Native American

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

The subject of this sketch was born June 15, 1854, in Wyandotte County, Kansas, third son of James Secondyne, who was chief of the Delaware tribe at the time of his death, in 1859. Simon’s mother was named Sallie Hill; she was a half-breed Delaware. Simon attended the Delaware Mission School until 1867, and then moved with his mother to the Cherokee Nation, where he again went to school in the district institutions until the age of nineteen, when he commenced farming and stock-raising, which business he still carries on. Simon married Miss Ruth Lyons, September 25, 1881, daughter of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born December 21, 1852, in Bedford County, Virginia, the oldest son of J. L. Harris, a well known citizen of that county. His mother was a Miss Elma Anthony, a Virginian. William attended public school until sixteen years of age, when he went to college at Jackson, Tenn. At the age of eighteen years he began the duties of a clerk in the State of Mississippi, and continued the same until twenty-two years of age, when he spent two years more bridge-building in different portions of the country. In 1880 he went west of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born August 18, 1855, at Park Hill, five miles south of Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, the youngest son of the well-known missionary, Rev. Stephen Foreman, and Sarah E. Reilly, a Cherokee. Austin was sent to the public schools until his thirteenth year, after which he went to Cane Hill College, Arkansas, where he spent five years. On leaving school he went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he studied medicine for three years, and in 1876 graduated at Louisville Medical College. In the same year he went to Virginia, where he remained about twelve months, afterwards settling … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born April 15, 1855, at Starrville, Texas, third son of John B. Clinkscales, a planter in South Carolina and Jane Kay. Albert obtained his literary education at the Academy of Starrville, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. W. H. Clement, of Mount Carmel, Tex., taking his first course in medicine at the Louisville Medical College, Kentucky. Returning to his medical preceptor, he practiced with him until the following fall, going from thence to Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where he received his diploma March 10, 1877. He then returned to Texas and practiced … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born March 14, 1866, in Washington County, Indiana, the oldest son of Rev. Joseph M. Berry, of North Carolina, and Miss J. Lockenborn, of German descent. Virgil attended the Peabody School, Arkansas, until nineteen years of age, when he went to Springfield, Mo., and there studied medicine for four years under Dr. L. Coon, of that place. Afterward he spent two years at the Medical Institute, Chicago (Cook County Hospital), where he graduated in the spring of 1891, going to Wagoner, I.T., where he is now practicing his profession. October 22, 1891, he married … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born at Caney Creek, near Tahlequah, May 24, 1869, the son of William Triplett, a half-breed, and Nannie Saunders, who was almost a full blood. Thomas, when quite young, attended a neighborhood school close to his birthplace until, moving to Tahlequah in 1878, he went to the public school for one year, after which, in 1879, he entered the national seminary, graduating and securing his B. A. under Professor Davis in 1886. On leaving the seminary, he was appointed for a while as deputy district clerk of the district of Tahlequah, but soon after … Read more

The subject of this sketch was the second son of Columbus Jackson and Virginia Appleberry. Wayman attended public school until he was thirteen years of age, when he went to the Baptist College, Louisiana, Missouri, for one year, and from there to the Morgan H. Luney Male School, at Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he remained eighteen months, finishing his education after a two years’ sojourn at the Arkansas State University. Leaving this institute in 1874, he spent one year in Texas, after which he commenced the study of law at Fayetteville, at A. M. Wilson’s office (Wilson is a member of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born at Elk Creek, south of Muskogee, in 1845, and is the eldest son of Elijah Grayson and Louina Scott. In 1853 he was sent to Asberry Mission, and remained there until the outbreak of the war, joining the Confederate service in 1863. In 1865 he married Mary Elizabeth Steward, second daughter of R. W. Steward, a white man who had come from Kentucky to this country in 1844. By this marriage he had six children, only one of whom has survived, named Charley Coleman, born December 1873. His wife dying in January, 1879, … Read more

The subject of this sketch is the wife of John Thompson Adair, recently deceased, whose portrait and biography will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Penelope Adair is the daughter of Jesse Mayfield, of South Carolina, who married Sarah, daughter of Caleb Starr, of Tennessee. Her parents emigrated to this nation in 1839 with the Bushyhead detachment. In January 1840, Penelope Mayfield married John Thompson Adair, and they settled near Tulu, Washington County, Arkansas, near the Indian Territory line, beside the present family home. Mrs. Adair had a family of nine children, two having died in infancy. Her oldest … Read more

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

The subject of this sketch was born November 14, 1833, in Jackson County, Mississippi, the fourth son of William Gray, of that place. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Frash. Valentine was sent to the public school until he was seventeen years of age. In 1852 he emigrated to California, where he became a farmer and stock-raiser. Here he remained seventeen years, coming east to Chouteau, I.T., in 1869, where he again embarked in stock raising and agriculture, and still continues the business. In 1875 he entered the mercantile and milling business, and after three years’ experience disposed of … Read more

Pilot Grayson was born in 1852, within two miles of Eufaula, son of James Grayson, of the Creek Nation. It was not until the close of the war that Pilot began attending the neighborhood school, which he continued for the space of two years, moving from thence to Cane Hill College, Arkansas, where he remained several sessions. Returning home, he afterward went to Howard College, Alabama, where he spent one session, and from thence went to La Grange College, Missouri, where he continued his studies for two years, and thus completed his education. Pilot commenced life in the capacity of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in 1849, the second son of James Grayson and Jane Wynne, daughter of John Wynne, a Georgian. When eight years of age Sam was sent to the Asberry Mission School, where he remained four years. In 1860 his father died, and when the war broke out, Sam, with his mother, brothers and sisters, joined the Creek refugees and settled on Red River until the war cloud passed over, returning to Eufaula in 1865. In 1868 he went to Cane Hill College, Arkansas, and there remained three terms; but, his health failing, he was … Read more

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

The subject of this sketch was born January 12, 1856, near Rockville, Connecticut, and came West about the outbreak of the Civil War, where he has ever since remained. The greater portion of Mr. Milford’s life has been spent in newspaper offices, and he bears the reputation of being a first-class newspaper man, whether in his connection with daily or weekly newspapers. In 1884 he was induced to abandon his work on a daily paper published in Topeka, Kansas, and instead, to assume the business management of the Indian Chieftain, published by a stock company, at Vinita; and since that … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born March 10, 1847, near Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, third son of O. W. Lipe, of Fort Gibson. His mother was a Miss Gunter, daughter of John Gunter, a citizen by marriage, and once owner of the town of Guntersville, on the Tennessee River, in Alabama. Clark Lipe attended the public schools until he was fifteen years of age. After the outbreak of the war, he joined the Confederate army (in 1864), and continued in the service until its close. After much difficulty he at last succeeded in bringing together his father’s family, the members … Read more

Robert Willlis Julian was born May 31, 1871, in Forsythe County, Georgia, son of R. M. Julian, owner of the Chattahoochee mines and one of the gold mines near Marietta (same State), in which John Winters is part proprietor. Robert’s mother was a Miss Susan Willis, daughter of Captain Priestly Willis, of Dawson County, Georgia, a descendant of the Doherty family, the issue of the first white man that ever married a Cherokee. Robert first attended school at Ringgold, Murray County, Georgia, for one year, after which he was a pupil in the public institutions at Marietta, Shylo and Bethlehem, … Read more

The well-known Lucien B. (otherwise Hooley) Bell was born February 13, 1838, in Habersham County, Georgia, the son of John A. Bell and Jane Martin, daughter of John Martin, first chief justice of the Cherokee Nation. Lucien was first sent to school at Ozark Institute, where, after some time, his health and eyesight failing, he was obliged to leave and sojourn for a while in Rusk County, Texas. Recovering his health in 1856, he entered college at Cane Hill, Arkansas, and there remained until 1858, and at the age of twenty he married. In 1861 he joined the Confederate service, … Read more