One who arrived on the ground early, especially when Oklahoma was thrown open for settlement in 1885, in order to secure a good location.
1893. When the present writer landed at Fort Leavenworth, on the 8th day of May, 1854, there were no lands in the territory open for settlement, the treaties for Indian lands not having been ratified until May 15 of that year. But there was no prohibition of “sooners” in Kansas; and though we found no settlers on either the Delaware or Shawnee purchases, yet we did find “foundations” of four logs, as the first course of a log house.—‘Kansas Hist. Collections,’ v. 71 (1896).
