Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Minerva Wormington

(See Ross)- Minerva, daughter of Isaac Alexander and Susannah Coody (Ross) Wilson was born at Tahlequah on Tuesday June 1, 1886. Educated in the Cherokee Public Schools and Female Seminary. She married in 1914 at Tulsa, Frederick Wormington and they are the parents of Lorine Wormington, age six. Mrs. Wormington’s father was a gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence and her mother was a member of the distinguished Ross family.

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. E. W. Gish

(See Colootsa, Cordery, Adair and Gosaduisga) Martin R. Brown, born February 27, 1858 at Fort Gibson. Married May 9, 1888 Nannie C. McNair, born in 1866. They were the parents of Catherine Brown born in 1891 at Tahlequah, married in Oklahoma City in 1915, Emmett W. Gish. They are the parents of Dorothy Louise Gish, age five years. Mr. Gish is a merchant in Oklahoma City. Mr and Mrs. Gish are members of the Presbyterian church.

Biography of Miss Lura E. Mount

Since 1920 Miss Lura E. Mount has been active as county superintendent of schools of Adair county. She is a native of this county, having been born in 1895 near Stilwell, where she now resides. Her parents were R. S. and Pearl (Denton) Mount, both of whom are now deceased. In the acquirement of an education Miss Mount attended the public schools of Stilwell and after graduating from the high school here, she enrolled as a student in the Northeast Normal College at Tahlequah, from which institution she was graduated in 1915. She immediately engaged in teaching school and for … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert C. Dannenberg

Dannenberg, Robert C. (See Grant and Oolootsa)—Robert Carter, son of John Henry and Annie F. (Ferguson) Dannen­berg, was born in Missouri, April 12, 1877, educated in Flint District and Male Seminary. Married at Tahlequah June 1 6, 1902, Mary, daughter of John and Jennie (Lowrey) Hubbard, born in Tahlequah Dis­trict, November 28, 1878, and educated at Tahlequah and Muskogee. They are the parents of John Henry Dannenberg, born October 16, 1908, and Genie Dannenberg, born Mar. 5, 1915. Mr. Dannenberg is a farmer and stock raiser near Tahlequah. Henry, son of Anderson Pierce and Mary (Nave) Lowrey, married Mary Parris … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Isaac Johnson

Isaac, son of Milo and Adeline (Payne) Johnson, was born in 1883, educated at Tahlequah. Married at Muskogee in 1913. His children are: Jessie, Maxine and Willard Johnson. Mr. Johnson is an efficient state enforcement officer.

Western Garrison Life

Clermont, Osage Chief

Grant Foreman describes the early life in a Western Garrison; providing insights on some of the traders in the region, the deaths of Seaton, Armstrong, Wheelock and Izard, all soldiers obviously familiar to him. But he also shares the story of the elopement of Miss Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of General Taylor, to Lieutenant Jefferson Davis… yes, THAT Jefferson Davis.

An interesting section of the chapter are the references to the punishments inflicted upon the soldiers in the event of their disobedience.

Painted by Catlin in 1834, the picture attached is of Clermont, chief of the Osage Tribe. Clermont is painted in full length, wearing a fanciful dress, his leggings fringed with scalp-locks, and in his hand his favorite and valued war-club.

Biography of James Augustus Lawrence

(See Grant, Adair and Go-sa­du-i-sga)—Sarah Jane Adair, born March 10, 1875 at Saline; educated in the Cherokee National schools; Female Seminary, from which she graduated June 23, 1892, and Howard Payne College, Fayette, Missouri June 9, 1896. She married December 29, 1899, James Augustus Lawrence, born Oct. 18, 1856 in Texas. They are the parents of two sons: Augustus Adair, born April 21,1901 and Gilbert Shelton, born Nov. 3, 1903. Mr. Lawrence is the principal merchant of Tahlequah, and they have a beautiful home just east of the city. Mrs. Lawrence is a descendant of the Martin family of Virginia. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Richard W. King

(Ward)—Richard Willey, son of Judge Benjamin Cooper and Abbie (Kadle) King was born August 1, 1871, educated at Tahlequah and Male Seminary. Married July 20, 1890 Melvin Holland, born May 26, 1871. They were the parents of Benjamin Cooper born December 23, 1892, married at Tahlequah August 30, 1912 to Peggy Balleau born in 1894. Has one son, Richard Chester King, born Nov. 15, 1913. Clifford Willey, born Dec. 27, 1902 and John King, born April 1, 1910. Benjamin Cooper King was elected Judge of Tahlequah District, August 5, 1889-Richard Willey King was elected County Commissioner of the Third District … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Amanda Murphy

Amanda Terrell, born June 14, 1871. Married at Tahlequah. June 23, 1888 Thomas Murphy, born September 13, 1863, died October 17, 1920. They were the parents of Sallie, married Benjamin Riggs and has four children: Theodora, Ruby, Madeline and Jewell Riggs; Looney; Thomas and Herbert.

Biography of Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson

Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson, librarian of the Carnegie Library at Tahlequah and superannuated minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, having been retired since 1906, was born May 21, 1841, near Maysville, Arkansas, in what was then the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. His parents, both of whom are deceased, were James Allen and Martha (Lynch) Thompson, the former a native of South Carolina and the latter a native of Virginia and a member of an old Cherokee family there. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were married in Georgia and came to Beattie’s Prairie in 1838, with a detachment of Cherokees under … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Oce Benge

Benge, Oce (See Grant, Ghigau, Foreman and Conrad)—Richard Fields Benge, commonly called “Oce’ Benge, was born in Tah­lequah District, September 9, 1851. Married at Locust Grove, February 18, 1883, Martha Adair, daughter of George Washington and Cherokee (Ratliff) Brewer, born July 7, 1861, and educated in Female Seminary. They are the parents of Georgia Alma, born April 30, 1885, married William C. Johnston April 4, 1919; Eleanor Osceola, born Jan­uary 18, 1887, married C. A. Dunham Oct­ober 3, 1913, parents of Roy Mills, born September 1, 1915, and Beatrice Eleanore Durham, born July 28, 1919; Lelia Leone, born December 16, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Cleo Hail

(See Ghigau and Sanders) -Margaret, daughter of John Bell and Delilah (Roach) Smith was born at Tahlequah Oct. 4, 1895, educated in Tahlequah District and Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kansas. Married at Tahlequah March 9, 1918, A. Cleo, son of John and Mary Hall, born near Tahlequah in 1897. They are the parents of Morris Hail, born Jan. 26,1920. Mr. Hail is a farmer near Tahlequah. George, son of Joshua and Almira (Harlan) Roach married Nannie Pritchett and they were the parents of Delilah (Roach) Smith. George Roach was elected Sheriff of Tahlequah District August 1, 1887. Reverend Samuel Smith, the … Read more

Biography of John Daniel Bewley, M. D.

Coming to Miami in 1916, Dr. John Daniel Bewley has thoroughly demonstrated his ability as a physician and surgeon and his professional labors have been attended with a gratifying measure of success. He was born in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas, March 25, 1874, of the marriage of Benjamin V. and Triphenia (West) Bewley, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Arkansas. Her father was a major in the Mexican war and was stationed at old Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. Prior to the Civil war he retired from the United States army and made his home in Arkansas … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Marble Lewis Payne

Marble Lewis, son of William and Nancy Payne was born in 1850 in North Carolina. He married at Tahlequah in 1904 Mahala Wilson. They were the parents of Emma, Lula, Charles and William Payne. Mr. Payne’s children by his second marriage are Frank, Albert and Mary Payne. Mr. Payne is one of the progressive farmers of the Tahlequah vicinity, is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been a member of the local school board several times. His Cherokee name is Lu-ie-us-te-na and he belongs to the Wolf Clan. William Payne, the son, is a Spanish … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. Frank Adair

(See Grant)-Arthur Frank, son of John Lynch and Mary Jane (Jeffreys) Adair was born August 28, 1858, educated in Male Seminary. Married at Tahlequah September 1, 1886 Mollie Elizabeth Miller, born February 22, 1868. They were the parents of: Arthur Lynch, born May 11, 1891 and Owen Lewis Adair, born March 18, 1893. Rachel, daughter of Jeter and Nancy (Martin) Lynch married Thomas Benjamin Adair and they were the parents of John Lynch Adair who married Mary Jane Jeffreys a native of Virginia.

Biography of William Pressley Thompson

William Pressley Thompson, a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Oklahoma, was for many years prominent in the affairs of the Cherokee Nation, and for over two decades he has been a member of the Vinita bar, being recognized as one of the most able attorneys in northeastern Oklahoma. He was born on a cotton plantation in Smith county, Texas, November 19, 1866, his parents being James Franklin and Caroline E. (McCord) Thompson, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Mississippi, and both now deceased. The father accompanied the Cherokees on their removal to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Watie Foreman

(See Grant, Foreman, Hildebrand, Seabolt and Duncan) Thomas Watie, son of Thomas Leroy and Susan M. (Wolf) Foreman was born of Tahlequah January 12, 1860. Educated at Tahlequah. Married at Tahlequah, March 28, 1886. Cherokee Duncan daughter of George Washington and Mary (McLaughlin) Hughes, born February 11, 1870. They are the parents of: William Evarts, born Dec. 18, 1886, was in officers training camp during World War and is practicing law at Tulsa; Watie Cornelius, born Feb. 3, 1891 was in railroad service during the war and is the auditor of an oil company in Rogers, Arkansas, and Thomas Hughie … Read more

Biography of William T. Whitaker

William T. Whitaker, owner of the Pryor Bottling Works at Pryor, was born in Andrews, North Carolina, on the 14th of February, 1854, a son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Taylor) Whitaker, both natives of that state. The mother was of Cherokee descent and their marriage occurred before their removal to Indian Territory. For many years the father was engaged in the land business, also in farming, and he achieved substantial success. William T Whitaker’s education was mostly self acquired and at an early age he started out into the world on his own account. In 1871 he located in Tahlequah … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Rogers Bean

Person Interviewed: Nancy Rogers Bean Location: Hulbert, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Boggy Depot, Oklahoma Age: 82 I’m getting old and it’s easy to forget most of the happenings of slave days; anyway I was too little to know much about them, for my mammy told me I was born about six years before the war. My folks was on their way to Fort Gibson, and on the trip I was born at Boggy Depot, down in southern Oklahoma. There was a lot of us children; I got their names somewheres here. Yes, there was George, Sarah, Emma, Stella, Sylvia, Lucinda, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Margaret Humphreys

Humphreys, Margaret nee Woodall (See Hendricks)—Margaret Woodall, born July 18, 1866. Married at Tahlequah Nov. 24, 1909. James Humphreys, born in Monroe County, Tennessee in 1867. They are the parents of Roxis, born August 30, 1910; Harrison, born March 16, 1912; Eula, born June 10, 1914; and Virgil, born May 3, 1916. James Humphreys is a Mason and an Odd Fellow.