Indian Territory

Biography of John Lynch Adair

John Lynch Adair was born in Georgia, and left there with the general removal of the Cherokees in 1839, while a small boy. His father was Thomas Benjamin Adair, a descendant of a brother of General James Adair, the Indian historian. His mother was Rachel Lynch, from whom he derives his Cherokee blood. His parents died while he was a mere child, and he was consigned to the keeping of his aunt, Mrs. Maria Thompson, afterward Cunningham by marriage, and to the guardianship of two of his uncles, Joseph M. Lynch and James Allen Thompson, the latter by marriage. He … Read more

Biography of James M. Hamilton

In a record that gives a history of those who have contributed to the agricultural development of Washington County mention should be made of James M. Hamilton, a pioneer of Oklahoma, who passed away in 1911, at the comparatively early age of forty-two years, his demise being deeply regretted by a large circle of friends. A native of Missouri, he was born April 1, 1869, and in 1883 came to Indian Territory with his parents, Hugh Evans and Olivia (Snodgrass) Hamilton, who settled on a farm near the Wauhillau post office. Both are now deceased, the former passing away in … Read more

Slave Narrative of Elsie Pryor

The first Mistis I remember was named Mary Ellis, she was part Choctaw Indian. I don’t remember ole Marster at all. When ole Miss’s daughter got married, ole Miss give her a little nigger girl. That was me an’ when I was a little thing, too. I don’t remember who young Miss married. They didn’t tell little niggers nothin’, we just found out what we could and din’t pay much tention to that. An’ not much ‘tention to what we saw. We was jes like little varmints. They’d cut arm holes and head holes in croker sacks and tell us … Read more

Sheriffs of the Cherokee Nation

Sheriffs of Canadian District 1841 and 1843. James Mackey; James Ore 1845; Josiah Reese 1847; John Shepherd Vann 1849; James Starr 1851; Nelson Riley 1853; Joseph M. Reese 1855; John Porum Davis 1857; Charles Drew 1859; Unknown 1861; Charles Drew 1867; John Q. Hayes 1869 and 1871; Stand Watie Gray’ 1873; Thomas Jefferson Bean 1875 and 1877, he was suspended and Henry Clay Lowrey was appointed April 16, 18 79; McCoy Smith, 1879, William Mosley West 1881; Stand Watie Gray 1883, he was suspended and William Vann, appointed June 20, 1884; William Vann 1885, 1887, 1889 and 1891; John Calhoun … Read more

Biography of Charles Long

Charles Long, one of the well known farmers in Nowata County, was born on the Grand River, Indian Territory, on the 3d of October, 1869. His father, William Long, was of Wyandotte Indian extraction and his demise occurred when Charles was but a baby. The mother, Katie Ketchum, died when her son was but four years of age. In the acquirement of an education Charles Long attended the Haskell Institute at Lawrence, Kansas, and after putting his text-books aside engaged in farming near his boyhood home. His sons own one hundred acres, one mile east and one-half north of Coodys … Read more

Act of April 28, 1904

33 Stat. L. 544 AN ACT To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to add to the segregation of coal and asphalt lands in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, Indian Territory, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and empowered to segregate and reserve from allotment, and to cancel any filings or applications that may heretofore have been made with a view to allotting the following-described lands, situate in the Choctaw Nation, to wit: The … Read more

The Chickasaw War of 1739

Chickasaw Wars

Through the instigation of The French the war was continued between the seemingly infatuated and blinded Choctaws and Chickasaws during the entire year 1737, yet without any perceptibly advantageous results to either. A long and bitter experience seemed wholly inadequate to teach them the selfish designs of the French. No one can believe the friendship of the French for the Choctaws was unassumed. They were unmerciful tyrants by whatever standard one may choose to measure them, and without a redeeming quality as far as their dealings with the North American Indians go to prove; and their desire for the good of that race of people utterly out of … Read more

Biography of William Lafayette Trott

The subject of this sketch was born March, 1844, in Woodberry, Tennessee, third son of Rev. J. J. Trott, a noted missionary among the Cherokees, and who was arrested with Rev. Worcestor and others by the Georgian Guard, for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to Georgia. William’s mother was a Miss Rachel P. Adair. The young man attended Franklin College, Nashville, Tennessee, for five years, when, with his father’s family, he removed to the Cherokee Nation. Rev. J. J. Trott, however, did not move with the emigration to the new country, but remained in Tennessee until 1857, and … Read more

Biography of Rev. William F. McIntosh

William F. McIntosh was born near the line of Alabama and Georgia, November 12, 1824, the second son of Chilly McIntosh, of great reputation, and grandson of old General McIntosh. His mother was Miss Porter, whose parents emigrated at an early day from Pennsylvania to Alabama. William F. attended a neighborhood school when twelve years of age, and in 1837 went to Coweta Mission, where he remained one season, after which he commenced assisting his father in agriculture, until he married Miss Eliza Ilands, January 8, 1848, by whom he had six children, two of whom are living. Sarah and … Read more

Biography of Clarence William Turner

From the pioneer epoch in the history of Oklahoma’s development along industrial and commercial lines the name of Turner has been associated with mercantile interests. It has been inseparably interwoven with the annals of trade that stands for a dominant progressiveness, resulting largely in the up building of Muskogee. Clarence William Turner, whose name introduces this review, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, June 18, 1857, and comes of English ancestry, the founder of the family in the new world being John Turner, who crossed the Atlantic from England and became a resident of Canandaigua, Ontario county, New York, where in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of L. Cap Lane

Cap L. Lane was born November 26, 1867, at Clarksville, Texas, the only son of Dr. R. G. Lane, of Clarksville. His mother was a daughter of Cap Lane, a well-known farmer of North Texas. After attending school until the age of fifteen, the subject of this sketch entered the Kamper Family School, of Booneville, where at the end of three years he graduated, and returned to his home. Here he entered the drug business, and remained three years working for L. H. Galberg, when in May, 1888, he moved to Chelsea, Cherokee Nation, and opened a drug business of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Davis Hill

The subject of this sketch was born September 21, 1863, at Lafayette, Georgia, and is the eldest son of George W. Hill, a prominent merchant of Ringgold, Lafayette County, Georgia. Davis’ mother was a daughter of Martin Davis, of Dahlangoah. The young man attended private school until he was eighteen years old, when he went into general merchandise with his father at Cedar Grove, Georgia. Here he continued for three years until 1886, when he settled in Vinita and again embarked in merchandise, this time in company with William Little. In 1887 he bought out his partner, and connected himself … 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 A. E. Hepner

One of the most successful agriculturists of Washington county is A. E. Hepner, the owner of a productive farm near Copan. He figures prominently in public, affairs as county Commisioner, in which office he is serving for the second term. He was born in Greene County, Iowa, December 14, 1871, his parents being John and Elizabeth (Batdoorf) Hepner, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. In 1889 the father came to Indian Territory, settling on the George B. Keeler place on Cotton creek, where for thirteen years he engaged in farming and stock raising, being assisted by his son, at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel S. Cobb, 1840-1923

The subject of this sketch was born March 10, 1840, at Morgantown, Tennessee, the sixth son of Sylvester Cobb. Samuel attended public school until seventeen or eighteen years of age, when the war broke out and he joined the Union army (Fifth Tennessee Infantry) as a private, gaining the captaincy of his company before the conclusion. After the war Samuel went to Webber’s Falls, Cherokee Nation, and for seventeen years sold goods in connection with his brother John and a Mr. Thomas Hutton. Selling out in 1885, Samuel and the latter gentleman embarked in cattle, and in 1890 built a … Read more

Biography of James W. McSpadden

James W. McSpadden was born October 21, 1848, in Belcher County, Alabama, the eldest son of Rev. T. K. B. McSpadden, who came to the country and joined the Indian Mission Conference held at Fort Gibson in 1870. The reverend gentleman devoted himself to Christian labors for seven years and died in 1877 beloved and respected by all who knew him. The subject of this sketch attended neighborhood school until 1861, when he accompanied his father (a lieutenant in the Confederate army) all through the campaign. After the war James was sent to the Phoenix Academy, North Alabama, until he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ellis C. Alberty

Ellis C. Alberty was born July 20, 1860, the eldest son of James Alberty and Martha Wright, a daughter of Cornelius Wright, who held some prominent offices in his nation. His father was a leading farmer and stock-raiser, and one-half Cherokee by blood. Ellis attended public school until he was fourteen years of age, when he went to the male seminary at Tahlequah, and there remained five years, after which he spent three years at college in New Hampshire, where he graduated, and returned to his home in the Cherokee Nation. In 1885 he became a teacher in the male … Read more

Biography of Douglas H. Johnston

Douglas H. Johnston was born at Sculliville, Choctaw Nation, October 13, 1856. He is the son of Colonel John Johnston, Sr., a white man, who immigrated with the Six-Town Choctaws to the Indian Territory form Mississippi. Colonel Johnston acquired his title in the Seminole War, and was a cousin of General Joseph E. Johnston, of Confederate fame. He was a land speculator and a prominent lawyer of Mississippi. On coming to the territory, he was married to the widow of Isaac Moncrief, a half-breed Chickasaw lady, sister of James S. Cheedle, by whom he had four sons, viz.: William, Franklin, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. P. Parris

The subject of this sketch was born in Tahlequah District, September 1857, the son of Johnson Parris and Delilah Chicken, both half-breeds. After having received his education in the Illinois district schools, he was appointed deputy sheriff under R. M. French at the national prison, which office he retained three years. In 1880 he entered the business establishment of W. T. Rasmus, at Tahlequah, and there remained until 1884, when he was employed by Messrs. Smith & French for two years, and later by John A. French (after the dissolution of the firm) for three years. Mr. Parris then went … Read more

Biography of Joseph M. Hildebrand

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