Indian Territory

Biography of John T. Gunter

John T. Gunter was born October 8, 1855, at Hico, Benton County, Arkansas, the oldest son of C. D. Gunter, a Tennessean. His mother was a Miss Ward (one-eighth Cherokee), from Georgia, her father, James Ward, having come to this nation with the first Cherokee settlers. After having attended public school until seventeen years of age, John entered the Cincinnati Academy, Arkansas, and there remained until his twentieth year. Returning home, he embarked in the stock business, and is still carrying it on. In 1879 John moved to Sequoyah district, and opened a mercantile house, but traded it for cattle … Read more

Governor Stokes’s Uncompleted Plans

Governor Montfort Stokes, appointed Cherokee sub-agent in 1836, faced significant challenges at Fort Gibson, including inadequate office space and limited authority. Despite his complaints, he worked to protect Native American land rights, particularly for the Osage mixed-blood descendants of Auguste P. Chouteau. During his tenure, he mediated Cherokee factional disputes and safeguarded vital legal documents. Replaced in 1841, he later served as sub-agent for the Seneca, Shawnee, and Quapaw. Stokes died in 1842 at Fort Gibson, honored with a military funeral. A Revolutionary War veteran and former North Carolina governor, his dedication to public service spanned decades.

Biography of Rev. D. C. Murphy

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

Biography of Ad V. Coppedge

Ad V. Coppedge, the pioneer lawyer of Delaware county and the first county attorney, has also been connected with every important constructive measure that has led to the up building, development and progress of this section of the state. He became a resident of Grove in 1963 and throughout all the intervening period has taken active part in shaping the county’s up building. Mr. Coppedge was born on a farm in Missouri near the Arkansas line, January 26, 1870, the old homestead being situated at Thayer. His parents were Houston Harrison and Tennessee Martha (Bledsoe) Coppedge, and the mother, a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Franklin Wilson

The subject of this sketch was born August 21, 1861, in Quitman, Wood County, Texas, the only son of John W. Wilson and Ellen Thompson, a Cherokee by blood. After his parents died in 1869, he was sent to school in the neighborhood for four years, and in 1878 went to Alexander Institute, Kilgore, Texas, where he remained one year. Returning to Wood County he commenced farming, and continued it for two years, after which he attended bar for Col. G. W. Haines, of Quitman, for about the same length of time. Moving to Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, he accepted a … Read more

Early Indian Wars in Florida

Narvaez in Florida

Previous to the permanent establishment of the English in North America, the French and Spaniards made many attempts to get possession of various parts of the country. The coasts were carefully explored, and colonies planted, but they were soon given up as expensive, and involving too much hardship and danger. The first expedition to the coast of Florida was made in 1512, by Juan Ponce de Leon, renowned for his courage and warlike abilities. Ponce de Leon, becoming governor of Porto Rico (Puerto Rico), and hearing from the Indians that there existed a beautiful and fertile country to the northward, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. D. Buffington

J. D. Buffington was born March 26, 1846, the son of Ezekiel Buffington and Louisa Newman, daughter of Jonathan Newman, county judge of Washington County, Arkansas, for eighteen years. J. D. attended school in Going Snake district, until the outbreak of the war, when he and his family refugeed in Fannin County, Texas, until 1866, when he returned to the nation and devoted his time to farming. In 1876 he married Miss Fannie Morris, daughter of Isaac Morris, a white man; her mother was a Daugherty, a family prominent among the Cherokees. By this marriage Mr. Buffington has five children, … Read more

Choctaws views on God and Murder

Among every North American Indian tribe from their earliest known history down to the present, there was and is a universal belief in the existence of a God, and Supreme Being, universally known among all Indians as the Great Spirit; and with whose attributes were associated all the various manifestations of natural phenomena; and in point of due respect and true devotion to this Great Spirit their acknowledged God they as a whole today excel, and ever have excelled, the whites in their due respect and true devotion to their acknowledged God. Never was an Indian known to deny the … Read more

Biography of Oliver W. Lipe

The subject of this sketch was born January, 1814, in Montgomery county, New York, the son of John C. Lipe, and grandson of Caspar Lipe, who emigrated to the country in 1710. Oliver, with his parents, settled on the Mohawk River, but he left home in 1835 en route to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He stopped off at Boonville, Mo., however, and after some time found his way to Georgia, where he enlisted in the public works, Georgia Union Railroad Company, and became a contractor. In 1837 he went to Athens, Tennessee, and the following year rode on horseback from … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Stephen G. Maxfield

Stephen G., the son of Jenkins Whiteside and Kate (Hastings) Maxfield, was born in 1873; was educated in the public schools of the Cherokee Nation. He married at Claremore in 1894, Ada, the daughter of Joseph Shockey. They are the parents of Grace, Cora, Pauline, Almeda, and Woodrow Maxfield. Mr. and Mrs. Maxfield are members of the Methodist Church. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias.

Indian Mounds throughout North America

Great Serpent Mound Postcard

Charlevoix and Tantiboth speak of Indians who inhabited the region of country around Lake Michigan, who were well skilled in the art of erecting mounds and fortifications, Charlevoix also states that the Wyandots and the Six Nations disinterred their dead and took the bones from their graves where they had lain for several years and carried them to a large pit previously prepared, in which they deposited them, with the property of the deceased, filling up the pit with earth and erected a mound over it. A string of sleigh-bells much corroded, but still capable of tinkling, is said to have been found among the … Read more

Biography of Samuel Aaron Kenoyer

Samuel Aaron Kenoyer, a prominent real estate operator of Miami, has won a substantial, measure of success through the capable management of his business affairs and has also aided materially in improving and developing his city, being recognized as a most progressive and public-spirited citizen. He was born in Kentland, Newton county, Indiana, September 30, 1873, of the marriage of James and Nancy Jane Kenoyer, the former also born in that county, while the latter was likewise a native of the Hoosier state. For a time the father engaged in farming and he afterward turned his attention to the carpenter’s … Read more

Biography of Gilbert W. Pasco

The subject of this sketch was born in Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, April 20, 1848, and is the son of Cyrus W. Pasco and Marilla, daughter of William Dilts, of Ohio. Gilbert was educated at Fon du Lac, graduating at the High School, and commenced reading law with Charles Eldridge, of the same place. He finished his legal education under J. L. Lowe, of Washington, Kansas, after which he was elected County Clerk of Washington, Kansas, which office he held for four years. After practicing two years in that town, he moved to Sherman, Texas, in 1878 and there remained … Read more

Biography of Dave Adams

While the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, the invariable law of destiny accords to tireless energy, industry and ability, a successful career. The truth of this assertion is abundantly verified in the life of Mr. Adams, who, though he has met many difficulties and obstacles, has overcome these by determined purpose and laudable endeavor, working his way steadily upward to success. He is now accounted one of the leading businessmen of Silver City, and has been prominently identified with the development of many of the leading business interests of Idaho since his … Read more

Biography of Samuel Sixkiller

(See Grant, Foreman and Sixkiller) Gu-o-tsa Smith, a half breed Cherokee woman of the Paint Clan, married Sixkiller, a full blooded Cherokee. Their son, Red Bird Sixkiller, married Pamelia Whaley, a White woman, and they in turn were the parents of Samuel Sixkiller who married Fannie Foreman; and Lucas Sixkiller who married Emma Blythe. Samuel and Fannie (Foreman) Sixkiller were the parents of Samuel Rasmus Sixkiller, born February 13, 1877, and graduated from Carlisle University in 1895. Lucas and Emma (Blythe) Sixkiller were the parents of Mattie B. Sixkiller, born December 14, 1874, in Delaware District; and she married on … Read more

Biography of Francis Alexander Neilson

Francis A. Neilson was born in Oxford, Mississippi, June 2, 1860, eighth child in a family of twelve of W. S. Neilson, a prominent merchant of Oxford, and before the war a very wealthy man. Francis A. received his education at the State University, leaving his sophomore year at the age of twenty-one, after which he began a mercantile life as book-keeper in a large general merchandise store in Oxford, and remained in this occupation for three years. In 1885 the subject of our sketch went West to Arkansas City, Kansas, and there formed a partnership in the hardware business, … Read more

Biography of Willie Longbone

After many years of active connection with agricultural interests of northeastern Oklahoma, Willie Longbone is now living retired at Dewey in the enjoyment of a substantial competence, acquired through close application and the capable management of his business interests. He is a native son of Oklahoma and a representative of one of the old and prominent families of the state. He was born in Washington County, December 18, 1868, of the marriage of dames and Susan (Washington) Longbone, the former a native of Kansas. The father came to Indian Territory in 1867, locating on a farm near Silver lake, in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ward Howard Bailey, M.D.

Ward Howard Bailey was born May, 1848, at Waldon, Scott County, Arkansas, the second son of Dr. W. H. Bailey, who was appointed physician of the missionary schools of the Creek Nation, and moved to the country with his family in 1852, remaining till the outbreak of the war, when he returned to Fort Smith in 1862. Young Bailey, who was educated in the Kentucky School of Medicine, first commenced practice at old North Fork Town, in the Creek Nation. When the railroad was built he removed to Eufaula, and in 1878 married Miss Ella Stidham, eldest daughter of Col. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William M. Merrill

The subject of this sketch was born May, 1865, in Saline County, Missouri, second son of Asa C. Merrill, a prominent farmer of that State. William’s mother was a Miss Akres, also of that State, whose father is now residing in Kansas City. William attended public school until fifteen years of age, when he began assisting his father, and remained on the farm until that parent’s death in 1885, which he and his brother assumed charge of the property for their mother. In 1886 William took the responsibility upon himself, and with his family, in 1888, moved to Vinita, Cherokee … Read more