Dan Scott, a three quarter Cherokee, was born in Flint District,
Cherokee Nation, July l, 1872. His parents were Liver Scott a half-breed
Cherokee* and Polly Hughes , a Full-Blood.
The family consisted of Huckleberry, Dan and Peggie of the Liver
children.* Isaac HUMMINGBIRD, Charlotte Hummingbird and Nancy STARR were half
brothers and sisters.
EARLY LIFE
Scott was born about a mile north of present town of Stilwell, now the
county seat of Adair County. The Kansas City Southern Railroad has built a
great lake on the premises on which he was born, He grew to manhood on this
small farm of about twenty acres. But at that time his father was considered a
wealthy man. He owned several head of cattle all the time. He usually raised
all the food that the family consumed on this farm. The principal crop on the
place was corn. They raised plenty of hogs in this part of the country.
EDUCATION
Scott did not receive any education because he was an old timer. He did
not believe in an education. He was a believer that education taught the
Cherokees crookedness. Therefore he was not forced to go to school. He did not
even learn to read or write his name. He was taught to write his name after he
married. His mother made him go to school one time he remembers. When the bell
rang, it scared him and he ran home. He never went any more. There were two
schools near their home. These were the Fairfield and New Hope schools.
CHURCH
The earliest church established in this community was the Fairfield
church. When Dan Scott was a small boy this was already a well organized
church. The right date is not known when this church was established but the
oldest church in this part of the Cherokee Nation was the Antioch church which
was located on Peavine Creek, about five miles north of the town of Stilwell.
The Fairfield church in the early days was composed of several active
workers. Among them were Jim Fishinghawk, Jackson REDBIRD, J. H. GRITTS and
the Reverend SHELL was the pastor at that time.
The church was located about one hundred yards south of the lake known
as the Pump Pond on the K. C. S. Railroad. It was made of wood. The community
at that time was not thickly settled. This church building was also used for a
school. Bill GOTT taught school in this building.
TRADING AND MILLING POINTS
Evansville, Arkansas, was their main trading and milling point. Sometime
later a small store was established at the end of the prairie, south of where
they lived; Henry DANNENBERG operated this store. After the railroad was
built, this store was moved to about where the Christian Church is now in
Stilwell. At that time Stilwell was a prairie and some parts of the town were
mud holes.
Most of the Cherokees then did their trading at Henry Dannenberg's
store. Later, they established a post office at this place. The land on which
Stilwell now stands belonged at one time to Henry Dannenberg, Ben FREEMAN and
Liver Scott.
NEWSPAPERS
After the post office was established at Stilwell, a mail carrier from
Tahlequah would come twice a week to deliver the mail to the Dannenberg store.
He went to Evansville. The "Cherokee Advocate" was printed at
Tahlequah. This newspaper was the first printed matter that most of the
Cherokees had ever seen.
About letters, the Cherokees did not communicate with one another by
letter. This paper was printed both in English and Cherokee.
DAWES COMMISSION
This was a committee that visited the Cherokees to make up the rolls for
allotment. They stationed a man at Dave Muskrat's on Step Mountain for the
Cherokees in this part of the country. His name has been changed four times.
His first name was Foster Scott, later Kennie, Ovadi and at the time of the
Dawes Commission he was called Dan which is his name now.*
CIVIL WAR
Dan's father was a Union soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted and was
stationed for a long time at Fort Gibson. He was in the battle of Bentonville,
Arkansas. He never fought in what is now Adair County.
BATTLEFIELDS
There were battles fought at two places within three miles of the place
where Dan was raised. One was fought at the Eli Scotts Springs which is about
two miles northwest of Stilwell and another was fought where Jim NEFF's place
is now, near the Maryetta School.
SECRET SOCIETIES
At that time when Dan Scott was a small boy there was only one secret
society among the Cherokees and that was the Kee-Too-Wah Society. This
organization started back in the old country. Dan Scott's father was a strong
believer in this society. Dan was taken to their meetings while still very
young.
He was also taught what that organization was for. The meeting place of
these old timers was up the hollow from where Jack SOAP's home was at that
time. That would be about four miles northeast of Stilwell now. When he first
went, he was still small. He remembers that Dave HITCHER was the man that made
the talk at this meeting. It was a secret organization at that time. But now
they hold open meetings.
ALLOTMENT
The Scotts were in favor of the allotment; they were the only Cherokees
in this community who belonged to the National Party who favored this law.
Most of the Nationals were against the allotment.
Submitted to OKGenWeb by Sandi Garrett
cwydrw@sstelco.com Aug 2000.
[*Notes from Sandi:
This is our
Cherokee Nation Chief, Chad Smith's wife Bobbi Gail Scott's grandfather, which
she is a cousin to me. Also this is was printed in the "Goingsnake
Messenger" when I submitted it and the Scott line.
*After visiting the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in
Tahlequah, OK. I have become aware Liver was a full blood. Liver could speak
both Cherokee & French and was more than likely a translator.
*Why Columbus French Scott was not mentioned as his brother bothered me
at first. In my research I knew French had killed a man and had gone to North
Carolina, when he returned home he was sentenced to a year in prison. Also,
Dan's second wife was a daughter of Ned CHRISTIE. He may have decided it was
not best to rekindle any grudges that may still be around. From the 1883 roll
for French it was recorded as Polly being his legal guardian. All other
documents stated he is a son or testified his parents were Liver & Polly.
*Dan was also listed as Obediah, Kinney & Daniel.
*The names mentioned in the interview are well known in our family line.
The Gott's are relation on my grandmother Kate CARDEN's side &
Dannenberg's on both of my grandparents line.
The Scott name is still prominent in Indian Territory Oklahoma &
many other State's. I will be happy to share information or answer questions,
if I can. You may reach me by e-mail: