Indian Territory

Biography of Cyprian Tayrien

Fifty years or more have been added to the cycle of the centuries since Cyprian Tayrien took up his abode on the farm which is still his home and through all these years he has contributed to the agricultural development of the region, thus utilizing the natural resources of the state and adding to the general prosperity of the community, as well as to his individual fortunes. Mr. Tayrien is a native of Missouri. He was born in Clay County, in 1836, his parents being Enoch and Mary Louise (Borboney) Tayrien. The father was a French-Canadian, while the mother was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henry F. Pyles

Person Interviewed: Henry F. Pyles Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: August 15, 1856 Age: 81 That’s how the niggers say old Bab Russ used to make the hoodoo “hands” he made for the young bucks and wenches, but I don’t know. ’cause I was too trusting to look inside de one he make for me, and anyways I lose it, and it no good nohow! Old Bab Russ live about two mile from me, and I went to him one night at midnight and ask him to make me de hand. I was a young strapper about sixteen years … Read more

Treaty of June 2, 1825

Articles of a treaty made and concluded at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, between William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Commissioner on the part of the United States, and the undersigned, Chiefs, Head-Men, and Warriors, of the Great and Little Osage Tribes of Indians, duly authorized and empowered by their respective Tribes or Nations. In order more effectually to extend to said Tribes that protection of the Government so much desired by them, it is agreed as follows: Article I. The Great and Little Osage Tribes or Nations do, hereby, cede and relinquish to the United States, all … Read more

Biography of Thomas Fox Thompson

Thomas F. Thompson was born May, 1848, at Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, the second son of Johnson Thompson, merchant of that place. Thomas attended district school until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he went south with the refugees. After the war he went with his parents to Grand River, Delaware district, where he attended one session at Pea Ridge School, Arkansas; leaving there he went to Vinita, where he was employed in his father’s store for about three years, after which he improved a farm on Big Cabin Creek, and there resided three years. Moving back to Vinita in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. J. H. Wiener

(See Grant)-Herbert, son of John Martin, and Corinne E. (Washburn) Thompson, married Clarkie A. Lee, and they were the parents of Hallie C. Thompson, born August 28, 1873, at Goodie’s Bluff in Cooweescoowee District. She was educated at Little Rock, Arkansas, and taught six years in the public schools at Vinita, and two years in Willie Halsell College of the same place, and was associate reporter of the Vinita Daily Chieftain for seven years. She married at Vinita July 17, 1905, J. H., son of Henry and Rebecca Wiener. Mr. and Mrs. Wiener are members of the Christian church. He … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wiley Smith

Wiley Smith was born about 1843, in the Creek Nation, being the youngest son of Kosayar-E-Holar, a Creek. In youth he was sent to a neighboring school, for a short time, after which he went to work with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, when he married a full-blooded girl, named Tildie, the issue of this marriage was one boy, named Joe. After marriage he commenced working for himself, on a farm that he improved. Some time after the death of his wife, who only survived four years, he married in 1886, Roddie, the daughter of Mich-charhiya … Read more

Biography of Isaac H. Secondine

A prominent citizen of Delaware is Isaac H. Secondine, who is engaged in the decorating business. A native of Nowata County, he was born at Coodys Bluff on the 29th of May, 1874, a son of Fillmore and Rachael (Connor) Secondine. His paternal grand-father, James, was chief of the Delawares in the ’40s and crossed the plains with General Fremont on that memorable trip chronicled in history, and also fought under him in the Mexican war. Grandfather Secondine was a highly educated man, speaking seven different languages, among them perfect English. He acted as interpreter to General Fremont, who was … Read more

Treaty of May 6, 1828

Treaty of May 6, 1828, page 9

The Treaty of May 6, 1828, established a convention between the United States and the Cherokee Nation, securing the Cherokees a permanent home west of the Mississippi and an area of seven million acres of land. It guaranteed their removal from Arkansas, protection from white encroachment, and various financial compensations. Additionally, it promised assistance with their emigration and support for education and infrastructure development. The treaty aimed to ensure the Cherokees’ safety and sovereignty in their new 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

Biography of William Frederick Gordon

The subject of this sketch was born in July 1856, the son of William Gordon, a half-breed Scotchman and Creek Indian. His parents dying while he was quite young, William was carried North during the war, and stayed at Osage, near the Sauk and Fox agency. At the conclusion of the war he went to school at Drury College, Springfield, Missouri, for two years. In 1879 he entered the mercantile house of his half brother, Sam Brown, at Wealaka, with whom he worked for three years. After this he took charge of his step-brother’s cattle at Red Fork for one … Read more

Biography of Joseph Tolover Hairston

One of the prominent citizens of Salina is Joseph Tolover Hairston, who was born on the 10th of March, 1862, at Saltillo, Mississippi. The Hairston family is of Scotch descent, its progenitor in this country having migrated from Scotland to Virginia at an early day. His sons, William, John and Peter, removed to South Carolina during the Revolutionary war, and William and John have many descendants in the southern states. The grandfather of Joseph Tolover was William Hairston, who died in his eightieth year. His son, Little Tolover Hairston, fought in the Civil war and was killed at Chickamauga at … Read more

Biography of Zachariah Taylor Preston

Zachariah Taylor Preston, who is successfully engaged in farming a mile north of Ramona in Washington County, was born on Grand River, twenty-five miles east of Vinita, Craig County, Oklahoma, on the 23d of January, 1883. His father, Charles Henry Preston, was a native of Virginia and on coming to the Indian Territory settled near Grove. He was a surgeon and served in the Confederate army during the Civil war. He practiced medicine and surgery in the Indian Territory and in the state of Oklahoma until fifteen years prior to his death, passing away at the home of his son, … Read more

Biography of Hugh Henry

Hugh Henry was born January, 1848, at Nacogdoches County, Texas, third son of W. D. Henry, a Georgian, and Levisa Hutton, a half-breed Creek. After the marriage of his parents they moved to Texas, in 1832, his mother dying in 1852. After the death of his mother Hugh remained in Eastern Texas with his grandmother about eleven years. When quite young he became a cowboy, attaching himself to Hart Bros.’ cow camp until the breaking out of the war, when he joined the Confederate service under General Terry, remaining in the service eight months. After this Hugh Henry became a … Read more

Biography of Henry Clay Barritt

Henry Clay Barritt was born in Champaigne County, Ohio, September 1, 1830, second child of Captain Abner Barritt of the United States army during the war of 1812, and originally from Maryland, but who went to Ohio at an early age, and there became a prominent pioneer. Henry Clay’s mother’s maiden name was Rebecca Diltz, of Green County, Ohio, a well-known family in that part of the State. Mr. Barritt received his education in the public schools of the county, and attended the Wittenburg College, Springfield, for a short time. His father dying when he was only fifteen years of … Read more

Biography of A. H. Parrish

One of the representative agriculturists of Nowata county is A. H. Parrish, who is engaged in farming four and one-quarter miles northeast of Alluwe. He was born in Coowescoowee district on the 2d of November, 1870, a son of Holland L. and Cynthia J. (Daniel) Parrish, the latter being of Cherokee extraction. The father located in Indian Territory on the 2d of February, 1869, acquiring land one mile south of Coodys Bluff, where he is still residing. He is now seventy-three years of age and enjoying the best of health. Mrs. Parrish was born in Boone county, Arkansas, and died … Read more

Treaty of March 21, 1866

Articles of a treaty made and concluded at Washington, D.C., March 21, A.D., 1866, between the United States Government, by its commissioners, D.N. Cooley, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Elijah Sells, superintendent of Indian affairs, and Ely S. Parker, and the Seminole Indians, by their chiefs, John Chup-co, or Long John, Cho-cote-harjo, Fos-ha[r]-jo, John F. Brown. Whereas existing, treaties between the United States and the Seminole Nation are insufficient to meet their mutual necessities; and Whereas the Seminole Nation made a treaty with the so-called Confederate States, August 1st, 1861, whereby they threw off their allegiance to the United States, and … Read more

Biography of John L. Springston

John L. Springston is the son of Anderson Springston, half-breed, and Sallie Elliot, daughter of Jack Elliot, a white man, who married a quarter Cherokee. Anderson Springston was born in Tennessee, and after coming to this nation practiced law in the Delaware and Tahlequah districts. John L., the subject of this sketch, was born October 1845, and educated at the public schools, Delaware district. About the time he was ready to enter the Upper Alton Academy, the war broke out, and he joined the Indian Home Guards, Third Regiment, Company I, under Col. M. A. Phillips, Federal army. He entered … Read more

Biography of Albert Pike McKellopp

The subject of this sketch was born September 25, 1858, at Choska, Creek Nation, fourth son of James M. McKellopp, whose father came from Scotland in 1810, and settling in Alabama, married a sister to Moses Perryman, brother of Lewis Perryman, father of the present chief. James M. McKellopp, father of the subject of this sketch, was robbed and then murdered by Quantrell and his bushwhackers, at Choska, in 1864. His mother, who was daughter to Henry Marshall, of a prominent Creek family, died in 1865, from exposure, at Fort Gibson. Albert attended school at Tallahassee for three years, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. T. Canup

This promising young literary man was born February 17, 1866, in Cherokee County, North Carolina, the son of F. M. Canup, a Frenchman, and Elizabeth Payne, one-sixteenth Cherokee. He was educated at Tehuacana University, Texas, and through the influence of R. M. Kimbrough, a congressman of Dallas County, became associated with the Dallas Herald, where he worked two years, after which he became an attaché of the Dallas News. After the death of Stone, proprietor of the Tahlequah Telephone, Mr. Canup, who was at Vinita, came to Tahlequah and took charge of that paper for two years, after which he … Read more

Biography of Noah G. Gregory

The subject of this sketch is the eldest son of Joe Gregory, a white man, and Lucinda Simms, a half-blood Euchee Indian. Lucinda was a granddaughter of Cosienna Barnett, a man of considerable prominence in the Euchee tribe, spoken of in the historic pages of this book. They are distinct from the Creeks and speak a different language, although for many years they have affiliated with and enjoyed the privileges of the Muskogees in everything except missionary work. The missionaries, being unable to speak the language, which is extremely difficult, almost completely neglected the Euchees. Noah G. Gregory was sent … Read more