacked near the shelter for winter firewood.

Ruth had hoped for some furniture for them to use and decorate the interior of their first home. All they could afford was a small chest of drawers, a table, and two unmatched chairs. For the time being, their bed would be a pallet on the smoothed dirt floor. During the winter, a layer of dried grass would insulate them from the cold ground. In spite of the sparseness, the couple considered this a good attempt as their first home. Ruth complimented her husband for building a fireplace large enough to cook in, as well as heat the house. It had been constructed out of sticks, mud, and a few stones Ezra found in the shallows of the Norman River. Despite these meager comforts, the voiceless prairie continually pressed in on them. There were no trees, or brush, therefore, no birds, or frogs, or little animals to make natural sounds. They only had each other to talk to. Loneliness was a constant, devastating companion out on the prairie. Each wondered how long they could stand the loneliness and boredom as only a few migrants passed their way. <<<0>>>

"Ezra! Wake up!" Ruth shook the bone-tired man as he slept on. "What's that noise outside?" Waking like a drugged victim, Ezra answered, "What noise?" Then he heard the howling sound and felt the wind shaking the frail sod house.

"Ruth, that must be what they call a cyclone!" By now, the dreadful roar was upon them as dirt sifted down from the unstable sod roof. The wind whipped across the prairie's vastness in demonic fury. It threw up great clouds of dust and blanked out the sky.

"Lord, help us!" Ruth screamed, as the forceful wind tore the door from its hinges. In a matter of minutes, the wind's destructive force had done its damage and was retreating in the distance. The house lay in shambles.

Except for being dusty and badly frightened, neither suffered any injury. Stunned by the instant devastation, Ruth and Ezra nervously lit lanterns and ventured out one collapsed wall to look around. They found one of the horses stretched out on the ground with its eyes in a glassy stare. The poor beast was dead. The other one was nowhere in sight.

Daybreak came slowly for the two shattered settlers as they tried to pick up a few treasured possessions scattered over the nearby landscape. It was such a garish sight they could hardly speak. Ruth sobbed at the loss of all their goods. Ezra mumbled, "All we worked for is gone -- gone. Even the field we plowed a few days ago is just like it was before! The wind blew the furrows flat." Their astonishment grew to bewildering despair as the day lightened with the morning sun.

"What can we do now, Ezra?" The heartsick man repeated himself, "I don't know. I just don't know."

Later, Ezra confided, "Ruth, we don't even have a place to sleep. The wind blew down our house and tore the wagon apart." The distraught woman asked, "What did you call such a storm?" He slowly answered, "Last summer, I heard some men in Norman call it a 'Cyclone'. They said that big storms like that can carry away a rooftop, blow down a strong house, or even pick up a horse." His voice trailed away in disbelief. <<<0>>>

The determined couple started rebuilding the house walls that same day. Before noon, they looked up from the fatiguing task to see a silent row of mounted Indians on a nearby rise. At first, Ezra thought it might be one of the marauding bands that roamed the area. His heart took a leap when they slowly advanced toward the house site. Their upraised hands of friendship calmed his fears. Then, one fellow on a black stallion suddenly left the group and raced toward Ezra, sliding to a quick stop. It was Geronimo! The grinning youth leaped from his mount and pointed to a companion leading a limping horse. It was the missing horse! The Indians apparently found it wandering about. At least it was alive and maybe would get well enough to pull a plow again.

“Ezra, our chief knew that your mud house would not stand the wind, so he sent us to help.”

“We thank you for bringing the horse back to us. It will help us get the field plowed again in the spring.” The group of Indians slowly approached the Canaans with smiles on their faces.

By the time the sun was overhead, the Indians had constructed a tepi with the materials they had brought along on their horses and drag-sleds. Geronimo said this was the Apache nation's expression of gratitude for the Canaans befriending the boy days ago. Stretched deerskins, buffalo hides, and lodge poles formed the unique shelter. A supply of warm buffalo robes and other furs were stacked on the side. When finished, the grateful couple stood inside to examine the new shelter. A small cook fire had been started in the center of the tepi. Strips of buffalo meat cooked on sticks leaning over the heat. The fire would also provide enough warmth to heat the structure even in the coldest weather. It would be their home over the winter.

Looking around outside, there was no one for Ezra and Ruth to thank. The Indians had performed this act of kindness and just as quietly left. The Canaans could see their new friends as they slowly disappeared over the next rise. <<<0>>>

That year, winter descended on the plains like an uncontrolled madman. The winds howled the snow drifted, and the sun hardly shone. Through all this period of rough climate, the young couple tried to keep busy between rebuilding the sod house and keeping the tepi standing. They could not have survived the bitter cold without it. Ruth, now expecting their first child, began to show the typical signs of impending motherhood. As a young child, she learned to knit and sew. Now she could put those skills to good use. She steadily increased the number of warm baby clothes during the winter months with her knitting.

Ezra tried his hand at making a baby cradle from scraps of lumber he saved from the old wagon. He hoped to buy some paint in Norman to decorate their unborn child's first bed. Ezra also had some concern for Ruth's pregnancy and delivery since the nearest midwife was miles away in Norman. He had no experience with birthing of babies and hoped the blessed event would happen in the spring. Perhaps he could get the old woman in Norman who did such work, to come help Ruth get through the rough time sure to be ahead.

The heavy snows held on that winter, making travel virtually impossible. There were days on end that Ruth and Ezra never went outside the tepi. The Buffalo fur robes and other animal hides given to them by the Indians kept the pair warm.

One night, without warning, the baby signaled that it was time to come out into the world. Thus Ruth and Ezra became parents of a baby boy in a matter of a few hectic minutes. There was no time for agony or panic. Nature had its way and the child was born with a healthy squalling voice.

"What would you like to name him, Ezra?" Without hesitation, the happy, foggy father said, "Ezra Canaan, Jr." <<<0>>>

The next few years on the prairie were good ones for the Canaan family. Ezra, Jr. grew tall and strong helping with the farming chores. Before long, they built a proper house of wood with glass windows. It had a real roof with cedar shake shingles. A row of evergreen trees planted near the house helped break the strong west wind as it tore across the prairie. Remarkably, the grain crops had just enough rain to produce bountiful harvests. Ruth's little vegetable garden next to the house blossomed and provided food for the family's table. Potatoes, carrots, and turnips kept fresh all winter in a root cellar Ezra dug behind the house.

The hard prairie winters often reduced human movement to a near standstill. Fortunately, for the Canaans, the noiseless expanse eventually gave way to the sounds of a growing child. While shopping for supplies in Norman, Ezra bought a pair of canary birds. They sang sweetly in a cage hanging on the front porch. Life out on the prairie gradually became bearable and quite profitable for these early settlers.

Meanwhile, more settlers and adventure seekers continued to arrive in the area. Some were serious farmers and others simply wanted to get away from the oppressive South. Many settled within a few miles of the Canaans on former government land. Before long, there was talk of forming a settlement, or a town.

Eventually, Ezra built a little house with stable on the “Freedom Acre” plot. It provided comfort and encouragement to many traveling families who needed a place to stop while on their way further west. When Ezra and Ruth had spent the first five years on the land, it truly became permanently theirs. Emboldened by this news, the Canaan family invested in more land purchased with profits from the successful farm. The chores increased enough that they hired two farm workers to help. Some of the people in Norman even considered the Canaan family as wealthy. <<<0>>>

As more people moved into the area, a village of black settlers soon arose. It was named "Freedom Town." Within a few months, Ezra was elected the mayor and became its leading citizen. One spring, a missionary from the African Methodist Episcopal Church arrived in Freedom Town and started a congregation. At first, they simply met for prayer meeting in various homes. Later, Ezra and other civic leaders raised enough money from the townspeople to construct a building for Sunday worship services. It was a simple clapboard building, painted white. Ruth, of course, sang in the small, but enthusiastic choir. Because of her tireless work among the poor travelers, the women of the church elected Ruth as President of the Ladies Missionary Society.

With new families arriving each day, the town leaders recognized the need for a school. It was difficult for them to find a qualified teacher wishing to settle in this far western village. The American Missionary Association out East came to their aid and helped in the teacher search. They were successful. A young married couple from New York State accepted the school appointment in Freedom Town. They were John and Eula Higgenbotham. Both were enthusiastic teachers who worked hard at educating the children during the day and many of the adults at night.

At first, the church building was used as a temporary schoolhouse. It took at least two years to raise enough money to build a one-room school. It also had the teacher's living quarters added onto the back of the structure. The school year ran from October through April, leaving time for the spring planting, summer growth, and fall harvest. This was necessary since all children old enough to attend school were also an asset on the family's farm. They had chores to do either in the field, in the house, or around the barn. Just like children everywhere, most disliked having to go to school each day. Their parents believed in education for the children as one way of making progress in a fast developing West. During those years, child discipline was very strict, so very little absenteeism was reported.

The settlement flourished for many years as a progressive farming town in the midst of the prairie. Ezra and Ruth continued to provide a good example of hard work and dedication to the land. Ezra, Jr. followed their standards as he grew up to start his own farm. The people of Freedom Town hoped the railroad would come through someday to bring supplies in, and to take their farm produce back east to be sold. That would really improve the economic base of their community.

For the Canaan family, and many other Exodusters, Freedom Town became a good place to live. As of now, free people of color, could proudly cling to this small part of the West. Ezra and other Freedom Town leaders often spoke of a vision of statehood for the territory in the not distant future. They had impressive dreams and worked diligently toward making them become a reality. Ezra privately mused, "The Great State of Oklahoma," -- a peer to all the other sovereign states in the Union. Could an ex-slave dare to believe that he could see that dream come true? For his family? For Freedom Town? Ezra smiled and proudly said, "Yes!”