Indian Territory

Biography of Mrs. Anna Parks

Mrs. Anna Parks, a native daughter of Oklahoma and a member of one of the old and prominent families of the state, is the owner of a valuable farm near Bartlesville and is a most capable business woman, displaying marked executive ability, foresight and enterprise in the management of her interests. She was born on the present site of Bartlesville, her parents being John and Jennie (Downing) Lovelady, the former a native of Germany, while the latter was born in Indian Territory and was of Cherokee extraction. In 1860 the maternal grandfather, Jesse Thompson, settled near the present location of … Read more

Biography of Gideon Morgan

This well-known citizen of Tahlequah was born April 3, 1851, in Athens, Tennessee, the son of Major William Morgan and grandson of Colonel Gideon Morgan, of Stonewall Jackson’s army. His father was an officer in General John H. Morgan’s command, and was killed at the battle of Lexington, Kentucky, in 1862. The Morgans originally came from Wales. Colonel Gideon Morgan, already referred to, married Margaret Sevier, a granddaughter of General Sevier, who was half Cherokee, through his family connection with the Lowreys. Martha Mayo, daughter of G. W. Mayo, a white man, was mother to the subject of our sketch. … Read more

Biography of William Johnstone

William Johnstone, who was one of nature’s noblemen and whose life in every respect measured up to the highest standards of human conduct and of service to his fellows, passed away on the 14th of July, 1915. His earthly record was of comparatively short duration, for he had only reached the fifty-sixth milestone on life’s journey. But he had accomplished much more than may be set down to the credit of the vast majority. He had been one of the builders of Bartlesville through the establishment and successful management of various commercial and industrial interests and also by reason of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Ross Campbell

The subject of this sketch was born September 17, 1868, at Webber’s Falls, second son of Rev. Charles H. Campbell, a half-breed Cherokee and belonging to the Methodist Indian Mission Conference. His mother was a Miss Lowrey, a half-breed and granddaughter of Second Chief Mayor George Lowrey. William attended public school until he was twelve years of age, when he went to work for M. R. Brown, a druggist, at Fort Gibson. With him he remained four years, and went to school at the Presbyterian Mission, at Fort Gibson, for one year. After that he began serving his time to … Read more

Biography of George W. Stidham, Jr.

The subject of this sketch was born March 17, 1859, the son of G. W. Stidham, deceased, who was the most prominent man of his day among the Creeks. His mother was a Virginia lady, a Miss Thornsbury, of an old and highly respected family. Young George was sent to the neighborhood school until the age of fifteen years, when he went to the Henderson Masonic Institute, Henderson, Tennessee. Here he remained for five years, one year in the interim being spent at home. After this he spent twelve months in the School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, and from thence … Read more

Biography of Mrs. Ellen Howard Miller

Mrs. Ellen Howard Miller is a woman of broad interests and accomplishments, her greatest pleasures centering around those things that are instructive and up building to herself and the people and conditions around her. To her the realm of civics is one of unlimited interest, in which she loves to spend her time when business, home and Church interests will allow, and in this field many enterprises and activities of economic value owe their birth and fostering to her inspiration and initiative. One of the earliest of these enterprises was the forming of an organization of the women of Vinita, … Read more

Biography of James G. Mehlin

James G. Mehlin, a pioneer farmer of Nowata county who is now residing one and one-half miles northeast of Alluwe, was born in Stuttgart, Wurtemburg, Germany, on the 21st of January, 1841. His parents were both born in that country and the father died there. Mrs. Mehlin came to America prior to her son James G. and located in New York, where her death occurred in 1870. James G. Merlin came to America in 1854 and, landing in New York, remained there a short time, but later removed to Maryland. Subsequently he went to Chicago, Illinois, where his brother Charles … Read more

Biography of Hon. George W. Parks

Hon. G. W. Parks, deceased, supreme judge of the Cherokee Nation, was born in Monroe County, Tennessee, March 20, 1820, and emigrated with his father and family to the present nation in 1838. George received a common school education, and at eighteen years of age was appointed wagon master by Gen. Winfield Scott, who conducted the Cherokees to their homes in the Indian Territory. George remained in the new country two years, after which he returned home, and at his father’s death embarked in the dry goods business in 1840, in Cleveland, Tennessee, on a capital of $4,000. Remaining there … Read more

Modoc Tribe

Modoc Indians (from Móatokni, ‘southerners’). A Lutuamian tribe, forming the southern division of that stock, in south west Oregon. The Modoc language is practically the same as the Klamath, the dialectic differences being extremely slight. This linguistic identity would indicate that the local separation of the two tribes must have been comparatively recent and has never been complete. The former habitat of the Modoc included Little Klamath Lake, Modoc Lake, Tule Lake, Lost River Valley, and Clear Lake, and extended at times as far east as Goose Lake. The most important bands of the tribe were at Little Klamath Lake, … Read more

Opening of Indian Territory

Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was a part of the public domain that was reserved for several tribes of Indians whose native hunting grounds were principally in the Southern states.

Slave Narrative of Anthony Dawson

Person Interviewed: Anthony DawsonLocation: 1008 E. Owen St., Tulsa, OklahomaAge: 105 “Run nigger, run,De Patteroll git you!Run nigger, run,De Patteroll come! “Watch nigger, Watch-De Patteroll trick you!Watch nigger, watch,He got a big gun!” Dat one of the songs de slaves all knowed, and de children down on de “twenty acres” used to sing it when dey playing in de moonlight ’round de cabins in de quarters. Sometime I wonder iffen de white folks didn’t make dat song up so us niggers would keep in line. None of my old Master’s boys tried to git away ‘cepting two. and dey met … Read more

Biography of Nathaniel Skinner

Nathaniel Skinner was born April 8, 1851, at Harrison county, Kentucky, third son of Nathaniel Skinner, of that county. His mother was a Miss Cleveland. Nathaniel attended public school till fifteen years of age, completing his education at Sedalia after one year’s schooling in that city. His family moved from Kentucky to Cooper County, Missouri, in 1856, Nathaniel went to western Kansas and thee embarked in the cattle business, remaining till 1871, when he moved to Vinita in the Cherokee Nation, and there carried on the business, buying and shipping cattle to Northern markets. In 1878 he opened a stock … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Arthur Madden

William A. Madden was born in April, 1853, at St. Mark’s, Canada, and moved from there to New York in 1868, where he learned the profession of builder and architect. He left New York in 1871, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he followed his profession until 1880, when he went to Kansas City. Leaving there in 1882, he located at Muskogee, Indian Territory, and in 1885 built a factory 36 x 76 feet, which he added to in 1888 until it now measures 108 x 206 feet. This establishment contains a tin shop, a plumbing shop and a paint … Read more

Treaty of October 21, 1867 – Memorandum

Articles of a treaty concluded at the Council Camp on Medicine Lodge Creek, seventy miles south of Fort Larned, in the State of Kansas, on the twenty-first day of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, by and between the United States of America, represented by its commissioners duly appointed thereto to-wit: Nathaniel G. Taylor, William S. Harney, C. C. Augur, Alfred S. [H.] Terry, John B. Sanborn, Samuel F. Tappan, and J. B. Henderson, of the one part, and the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Indians, represented by their chiefs and headmen duly authorized and empowered to act for the body of … Read more

Biography of W. H. Hendricks

W. H. Hendricks was born in Georgia, February 28, 1831. The subject of this sketch is the son of William Hendricks, his mother being a Cherokee orphan girl named Susanna. His parents emigrated from Georgia in 1832, and, strange to say, both died in January 1868. William was first sent to Park Hill Missionary School until his eleventh or twelfth year, after which he is indebted to his own industry and observation for whatever knowledge he acquired. In 1860 he married Narcissa Crittenden, by whom he has one daughter living, Mrs. Fannie Carr. In 1864 he again married, this time … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hiero T. Wilson

Hiero T. Wilson, one of the first white settlers in Southern Kansas, was born at Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky, September 2, 1806, of Virginian ancestry. His father was a native of the Old Dominion, a Kentucky farmer and for many years surveyor of Logan County. Hiero Wilson was reared on his father’s farm and had some schooling and considerable training in mereantile pursults before he joined his brother in Indian Territory during the year 1834. The latter was then post sutler and trader at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation. In 1843, when Fort Scott was established as a military post, Hiero … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Susan Taylor

Mrs. Susan Taylor was born July 6, 1803, daughter of “Fields,” a half-breed of Scotch descent. Her mother was a Miss Brown, sister of Judge Brown, prominent in Cherokee history. Susan Taylor was educated at the Moravian Mission, Spring Place, Georgia, and moved with the emigration to the Indian Territory in 1839. Her husband, Richard Taylor, held many prominent positions in the nation, and was second chief when he died, in 1853. The subject of our sketch settled in Tahlequah before there was a residence in that place, and in 1849 built a fine brick residence, one of the first … Read more

Biography of J. H. Truskett

For forty-one years J. H. Truskett has devoted his attention to farming in Washington county and is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Oklahoma whose labors have been a potent factor in the development of the agricultural resources of the state, while he has also contributed in substantial measure to the promotion of educational interests in his section. A native of Ohio, he was born August 31, 1845, and in 1880, when thirty-five years of age, he settled at the forks of the Caney river, where he purchased a farm, upon which he engaged in raising grain and cattle, continuing … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Gibson

Charles was born March 20, 1846, and went to Asberry Mission School at the age of ten, where he remained for three years. Leaving there he returned home and commenced farming with his father, John C. Gibson, a white man, who married the niece of Opothleyoholo, one of the most intelligent of the Creek Indians, and a leading man and chief for many terms. Charles remained with his father until the end of 1865, when he joined the Confederate army, in which service he spent six months. On December 20, 1868, he married Miss Susan Williams, grandniece of the celebrated … Read more

Biography of Quana Parker

Parker, Quana (from Comanche kwaina, ‘fragrant,’ joined to his mother’s family name). The principal chief of the Comanche, son of a Comanche chief and a white captive woman. His father, Nokoni, ‘wanderer,’ was the leader of the Kwahadi division, the wildest and most hostile portion of the tribe and the most inveterate raiders along the Texas border. In one of the incursions, in the summer of 1835, the Comanche attacked a small settlement on Navasota river, in east Texas, known from its founder as Parker’s Fort, and carried off 2 children of Parker himself, one of whom, Cynthia Ann Parker, … Read more