History is full of irony, especially in the case of the first mayor of Oklahoma City and the infamous Boomer Sooner land runs. Mayor William L. Couch was an early leader of the sooner movement who had an interesting time of it.
While most proponents of the land runs were peaceful, many under David L. Payne and later under Couch participated in a type of civil disobedience. Temporary settlements would spring up throughout the future state, ranging from a few small homes to entire towns. They would remain for awhile until the U.S. military got involved, then they would be quietly dismantled and “settlers” would be escorted out of Indian Territory.
Couch led six of these incursions. Knowing they would be removed, he mainly wanted to establish the idea that the land belonged to everyone. Through publications and these pop-up towns, the group got what they wanted.
On April 22, 1889, the Unassigned Lands were opened up to the first of the great land runs. More than 50,000 people lined up to race for their own piece of land. Many plots had as many as four or five claimants, which resulted in violence at the worst and civil litigation at best. Future settlers were not allowed in until the run officially began, however, those known as “sooners” found a way to sneak past the U.S. Marshalls.
As for Couch, he had been planning his entry for a very long time. Having established himself in a railroad town known as Oklahoma Station, when the time came for the run to begin, he quietly sequestered himself away in a tent and simply walked out to claim his plot of land. He headed out west from the station and claimed a full 160 acre plot of land, which was just outside of what would soon become Oklahoma City.
Original public domain image from Wellcome Collection
Seven others also claimed the site and began building homesteads and businesses on the land. Others demanded that his homestead be divided out into parcels because of its proximity to the depot. By this time, couch had been declared mayor of the newly established Oklahoma City. The situation became heated and U.S. Marshals were called in to keep the peace. As tensions grew, Couch resigned his position in order to secure his claim.
As he once “invaded” the unassigned lands, now his land was “invaded” by his former followers. Chief among them was one John C. Adams. As the two feuded over adjacent land, violence erupted. Adams attacked Couch’s son with a club and then killed one of his family dogs. It came to a head over a fence.
On April 4, 1890, Couch and his son went out to repair a section of fence that separated their lands. Adams saw them and confronted, threatening them with a club. Couch fought back and had the better of Adams. Adams shirked back and pulled a gun on Couch, but Couch saw what was happening and was a little quicker on the draw. Couchs’ son took Adams’ gun and the two retreated. Adams raced to his own home, grabbed a rifle, and then came back at Couch, firing a great number of shots, wounding Couch in the knee. The wound became infected. Couch died two weeks later from lead poisoning.
Ironically, his funeral came just days later, on the first anniversary of the land run. Just as he had helped break apart the Indian Territory, his home and his family were broke apart by usurpers intent on taking his land. As for Adams, he was sentenced to just seven years in prison. As fate would have it, he would never get to enjoy his ill-gotten land either. The legal system stepped in this time, declaiming him a “sooner” and his claim invalid.
The land was ultimately awarded to a Dr. Robert Higgens, a legitimate “land-runner” who came down from Kansas to stake a claim for his family. As for the Couch family, Dr. Higgens was a good man and gave the widow a plot where they lived out the rest of their days peacefully, far removed from the politics of former civil activist and mayor, William Couch.
© 2026 | Eric Standridge
