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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date:
Name: James Culberson
Post Office: Durant, Oklahoma
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Father:
Place of Birth:
Information on father:
Mother:
Place of birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker:
 
The first money that was ever put out, that all the Indians shared was in 1893. When certain that Congress was going to get money distributed, the Choctaw Government appointed three men in each county to take the census of the Choctaw and inter-married citizens. When the census was taken, all these names were listed and a complete roll made of all Choctaws and inter-married citizens, and an alphabetical list prepared. I helped to prepare this list. We worked at the home of Green MCCURTAIN. George SCOTT, D. C. McCurtain, and Mr. BOND also helped. Mr. McCurtain was living at Sans Bois in Haskell County.

After the list was prepared in alphabetical order the distribution of money was made under authority of Treasurer Green McCurtain and each Indian received $103.00. Times and places were set in different counties for payments to be made. Treasurer McCurtain went there with a number of clerks and made payments. The first payment was made in Atoka. We went there and camped, staying two weeks. We paid off one thousand Indians in that area. The next was at North McAlester; we stayed there two days and paid off hundreds of Indians. Then we went on to Wilburton for three days, paying off several thousand Indians.

We then went on the train to Goodland, shipping our horses and saddles. From there we rode our horses to Alikchi, a place miles off the railroad. We had given a notice in advance that we would be there at a certain time and the town was crowded. We had our own camp tents with us, also a cooking crew. We carried thousands of dollars in money with us, as many Indians would not accept checks, demanding the cash. Banks were so far away that they did not want to have to travel to get a check cashed. We had twenty-five armed guards and spent three days there.

When we arrived at Alikchi, there were about three thousand Indians to meet us. The first day we paid out $150,000.00. There were all kinds of people waiting there for us for it was the first payment and they had never had anything like it before. Alikchi was a settlement of full-blood Indians. One clerk was sent on from there to Eagletown to pay off some Indians.

Then the most of us came back to Tuskahoma. Quite a number were waiting for us there. We paid them off at the old Sugar Loaf County Courthouse, situated out in the country. We paid out $2,250,000.00. It took us three months to pay it out. We had no loss or trouble during this payment. We made our trips through the country, traveling horseback and by buggy. We camped out at night and had our own provisions with us. Clerks had the hardest work to do; we worked every night, and had to be very careful to keep our accounts correct. Sans Bois was the place where we made the last payment. Indians who had missed us at other places came there to be paid.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by NAME <CindyYoung@aol.com> 12-1999.