The Choctaw Freedmen Part 54

When they were accorded their freedom about the year 1865, they chose their permanent location in the Oak Hill neighborhood, about fifteen miles eastward. Parson Stewart followed them, and began to hold occasional services at the home of Henry Crittenden. He became the first elder of the Oak Hill church, when it was organized in 1869, and during the remaining 25 years of his life rendered a zealous and faithful service.

Henry Crittenden enjoyed the reputation of being a "master mechanic."

During the slavery period, he was trained as a blacksmith, tinsmith and carpenter, and later acquired the art of repairing jewelry. Soon after he located on the Crittenden land, he built a shop. His intelligence and skill as a workman enabled him to attract customers from long distances.

He was industrious and economical, and acc.u.mulated savings more rapidly than any of his neighbors.

He was a firm believer in the Bible and a regular attendant at church.

He encouraged the establishment of the Oak Hill Sunday school, of which J. Ross Shoals, his son-in-law in 1875, became the first teacher. He furnished most of the materials for the first frame school house in the Oak Hill district in 1878, and in 1887, when it was used in the erection of a larger building near the "Old Log House" and since known as Oak Hill Academy, he covered the deficit on the building estimated at $100.00.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HENRY CRITTENDEN]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SIMON FOLSOM]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ELIJAH BUTLER]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. PERKINS STEWART]

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. C. L. PERKINS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. R. D. ARNOLD]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHNSON W. SHOALS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JAMES G. SHOALS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ISAAC JOHNSON]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MATT AND MRS. BROWN]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE TEACHERS, 1899 Photo by Mottle Hunter]

He and Parson Stewart were the most influential of the Choctaw Freedmen, in securing the establishment of Oak Hill Academy, as a training school for teachers. He manifested his joy, not only on the day of its lowly establishment by Miss Hartford in February 1886, but at every successive enlargement of its work, while he lived. He knew better, than many of his fellow Freedmen, the value of youthful training, and was enthusiastic in his zeal, to have every family far and near take advantage of its open door. An early teacher, who frequently heard him, writes: "He was a dear, good old man, a remarkable man in many ways. His ability to read was quite limited, but his voice was splendid for service in meetings."

Teena Crittenden, his amiable wife, was as industrious and frugal in the home, as her husband, in the shop and on the farm. She was a devout christian, one that loved the Bible and enjoyed the privilege of having a place at the meeting for prayer. She died at 67 in 1898, having outlived her husband four years.

John Ross Shoals, in addition to the Sabbath afternoon meetings at Doaksville, took some additional night work, that fitted him to become the first Sunday school teacher in the Oak Hill neighborhood in 1875, and an efficient elder in the church. He died at 36 in 1885, leaving to Hattie, his wife, the responsibility of raising and educating a family of nine children.

Hattie Crittenden Shoals inherited the industrious and religious traits of her parents, in or near whose home she always lived. She surpa.s.sed many of her people, in the intelligent forethought she manifested in all her plans, and in the ability to exercise a correct judgment of men and conditions.

"I mean to have my children begin life, at a higher step than I did."

This was an ambition oft expressed in the presence of her children. She succeeded in giving all of them a good education, by sending them first to Oak Hill and then to other inst.i.tutions, including Biddle university, Scotia Seminary, Tuskeegee and the Iowa State Agricultural college.

SIMON FOLSOM

Simon Folsom, one of the first elders of the Forest Presbyterian church is now one of the oldest living representatives of the slavery period.

Nancy Brashears, his third and present wife, enjoys the distinction of having been the most influential of the early leaders in effecting the organization of that church. He became an elder in 1887. After twenty-six years of faithful service under very unfavorable circ.u.mstances, he is still trying "to hold up for the faith."

In 1901 he enjoyed the privilege of being one of the commissioners of the Presbytery of Kiamichi, and attended the meeting of the General a.s.sembly in Philadelphia. Many of the good things heard and fine impressions received on that occasion, have never been forgotten, and they have furnished him interesting themes, for many subsequent addresses. Though unable to read, he quotes the Bible as one very familiar with that sacred book. He inherited a good memory, that serves him well in public address, and he is always happy and ready when it comes his turn to "speak in meeting." His messages are always notes of joy and gladness, and the ebb and flow of his voice in prayer often seem like the chanting of a sacred melody.

He was an ardent supporter of the Oak Hill school and two of his sons, Samuel and David, both now deceased, were among the brightest and most promising, that have attended that inst.i.tution. He has been for many years the coffin maker, for the people of his community, and both of these boys became skilled carpenters. Samuel, after completing the grammar course at Oak Hill, spent two years 1903-5 at Biddle University and served one year as a teacher at Oak Hill. His skill as a workman and ability to serve as a foreman of the carpenters, made it possible for the superintendent in 1910, to erect Elliott Hall by the labor of the students and patrons of the Academy. Both worked faithfully on this building and died soon after its completion, during the early months of 1912. Both were members and Samuel an elder of the Oak Hill church.[3]

ELIJAH BUTLER

Elijah Butler, Lukfata, was an uncle of Rev. William Butler. He was one of the early leaders in christian work in what is now the northeast part of McCurtain county. In 1878, when St. Paul church was organized at Eagletown, he was ordained as one of its first elders, and became an active christian worker. A few years later he moved to Lukfata, and when the Presbyterian church of that locality was organized, July 26, 1885, he and his son, Elisha Butler, were chosen as two of the first elders of that church.

Elijah Butler, like Apollos of old, was a man, "fervent in spirit," and was teaching others of the people, what he knew of G.o.d and the Bible, when Parson Stewart first visited the Lukfata neighborhood. His zeal and faithfulness, in magnifying the call of G.o.d to him to be a christian leader among his people, suggested to them the propriety of naming their church, at the time of its organization "Mount Gilead," the home of the prophet, Elijah, in his honor. As an elder and christian worker, he "kept the faith" and "finished his course with joy."

[3] Simon died May 17, 1914.

XLVI

THE SYNOD OF CANADIAN

FIRST MEETING AT OKLAHOMA.--SECOND AT OAK HILL.--AT GARVIN IN 1912.--AN UNINTENTIONAL INJUSTICE.--GRATEFUL RECOGNITION.--WOMEN'S SYNODICAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY.--DEPENDENT CONDITION OF THE CHURCHES.--UNSYMPATHETIC ISOLATION.--EDUCATIONAL INSt.i.tUTIONS.--POPULAR MEETINGS.

"Christ loved the church and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the was.h.i.+ng of water by the word. That he might present it unto himself a glorious church."--Paul.

CONSt.i.tUTED IN 1907

The following is the enabling act of the General a.s.sembly at Columbus, Ohio, May 24, 1907, establis.h.i.+ng the synod of Canadian, to consist of the colored Presbyterian ministers and churches in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

IT IS HEREBY ENACTED BY THE GENERAL a.s.sEMBLY

"That the Synod of Canadian is hereby erected and const.i.tuted, to consist of the Presbyteries of White River, Kiamichi and Rendall; and the synod of Canadian, as thus const.i.tuted, shall meet in the meeting place of the First Colored Presbyterian congregation in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, the 8th day of October, 1907, at 7:30 o'clock p.m.; that the Rev. W. L. Bethel shall preside until the election of a Moderator, that the Rev. W. D. Feaster preach the opening sermon and that elder J. H. A. Brazleton act as temporary clerk, until the election of a stated and permanent clerk."

The a.s.sembly at this time enlarged the boundary of the Presbytery of Kiamichi so as to include the south half of the state of Oklahoma and established the Presbytery of Kendall to include the north half of it, the Canadian river, and below its mouth the Arkansas river, forming the boundary line between them.

It also enlarged the boundary of White River Presbytery to include all the colored Presbyterian ministers and churches in the synod, or state, of Arkansas.

FIRST MEETING AT OKLAHOMA

The first meeting of the synod of Canadian, was held in the colored Methodist church of Oklahoma City. The Presbytery of Kiamichi was represented by 3 ministers and one elder, namely, Rev. R. E. Flickinger, and Elder Jack A. Thomas, representing Oak Hill church at Valliant, Rev.

W. H. Carroll, Garvin, and Rev. T. K. Bridges, Lukfata.

The Presbytery of Rendall was represented by Rev. W. L. Bethel of Oklahoma, who served as moderator, John S. May of Watonga; William T.

Wilson, Reevesville; Oscar A. Williams, M. D. Okmulgee; Samuel J. Grier, Guthrie; and elder J. H. A. Brazleton of Oklahoma, who served as temporary clerk.

The Presbytery of White River was not represented by any ministers or elders.

The Oak Hill church was also represented by Miss Malinda A. Hall, representing the Women's Missionary and Christian Endeavor societies, and by Solomon H. Buchanan, representing the Sunday school and Oak Hill Aid society.

At the first meeting, held on Tuesday evening, Oct. 8th, a special address was delivered by Rev. William A. Provine, D. D., representing the Board of Publication of the c.u.mberland Presbyterian church at Nashville, Tennessee. Another visitor, who was present with him at this first meeting, also delivered a short address in behalf of the cause he represented.