The Choctaw Freedmen

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Choctaw Freedmen, by Robert Elliott Flickinger

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Title: The Choctaw Freedmen and The Story of Oak Hill Industrial Academy
Author: Robert Elliott Flickinger
Release Date: November 4, 2007 [EBook #23321]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Marcia Brooks, Don Tvenge, African American Biographical Database and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

The Choctaw Freedmen
[Illustration: OAK HILL]
AN OAK TREE
On the southeastern slope, near the Academy, A pretty Oak, That strong and stalwart grows. With every changing wind that blows, is a beautiful emblem of the strength, beauty and eminent usefulness of an intelligent and noble man.
"He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon; like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season."
[Illustration: ALICE LEE ELLIOTT 1846-1906]

THE Choctaw Freedmen
AND
The Story of OAK HILL INDUSTRIAL ACADEMY Valliant, McCurtain County OKLAHOMA
Now Called the ALICE, LEE ELLIOTT MEMORIAL
Including the early History of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory the Presbytery of Kiamichi, Synod of Canadian, and the Bible in the Free Schools of the American Colonies, but suppressed in France, previous to the American and French Revolutions
BY ROBERT ELLIOTT FLICKINGER A Recent Superintendent of the Academy and Pastor of the Oak Hill Church
ILLUSTRATED BY 100 ENGRAVINGS
Under the Auspices of the PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF MISSIONS FOR FREEDMEN Pittsburgh, Pa.

ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS IN THE YEAR 1914 BY THE AUTHOR IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS AT WASHINGTON, D. C.
Journal and Times Press, Fonda, Iowa

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. GENERAL FACTS Introduction--List of Portraits
I Indian Territory 7
II Indian Schools and Churches 15
III The Bible, An Important Factor in Civilization 31
IV The American Negro 39
V Problem of the Freedman 46
VI Voices From the Black Belt 59
VII Uplifting Influences 65
VIII The Presbyterian Church 84
IX The Freedmen's Board 90
X Special Benefactors 96
II. OAK HILL INDUSTRIAL ACADEMY
XI Native Oak Hill School and Church 101
XII Era of Eliza Hartford 107
XIII Early Reminiscences 114
XIV Early Times at Forest 124
XV Era of Supt. James F. McBride 131
XVI Era of Rev. Edward G. Haymaker 134
XVII Buds of Promise 146
XVIII Closed in 1904 154
XIX Reopening and Organization 155
XX Prospectus in 1912 162
XXI Obligation and Pledges 169
XXII Bible Study and Memory Work 173
XXIII Decision Days 183
XXIV The Self-Help Department 185
XXV Industrial Education 196
XXVI Permanent Improvements 202
XXVII Elliott Hall 210
XXVIII Unfavorable Circumstances 216
XXIX Building the Temple 227
XXX Success Maxims and Good Suggestions 241
XXXI Rules and Wall Mottoes 259
XXXII Savings and Investments 272
XXXIII Normals and Chautauquas 275
XXXIV Graces and Prayers 279
XXXV Presbyterial Meetings and Picnics 282
XXXVI Farmer's Institutes 287
XXXVII The Apiary, Health Hints 294
XXXVIII Oak Hill Aid Society 300
XXXIX Tributes to Workers 308
XL Closing Day, 1912 325
III. THE PRESBYTERY AND SYNOD
XLI Presbytery of Kiamichi 335
XLII Histories of Churches 345
XLIII Parson Stewart 351
XLIV Wiley Homer 360
XLV Other Ministers and Elders 370
XLVI Synod of Canadian 382
IV. THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL
XLVII The Public School 391
XLVIII A Half Century of Bible Suppression in France 418
[Illustration: OAK HILL CHAPEL]
[Illustration: ELLIOTT HALL--1910]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Alice Lee Elliott Frontispiece
Elliott Hall 11
Choctaw Church and Court House 14
Alexander Reid, John Edwards 15
Biddle and Lincoln Universities 70
Rev. E. P. Cowan, Rev. John Gaston, Mrs. V. P. Boggs 91
Eliza Hartford, Anna Campbell, Rev. E. G. and Priscilla G. Haymaker 108
Girls Hall, Old Log House 109
Carrie and Mrs. M. E. Crowe, Anna and Mattie Hunter 116
James McGuire and others 117
Wiley Homer, William Butler, Stewart, Jones 148
Buds of Promise 149
Rev. and Mrs. R. E. Flickinger, Claypool, Ahrens, Eaton 160
Reopening, 1915, Flower Gatherers 192
Mary I. Weimer, Lou K. Early, Jo Lu Wolcott 193
Rev. and Mrs. Carroll, Hall, Buchanan, Folsom 224
Closing Day, 1912; Dr. Baird 225
Approved Fruits 256
Planting Sweet Potatoes and Arch 257
Orchestra, Sweepers, Going to School 274
Miss Weimer, Celestine, Coming Home 275
The Apiary; Feeding the Calves 294
Log House Burning, Pulling Stumps 298
Oak Hill in 1902, 1903 299
The Hen House, Pigpen 295
The Presbytery, Grant Chapel 352
Bridges, Bethel, Starks, Meadows, Colbert, Crabtree 353
Crittenden, Folsom, Butler, Stewart, Perkins, Arnold, Shoals, Johnson 378
Teachers in 1899, Harris, Brown 379
Representative Homes of the Choctaw Freedmen 406
The Sweet Potato Field 407

INTRODUCTION
"The pleasant books, that silently among Our household treasures take familiar places, Are to us, as if a living tongue Spake from the printed leaves, or pictured faces!"
The aim of the Author in preparing this volume has been to put in a form, convenient for preservation and future reference, a brief historical sketch of the work and workers connected with the founding and development of Oak Hill Industrial Academy, established for the benefit of the Freedmen of the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, by the Presbyterian church, U. S. A.,