Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-21
ENORMOUS CHEROKEE CLAIM.
A Tract of sixty square Miles IN south
eastern Texas


eastern Texas
Certain members of the Cherokee
tribe of Indians propose pushing "A
claim 10 tract of valuable land in
Texas that may form the basis To a
lawsuit i'm the court of claims that will
rival the famous Maxwell land grant,
not only in the amount involved, but in
the question of the validity of II grant
based on the question of severe ignty
vested i'm the provisional government
of Texas before she was admitted To
the union.
II is a fact. little known outside the
Cherokee nation, says the st. Louis Re-
public. that certain members Of the
Cherokee tribe own in fee simple sixty
square miles of land lying in what now
constitutes the counties of Anderson,
Rusk and Cherokee, in southeastern
Texas the same being in the form of
land grant from the provisional govern
mcnt of Texas after her independence
from Mexico and before She was admit
ted 10 the union by an act of congress.
When sam Houston fled from Ten
nesSec while in the zenith Of his fame,
state and enjoying the luxury of new
" welded bliss, he for awhile hid him
self away among his old friends, tho
Chcrokces. in the wilds of the Indian
territory. lie took unto himself an
other wife from among the duslly
maidens and lived with her until her
death, which occurred about one year
after her marriage with the noted
Tennessecan.
Texas and Mexico were then in the
throes of revolution, and Houston, fired
with an enthusiasm of patriotic loyalty
for his oppressed countrymen, per-
suaded few of his Cherokee friends
about twenty in number-to 90 with
him To the aid Of Texas insurgents. The
result of his venture is already a mat
ter of history Houston won fame and
renown in the conflict and became the
first provisional governor of the Lone
Star state. Here hc exhibited his love
for his Cherokee friends, and no doubt
chcrishing an ambition of inducing the
entire tribe of Cherokees To emigrate
and settle in the country where he had
Won distinction. gave To his few follow
ers the tract Of land mentioned, with
the understanding that they should re-
turn 70 their friends in the Indian ter
ritory and cudeavor to induce general
emigration of the entire tribe. The
document conveying the grant was
properly made ont and signed and
sealed with the insignia of office of the
provisional governor of the state of
Texas.
The metes and bounds Of the grant
are fully defined by the meridians. and
granted in trust To twenty Cherokees,
their heirs and assigns forever. This
grant was dslivared To one of their
number for safe keeping and they re-
turned TO their brethren in the Indian
territory.
Time grew on apace. Other and more
pressing matters engaged the attention
of the Cherol1ees. They were striving
TO build themselves homes in the lands
allotted 10 them by the United States
government. aud the Texas land grant
was for years almost forgotten Hous-
ton was elected 70 the United States
senate. and in the multiform cares of
public life forgot the interests Of his
C4erokee frieuds
The grant Was lost or hidden, and
but one or two individuals knew of its
wherea bouts until recently. 1t is now
in the possession OF descendants of the
Texas refugee Cherol1ees, who are max
ing preparations 10 begin suit in the
court Of claims at Washington for an
amount almost too enormous TO readily
realize or estimate.