Collins T. McArdle – Postal Carrier
Collins was the first rural mail carrier in the Covington, Garfield Co., OK area – selling the route to John Fortnay, his assistant, sometime around 1920-1923 when he & his family moved to Vinita, OK.
Collins T. McArdle was born in Virginia, but lived most of his early life in Vermilion Co, IL. where my part of the family stayed. He moved his family to Leavenworth Co, KS in 1866. Collins took part in the Cherokee Strip Land Rush – taking along several of his sons & daughters. He & a few of his children remained on his claim long enough for his patent to be completed, then sold his land & returned to Leavenworth (Tonganoxie area), Kansas where he died in1909. Collins T. McArdle was my First Cousin 3X Removed. (His grandfather was my 3rd great-grandfather)
My records list this as a picture of Collins T. McArdle. It shows him in uniform getting ready to deliver mail. I think the source of this picture is Karin McArdle. Her husband is descended from Collins T. McArdle and she has done a lot of research on that branch of the family.