Note: The actual cemetery listings (links) are in the set of links below the horses and covered wagons.

THE MATHEW CHESTNUT FAMILY
& THE START OF THE BILLINGS UNION CEMETERY

The first burial in the White Rock, now Billings Union Cemetery, was of George G. Pierce Jr. who died on December 3rd. 1898 at age 3. The second was Byrouh Younger at age two months in 1901. Those two children were from pioneer families that had homesteaded on either side of Mathew Chestnut’s claim located 2 miles South and 2 miles East of the present town of Billings, Oklahoma on the NE ¼ of Section 4-23N-2W. Neighbors bought 2 acres for the Cemetery from Mathew for $25.00 in 1901 to officially start a local cemetery in that very NW corner of the Chestnut homestead. On May 4, 1911 another 2 acres were bought from Mathew for $210.00 to enlarge the cemetery.

Mathew Chestnut Jr. was born April 15, 1846 in Bally, Money, Ireland, the 4th child of Mathew & Mary Jane (Thompson) Chestnut. The family came to America in the fall of 1846, landing in New York. They moved first to Camden County, New Jersey. In about 1856 they moved to Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Several other Chestnut families from Ireland lived there also, were carpet makers and probably were close relatives, many of their given names being the same. Later the family moved to Princeton, Indiana, and in about 1860 to Walnut, Appanoose County Iowa. The 1880 Walnut, Appanoose County census shows Mathew Sr. age 63, born in Ireland, a farmer, daughter Mary Jane age 38, born in Scotland, a daughter Eliza Ann age 19, born in PA., another daughter Margaret Carlisle age 30, born in PA., Grandson Mathew Carlisle age 8, born in Iowa, Granddaughter Eliza Ann age 3, born in Iowa, and Granddaughter Mary Carlisle, 4 months, born in Iowa. Mathew’s mother, Mary Jane, had died July 30, 1874 and is buried in Centerville, Iowa, the County seat of Appanoose County.

Sometime before 1880 Mathew left Iowa for Clay Center, Kansas where he is found on the 1880 census as Thomas? Chestnut, living with the John Dexter farm family where he is listed as "works on the farm". There he met his wife, 19 year old Sarah McConaghie who he married on his birthday, April 15, 1866. He bought land in Clay County Kansas where their first child of 11, Mathew Livingston was born on January 22, 1887. That Mathew died January 14, 1970 in Orlando, Florida. Other children included: James Thomas, b12-22-188, d 1-9-1952 at Stafford, Kansas, Catherine Jane, b2-14-1890, d1-7-1978 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Mary Elizabeth, b1-16-1892, d3-9-1976 in Springdale, Arkansas. Soon after Mary was born Mathew heard about the great Cherokee Outlet being given away to homesteaders. They had moved to Edmond, Oklahoma in a wagon pulled by mules. There they met friends James and Calvin Young, James’s son in law, Jim McFarland, James Young’s nephews Armour & Oscan Henderson, & his wife’s cousin, George McFarland. This group probably were family friends. The Youngs had also lived in Pennsylvania, Indiana, the same general area of Kansas and now at Edmond, Oklahoma, and the Young and Chestnut families were all of the Presbyterian faith and the Youngs had also come from Ireland. Calvin Young’s future wife was a distant cousin to Mathew Chestnut. Mathew owned only mules, so the other men furnished him a fast horse to make the run from Orlando, Oklahoma. This group made the run together on September 16, 1893, planning to all stake claims near Red Rock Creek where wood and water were plentiful. They had scouted the area at some time prior to the land run. James Young was pulling a wagon hauling a breaking plow and the others on fast horses. There was a mix up on the staking, Mathew’s claim was fine but the others ended up with land at the NW corner of what later became Billings, Oklahoma. An obvious "Sooner" tried to claim the same land as Mathew, but while Mathew was gone to record his claim, the others started plowing for him and that saved his claim. Mathew built a temporary sod house on the claim, but in about 1894 built a frame home where his son, John Brown was born on October 27, 1895. The 7th child, Sarah Matilda was born December 8, 1898 and died October 7, 1982 in Oklahoma City. Robert Argil "Bob" was born December 8, 1901. He was the father of Donald and Iverna. Thomas Stewart was born January 9, 1904 and died in April 1991 at Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Number 10 was Arthur Baxter "Art" who was the last of the family to live on the homestead. Art was born April 20, 1908 and died March 19, 1999. Art, like his father was a very good carpenter and built several homes and barns in the Billings area, including a 50 X 100 foot Quonset building for each me , Lester Odenwald and my father Ralph. Edith Viola, the 11th child was born January 9, 1912 and died Oct. 20, 1932 of typhoid fever. Mathew died of stomach cancer July 13, 1919 just a month and few days after his wife, Sarah who had died of a stroke while taking care of him, on June 11, 1919.

Many of the Chestnut family are buried in the Union Cemetery on the NW corner of Mathew’s claim.