The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-11-04
JOHNSTON COUNTY WILL
USE FOR COURTHOUSE
Romantic incidents in History
Of Tribe Connected
ylih Structure

sum of $500 the county Of Johnston
has acquired the Old Chiekasha Cap.
itol building and five acres of land
surrounding it for county court
house. approval OF the transfer having
been given by the interior department
in washington. Chickasaw Indians 10
Gated their seat Of government at
( Tishomingo over half century ago,
erecting first a brick building and re-
placing II in 1898 with one of Tishos
mingo granite, great quaniities Jif
which are found in the hills that bank
either shore OF Pennington creek Cost
of the present building was about Sl7s
000
The old Capitol, its location and
naming of the spot occupy illustrious
places In the romantic history of the
Chickasaw people. For many ears the
Choctaws and Chickasaws. who had
always been on friendly terms. owned
Jointly, or in common with all member
ot the tribes, all the land embraced
within the strip bounded on the cas-
by Arkansas, on the south by Red iiv
er, on the north by Canadian river and
west up the Canadian TO it's source.
Grant OF this territory was made to
( the Choctaws In a treaty with the
United states censummated Oct. is.
1920, conditioned upon the Indians re.
I linquishing their holdings in the South
eastern states. In the treaty negotla-
tions the United States was repre-
sented by Gen. Andrew Jackson ana
Gen Kinds for the Indians was
Fushmataha, one Of the most illus
tfious Of his people.
Ownership Was Disputed.
Pushmataha had travelled every foot
of the territory In question and knew
that the source of the Canadian lay
to the northwest where Colorado now
appears on the map, whereas Gen
Jackson knew practically nothing OF
the area or its limits, This was prior
to the Texas war for independence
and Pushmataha further knew that
some OF the territory the Uniteu
states did not own. The indian diplo-
mat told Gen Jackson he was trying
TO exenange territory claimed by Mex
leo and that the United States would
be unable to deliver rs undisputed
possession 10 the Indians
Indian history such as there is pre-.
, served. tells that the old general pound
ed log with mis- elinehed hand. re-
, marking: BY the eternals, if IL Is nov
right we will make IL right.
foot note was then added 10 the
ieaty that the undisputed possession
should 60 as far as the United States
anVId laaoIis. haafrut ...hfoh hannau...l
, 70 be 100 degrees west from Green
wlch. or the present line between Ok
Iahoma and the Texas Panhandle. The
area included what Is now the coun-
ties OF Roger Mills, Custer. Beckham.
Washita. Caddo, Greer, Harmon, Jack.
, son, Comanehe. Tillman and western
/ strips Of Grady. stephens and Jeffes
son. Subsequent 70 this treaty, and
! uron their removal to the West. the
chickasaws bought from their neigh
b0rs the Choctaws, an equal interest
IN all their property In 1866 the Fed
era government wanted district
wherein to locate the affiliated bands
81 plains Indians and negotiated with
the twin tribes for all their land west
OF The ninety-elghth meridian. embrac
ing about 10000. 900 acres. the mert
dian being what was the Western
boundary OF Indian Territory at the
time OF statehood.
Government Claims TO have Purchased
Instead OF drawing the papers foi
ninety-nine-year lease, as the In.
dians claim they were sed to believe
The Governments commissioners made
a. l.il f.fF Fat Ilts 1l4f. tsf Ia.
document The Government was to
have possession for the sum OF S3e0.
00n and further, that the Choctaws
and Chickasaws were TO adopt the
negro and give TO each within two
years foftH-aere allotments. When
the record revealed the transfer to be
in form OF deed the tribes were told
their lands had been confiscated be.
ceuse they had allied themselves with
the C0nfederacy during the Civil war
Appeal was made 20 the supreme court
but permission was deuled the Indians
20 go behind the deed - show intent
OF the transfer. he court admitting
however The Indians had not been
paid what their property was worth
Steps were taken 10 recover payment
on the basis of si25 per acre
In obedience 10 the treaty the Choc
laws adopted the freedmen. which
Amounted IT the time the last rolls
were made for allotment 10 something
like 5eo0 Chickasaws refused to ADOPT
the negro. but wefe forced into a
treaty 10 grant the negro forty acres
with right reserved to contest the
lain in the United States court o.
nlaims with anpeal to the supreme
court
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