Native American

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

William H. Davis, familiarly known as “Kinney” Davis, was born in the Flint District, April 8, 1838, the son of William A. Davis, M. D., a Virginian of Welsh and Irish descent, and Mary Burns, daughter of Arthur Burns, who married a Lowry. Dr. Wm. A. Davis was one of the delegates that made the Ridge treaty, and happened to be present at the killing of John Ridge, being called upon in his professional capacity to attend Mrs. Ridge, who was then in bad health. Kinney’s father settled in Flint district in 1838, where the subject of this sketch attended … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in Tahlequah District, September 1857, the son of Johnson Parris and Delilah Chicken, both half-breeds. After having received his education in the Illinois district schools, he was appointed deputy sheriff under R. M. French at the national prison, which office he retained three years. In 1880 he entered the business establishment of W. T. Rasmus, at Tahlequah, and there remained until 1884, when he was employed by Messrs. Smith & French for two years, and later by John A. French (after the dissolution of the firm) for three years. Mr. Parris then went … Read more

Born in February 1848, at the old Creek agency, the eldest son of William Adams, by Hepsie Perryman, niece of Louis Perryman, Thomas first attended school at Tallahassee Mission, in 1852, and, later, moved to Asberry Mission. In 1861 he married Miss Mahalya Grayson, daughter of Betsy Grayson. During the war he was detailed by the Federal government to the commissary department as distributor of beef to the various camps. In 1866, when the war ended, he was elected to the House of Warriors, which office he has held until the present, over twenty-five years. Few, if any members, of … Read more

Joseph Heinrichs was born February 15, 1851, at Nord Keichen, Westphalia, Germany, the youngest son of Everhart Heinrichs. Joseph came to the United States in 1867, landing at New York, from whence he traveled south until he arrived at Little Rock, Arkansas, where he remained for a short time. Leaving there he went to Fort Smith, the home of his brother and sister, and in that town started in the shoemaking business as an apprentice. Serving three years he returned to Little Rock in 1871 and worked his trade for nine months, when he went to Tahlequah, Indian Territory, and … Read more

George A. Alexander was born in March 1842, the eldest son of James Alexander, who moved to the Creek Nation with the first general emigration, and was forage master for the Indians on their trip to this country. At the time of his death he was clerk of the council and correspondent for his people. George Abner’s mother was half-blood Creek, of the Jacob family. George received the additional name of Abner at the particular request of Mr. Abner, a general merchant, located in the Creek Nation close to where Alexander had made his home. The subject of our sketch … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born June 8th, 1866, at Tahlequah, being third son of John L. Adair, of that town. John L., Jr., began attending the Indian University in 1879, and after three years, went to the Male Seminary at Tahlequah, where he remained four years. On leaving there he devoted his time for three years to assisting his mother in the post office, after which he entered his father’s business house as clerk, in March 1890. In 1891 he was appointed district clerk, to fill the vacancy left on the death of Allen Ross, which office he … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born September 10, 1846, at New Orleans, La., the third son of Nathaniel H. Nash and Sarah Jane Smelser. William attended school in New Orleans until he was thirteen, when he went to Fort Gibson in 1861, and the year following went to New York, returning to Fort Gibson in 1864. In 1884 he embarked in the mercantile business, and in the January of 1878 married Miss T. Thompson, daughter of Richard Thompson, a prominent Cherokee. By this marriage they have three children (living), Carla A., born November 1880; Bertha M., born December 1884, … Read more

Almon C. Bacone, A.M., President of the Indian University, was born in Scott, Cortland County, N.J., April 25, 1830. His early days were spent on a farm, but his father dying, and the young man’s health and strength rendering him unfitted for physical labor, he walked to the village of Cortland at the age of fifteen and sought occupation in a tailor shop. During three years spent at this place, he acquired a keen desire for education, and moving to the village of Homer, became a student in the Cortland Academy. During his early studentship he was forced to labor … Read more

The subject of this sketch, George W. Grayson, was born in 1843, within four miles of Eufaula, Creek Nation. He is a son of the late James Grayson and Jennie Wynn, a half-breed Creek. The original name of Grayson was Grierson, having become corrupted in some unaccountable manner. The original Grierson was a Scotchman, reputed to have come from the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. He married a Creek woman of the Hillabee Town, who bore him several children, among whom was the grand-parent of the subject of our sketch. George W. was the first-born of his family, and his parents, … Read more

Judge James M. Keys was born March 25, 1845, son of Louis Keys, who came from the old State in 1828 and settled on the Illinois River near Tahlequah. His mother was Catherine McDaniels, daughter to James McDaniels, of Irish descent. William Keys, the grandfather to James M., was a United States citizen of Scotch-Irish blood. James was educated at the Tahlequah schools, and at sixteen years of age enlisted in Captain Tennent’s company, Fourth Arkansas, serving three months and twenty days, when he joined Stand Watie’s First Cherokee Regiment, and remained with them until the termination of the war. … Read more

Ellis M. Alberty was born May 4, 1854, in Going Snake district, the son of Moses Alberty (a Georgian, who settled in this nation in 1832) and Elizabeth Buffington, daughter of Ellis Buffington. Ellis, while but six years of age, commenced attending school at Prairie Grove, but after the outbreak of the war refugeed with his parents near Goodwater, Choctaw Nation. Here Ellis visited the mission school off and on until 1866, when his family returned to the home place in Going Snake district. At the Baptist Mission in this district Ellis completed his education. On June 14, 1874, he … Read more

Leroy L. Crutchfield was born in Collin County, Texas, October 25, 1844, second son of John Crutchfield, from Alabama, who married Miss Mary E. Ladd, of Tennessee. Leroy attended private schools till 1861, when he entered the Confederate service joining the Fifteenth Texas Calvary, under Col. G. H. Sweet, and was in continual service till the close of the war. IN 1870 he went into the cattle business with his father, and was then elected sheriff of “Jack” County, in which capacity he served five years. Afterward he engaged in merchandise in Jacksborough, and continued it till November 1887, when … Read more

D. N. McIntosh was born near Newnham, Georgia, September 20, 1822, the son of William McIntosh, a half-breed Scot and Creek Indian. The subject of our sketch moved to this country when eight years old with the third emigration, in 1830, and settled on the Verdigris River. He was educated at Smith’s Institute, Kentucky, and left there at the age of eighteen, in the year 1841. At this period the Creek Nation was composed of two districts, each district governed by a chief, who jointly presided at the general council. Young McIntosh, notwithstanding his youth, was appointed clerk of the … Read more

James M. Boling was born January 31, 1856, the eldest son of R. J. Boling, at one time a prominent merchant in Cherokee County, Georgia. James entered the North Georgian Agricultural College, Dahlonega, North Georgia, at the age of twenty, and after a year and a half or two years’ attendance, entered college at Amherst, Virginia, where he remained one year. In 1884 he attended the Georgia Medical College, graduating from there in 1886. Commencing the practice of medicine immediately at Kensington, Georgia, he continued at that point for four years, moving to Claremore, Cherokee Nation (his present home), in … Read more

Cap L. Lane was born November 26, 1867, at Clarksville, Texas, the only son of Dr. R. G. Lane, of Clarksville. His mother was a daughter of Cap Lane, a well-known farmer of North Texas. After attending school until the age of fifteen, the subject of this sketch entered the Kamper Family School, of Booneville, where at the end of three years he graduated, and returned to his home. Here he entered the drug business, and remained three years working for L. H. Galberg, when in May, 1888, he moved to Chelsea, Cherokee Nation, and opened a drug business of … Read more

John Henry Covel was born July 18, 1848, close to the national capital. He is son of the late Caleb Covel of Massachusetts, who came to Park Hill with the missionaries at an early date. His mother was Eliza Turtle, whose relatives were prominent in the old State. Henry was sent by his mother to the Illinois district to learn Cherokee (soon after the death of his father), and during a term of eight years attended the neighborhood schools. When the war broke out he accompanied a party of Cherokees going south, and traveled as far as Red River, where … Read more

W. N. Jones, the present chief of the Choctaws, was born in Mississippi in 1831, and is the youngest son of Nathaniel Jones, who emigrated to the Choctaw Nation in 1833. Nathaniel Jones was annuity captain, and served later as a member of the legislature at the early councils. The subject of our sketch belongs to the Ok-la-fa-lay-a clan. In 1849 he commenced farming without any capital whatever. The results were very limited for the first few years, but he soon accumulated enough to secure a fair start. He succeeded so far as to be in a position to open … Read more

F. M. Connor was born near Joplin, Missouri, March 29, 1852, the son of William Connor (a farmer, mill-wright and mechanic,) and Drucilla Davis. His grandfather, Caleb Connor, was one of the first settlers in Indiana. When but five years old, the subject of this sketch accompanied his father to the Cherokee Nation, settling on Grand River, Delaware district, in 1857. He was partly educated at Asberry Mission, in the Creek Nation, but his parents dying in 1868 and in 1870, he was forced to take care of himself at an early age. In 1871, when only eighteen years old, … Read more