Indian Territory

Biographical Sketch of Frank Gonzales

(See Downing and Adair) -Andrew Franklin, son of Dennis and Rachel (Pettit) Gonzales, was born January 26, 1874. His first wife, Catherine Young, died April 22, 1892. He married again on August 23, 1897, Bessie Stewart, born February 22, 1889 in Scott County, Arkansas. He was elected a member of the Cherokee Council from Illinois District in 1903. Rachel, daughter of Charles and Charlotte (Adair) Pettit, married Dennis Gonzales, and was the mother of Andrew Franklin Gonzales.

Biography of Robert Paris Harrison

Robert Paris Harrison, city manager of Muskogee, was born June 6, 1867, at Oakwood, Illinois, and is a son of W. C. and Nancy (Graybill) Harrison, who were farming people of that state. He acquired his education in the public schools of his native town and in the district schools near Ladoga, Indiana, and starting out in life on his own account, he became identified, with newspaper interests as a reporter on the Lebanon (Ind.) Pioneer. He was afterward associated with the Michigan City (Ind.) Dispatch and in time became city editor of the Chicago Daily Globe. At a later … Read more

Biography of Andrew Henderson

Andrew Henderson, sheriff of Washington county, Oklahoma, was born at Bates City, Missouri, May 2, 1878, a son of A. J. and Katherine (Ferguson) Henderson. The father, who was a native of Illinois and a highly educated man, was a farmer and stock raiser. He left his native state when eighteen years of age and on removing to Texas he located in Limestone county, where he engaged in the cattle business for many years, driving his cattle to the market at Kansas City, Missouri. He then obtained a lease on the entire site where the town of Dewey now stands, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Canard

Thomas Canard was born at Cane Creek in the year 1841, the third son of Yahartostanuggee, a full blood Indian and king of the Eufaula Town. His mother’s name was Polly, daughter of a white man. Thomas went to Asberry Mission for eight years, leaving that institution in 1857 and remaining at his home until 1861, when he married Miss Negaya, daughter of the king of the Thlopthlocco Town, and thus started in life on his own responsibility. By this marriage he had one child, Wisie, born March 18, 1865. In the meantime he joined the Confederate service as sergeant, … Read more

Biography of William C. Wright

William C. Wright was born March 9, 1860, at Gainesville, Arkansas, second son of Morris M. Wright, a white man and ex-sheriff of Green County, Arkansas, an active politician in his day, and Miss Howard, daughter of George Howard, of North Carolina, a prominent man in his country. William, after attending Gainesville High School until nineteen years of age, began serving his time to the silversmith and watch making trade in the same town. Remaining there four years, he came to Vinita, Indian Territory, in 1883, and there started in the jewelry business. In 1888, in connection with this, he … Read more

Treaty of August 7, 1856

Articles of agreement and convention between the United States and the Creek and Seminole Tribes of Indians, made and concluded at the city of Washington the seventh day of August, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, by George W. Manypenny, commissioner on the part of the United States, Tuck-a-batchee-Micco, Echo-Harjo, Chilly McIntosh, Benjamin Marshall, George W. Stidham, and Daniel N. McIntosh, commissioners on the part of the Creeks; and John Jumper, Tuste-nuc-o-chee, Pars-co-fer, and James Factor, commissioners on the part of the Seminoles: Whereas the convention heretofore existing between the Creek and Seminole tribes of Indians west of the Mississippi … Read more

Biography of T. D. Cox

For a quarter of a century T. D. Cox has made his home in Vinita and is contributing to the commercial development of his town as a member of the Craig County Motor Company, displaying enterprise, determination and administrative ability in the management of his business interests. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, April 24, 1869, his parents being Aaron and Sarah (Clark) Cox, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. As a young man the father went to Illinois and there engaged in agricultural pursuits. He purchased an old-fashioned “ground hog” separator for threshing his grain, this being … Read more

Biography of Addison Fox McCaleb

Addison Fox McCaleb, one of the most prominent and prosperous citizens of northeastern Oklahoma, where he first took up his abode forty-three years ago, was elected mayor of Bartlesville in April, 1920, and has since capably discharged the duties devolving upon him in that important position. He was born at Harrison, Tennessee, on the 10th of January, 1861, a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Gardenhire) McCaleb, the former a native of east Tennessee and the latter of Hamilton county, that state. The father held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Civil war and was wounded in battle, but his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Samuel Hildebrand

(See Hildebrand) -Fannie, daughter of Frank and Agnes (Foster) Fritz was born in Cooweescoowee District October 8, 1879. Educated at Carlyle and Haskell Institutes. Married at Vinita February 24, 1900 Samuel, son of Benjamin and Delilah (O’Fields) Hildebrand, born February 14, 1880. Educated in the Male Seminary. They are the parents of Agnes; born February 25, 1902; Lura, born March 27, 1904; Edward, born May 3, 1906; Aaron born April 19, 1908; Glenn, born October 23, 1911; Floyd, born January 17, 1914; Georgia, born February 22, 1918 and Melvin Hildebrand, born January 31, 1920. Mrs. Hildebrand is a Methodist and … Read more

Biography of W. M. Tate

For twenty-one years W. M. Tate has been engaged in farming in Nowata county, residing all of this time on his present farm of one hundred and forty acres, four and one-half miles southeast of Nowata. He was born in western Kansas on the 4th of December, 1873, a son of P. A. and Margaret (Barnes) Tate, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Indiana. They moved from Iowa to Kansas one year before W. M. was born and located in Lincoln county, where they lived two years. At the termination of that time they went to … Read more

Biography of William B. Crabtree

The subject of this sketch was born in Alabama, in 1817, the son of a Mr. Crabtree who emigrated from Ireland in his youth. William B., in 1837, went to Miller County, Arkansas, settling on McKinney Bayou, near Red River, where he commenced farming and continued it until the close of the war, when he lost 250 bales of cotton by fire, at a time when that staple was worth fifty cents per pound. Parting with nearly one hundred slaves, Mr. Crabtree moved to the Creek Nation, where he had many strange and varied adventures. It should have been stated … Read more

Iroquoian Family

As to the name, original location, geographical distribution, and tribal relations of the Cherokees, the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology gives the following information (pages 76-79): Iroquois, Gallatin in Trans, Am. Antiq. Soc., u, 2423, 305, 1836 (excludes Cherokees). Prichard, Phys. Hist. Mankind, v. 881, 1817 (follows Gallatin). Gallatin in Trans. Am. Eth. Soc., II, pt.1, xcix, 77, 1848 (as in 1836). Gallatin, in Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, in, 401, 1853. Latham in Trans. Philolog. Soc. Lond., 58, 1856. Latham, Opuscula, 327, 1860. Latham, Elements Comp. Phil., 463, 1862. Irokesen, Berghans (1845), Physik. Atlas, map 17, 1848. Ibid, … Read more

Biography of Robert F. Wyly

Robert F. Wyly is the son of W. C. Wyly, a Georgian, and grandson of General James R. Wyly. His mother was Elizabeth Starr, of Green County, Georgia. Robert F. was born September 15, 1827, in Habersham County, Georgia, and attended school in Cedartown, same State, between the years 1844 and 1849, after which he began mercantile business at old Cassville, Georgia, and married Miss Amanda C. Williams, daughter of Major Lowry Williams, of Cherokee extraction, in 1850. By this marriage he had two children, Oliver L. and Florence S. (Mrs. Rogers). Robert F. came to this nation in 1857, … Read more

Treaty of June 22, 1855

Articles of agreement and convention between the United States and the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes of Indians, made and concluded at the city of Washington, the twenty-second day of June, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, by George W. Manypenny, commissioner on the part of the United States, Peter P. Pitchlynn, Israel Folsom, Samuel Garland, and Dixon W. Lewis, commissioners on the part of the Choctaws; and Edmund Pickens and Sampson Folsom, commissioners on the part of the Chickasaws: Whereas, the political connection heretofore existing between the Choctaw and the Chickasaw tribes of Indians, has given rise to … Read more

Biography of Elijah Hermigine Lerblance

The subject of this sketch was born in March 1836, and is the son of Hermogene Lerblance, a Louisiana Frenchman, and Vicey Gentry, daughter of Elijah Gentry, a white man who married a full-blood Catawba Indian. The subject of this sketch moved from Alabama to the Creek Nation, with his parents, at the age of twelve, after which he attended the Asberry Mission Manual Labor School for a term of fifteen months. At the age of seventeen years he commenced learning the blacksmith trade, and while thus employed he married Miss Bosen, daughter of Amos Bosen, King of the Hitchetee … Read more

The Choctaw Claim

1818 Melish Map of Alabama

Ever since the dispute between Texas and the United States commenced concerning the title to Greer County, the Choctaw Nation had two of its ablest men in Washington over hauling the old treaties and watching the movements of both disputants. The United States by the Doak’s Stand Treaty in the autumn of 1820 ceded all its territory to the Choctaw’s south of the Canadian River to Red River along the western line of the Indian Territory. The Cherokees had been ceded all north of the Canadian. Texas claimed that the Red River mentioned in the treaty of 1819 between the United … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. William H. Pace

(See Downing and Adair)-Annie Lydia, daughter of John and Rosella (Adair) Downing was born in Saliva District September 10, 1871. Educated in Female Seminary and Harrell Institute, Muskogee. Married at Locust Grove December 22, 1898, William Hayden, son of William and Loretta Pace, born in 1868 in Benton County, Ark. They are the parents of: Elbert Edward, born November 21, 1899 was in the S. A. T. C. at Oklahoma University and is at present attending the A. and M. College at Stillwater; Hayden Adair, born February 19, 1901; Clyde Lewis, born November 30, 1902; Joe Sheldon, born June 14, … Read more

Biography of Ira W. Green

Ira W. Green, a member of one of the honored pioneer families of Oklahoma, is a representative of the large class of farmers in Washington county whose intelligence and skill, controlled by keen discernment and business sagacity, are making their private enterprises public assets. A native of Kentucky, he was born May 13, 1878, his parents being J. K. and Amanda E. (Bailey) Green, who took up their residence in Indian Territory in 1899, during the pioneer epoch in its development, there being but one house in Dewey at that time. The father rented a large tract of land two … Read more

Biography of Isaac W. Bertholf

The subject of this sketch is the fourth son of the late Rev. Thomas Bertholf, the well-known Indian missionary, and Nancy Keys, daughter of Isaac Keys, of Tahlequah district. He attended public schools for some time, and completed his education at the national male seminary in 1856. After some five years spent on the farm, Isaac joined the Confederate service in 1862, under Stand Watie, and served in the battles of Cabin Creek, Bird Creek, Honey Springs and other lesser engagements. At the outbreak of the war, Rev. Thomas Berthold and Isaac’s mother refugeed close to the mouth of the … Read more