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On My Way
When my mother had died of fever, I was left to take care of my younger brother, Michael. Unfortunately, Michael had gained sickness from my mother and passed away as well. With no money left, I decided to take a ferry (on August 1st, 1892) and go to America. -
Arriving to Ellis Island
When I arrived to America, the waiting period for my citizenship took quite a while. In fact, a problem faced for me was that I was on Ellis Island for a little more than a year. During that year, I had heard of land that was being given out in a place called “Oklahoma.” -
I Receive my Citizenship
After a year of waiting, I finally received my citizenship. During that year, I had made many friends. Timothy, an American who worked on Ellis Island, had become my best friend. Unfortunately, I had to leave Ellis Island, in search of a job. -
Dreaming Big
By now, I had found a stable job and a quaint place to stay. Although the job pickings were slim, Timothy’s friend needed someone to feed the animals on his farm and let me sleep in his cellar. But I wanted more than what I had then. I began to dream big. So I decided to save my money for a ticket to Oklahoma. -
Ticket to Freedom
In the January of 1892, I had enough money for a ticket to Oklahoma, so I took a 4-day trip (by train) down to where the land was at. I already knew people who had moved to Oklahoma, so I knew that I would at least have a place where I was welcome. -
The Race for Land
After about a year, I had prepared for a race that would determine who received the land around us. As I rode the horse I had taken care of for the past year, a man named Joseph and his companion (Shannon) had beaten me to the first flag. Luckily, I had made it to one more flag that was completely untouched. I had claimed my land.
