Indian Territory

The subject of this sketch was born June 8th, 1866, at Tahlequah, being third son of John L. Adair, of that town. John L., Jr., began attending the Indian University in 1879, and after three years, went to the Male Seminary at Tahlequah, where he remained four years. On leaving there he devoted his time for three years to assisting his mother in the post office, after which he entered his father’s business house as clerk, in March 1890. In 1891 he was appointed district clerk, to fill the vacancy left on the death of Allen Ross, which office he … Read more

John Henry Covel was born July 18, 1848, close to the national capital. He is son of the late Caleb Covel of Massachusetts, who came to Park Hill with the missionaries at an early date. His mother was Eliza Turtle, whose relatives were prominent in the old State. Henry was sent by his mother to the Illinois district to learn Cherokee (soon after the death of his father), and during a term of eight years attended the neighborhood schools. When the war broke out he accompanied a party of Cherokees going south, and traveled as far as Red River, where … Read more

The pleasant and popular ex-Governor Coachman was born in Wetumka, Alabama, in 1827, and went to the neighboring schools in Macon County, the same State, at an early age. He is the youngest son of Muslushobie (otherwise Coachman) by his wife Pollie Durant, a half-breed, and full niece of Alexander McGibery, once a prominent Creek leader, mentioned in Piggot’s history. She was also sister to Sophia McComb and Rachel Bosheers, of Scotch and French descent. The subject of this sketch lived with his uncle Loughlin Durant until twenty-two years of age, when he moved West to the Creek Nation on … Read more

D. C. Murphy was born in Hickman County, Kentucky, the son of James Murphy, of Cork, Ireland. Mr. Murphy was educated at the county schools and soon after his father’s death commenced laboring on his mother’s farm, where he remained until fourteen years of age. The twelve months following he spent endeavoring to learn the printers’ trade in Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky, but a certain wild vein in his nature conquered his disposition to learn the trade and he ran off without a farewell, wandering he cared not whither, and with no other object than the gratification of a love … Read more

Christopher was born in Abington, Va., September 10, 1830, the only son of G. W. Belcher of the same town. His mother was a Miss Eliza De Noyle, of French descent. Christopher first went to school in Virginia, and from thence to his uncle L. C. De Noyle, of Nashville, Tenn., where he remained till seventeen years of age, going to school at the academy there for a time and from thence to the State University, where he remained about four years. After this he moved around for a time until 1848, when he came to the Cherokee Nation, and … Read more

Born July 8, 1833, at Waterloo, Ill., third son of James B. Moore, who was a son of Eric Moore, the first American born in the State of Illinois. William’s mother was a Pinckhard, of Illinois. The young man attended public school, and at the age of twenty went into the mercantile business, there remaining until the outbreak of the war, when he joined the Federal army, and was mustered out as colonel of the Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry. After the war he went to Texas and engaged in the cattle trade. In 1871 he moved to the Creek Nation, where … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born at Wyandotte, Kansas, November 27, 1857. His father, Dr. James E. Bennett (deceased), was a physician and surgeon, graduated of the University of Maryland. He served in the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry throughout the war, after which he was postmaster in Fort Smith, Arkansas, during Grant’s administration. Leo received his education at Rugby Academy, Wilmington, Delaware, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating in medicine at the University of Tennessee in 1883. Between the years 1869 and 1872 he served his apprenticeship in the newspaper business at Fort Smith, Arkansas. In the fall … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born November 14, 1833, in Jackson County, Mississippi, the fourth son of William Gray, of that place. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Frash. Valentine was sent to the public school until he was seventeen years of age. In 1852 he emigrated to California, where he became a farmer and stock-raiser. Here he remained seventeen years, coming east to Chouteau, I.T., in 1869, where he again embarked in stock raising and agriculture, and still continues the business. In 1875 he entered the mercantile and milling business, and after three years’ experience disposed of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born November 22, 1822, in the old nation, East Tennessee, the third son of Michael Hildebrand, of Knoxville, Tennessee, of German descent, and who married a daughter of U. S. Indian Agent, Joseph Martin. She was one-fourth Cherokee, and granddaughter of the celebrated Granny Ward of national fame. Joseph received his education by private tuition, and emigrated west in 1842. In 1845, he began farming and raising stock in the Cherokee Nation, and continues that business at the present time. In 1867, he was elected judge of Coowescoowee district, and held the office four … Read more