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Updated:
24 Jul 2009
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Frederick B. Severs,
the subject of this sketch, born August 13, 1835, in Washington
County, Ark., the only son of Charles J. Severs and his wife,
Basima T. Ballard. His father was from Tennessee and his mother
from South Carolina. She was related to the Rutledges, Pinckneys
and Austins, families of considerable prominence in that State,
their record dating back to Revolutionary days. His father,
Charles J. Severs, moved to Arkansas, then a Territory, in 1834.
Frederick attended school in his father's neighborhood until he
was about fifteen years old, when he went to Cane Hill College,
Boonsborough, Ark. He remained at college two years, after which
time he returned home, and assisted his father in conducting the
farm. In his eighteenth year he entered commercial life at Fort
Gibson, in the Cherokee Nation, under the auspices of W. C.
Dickson, an old time friend of his father's, and a prominent
merchant, who volunteered to instruct Frederick in mercantile
affairs. He remained with Mr. Dickson four years, when he
returned to his home in Arkansas, where he remained but a short
time. He was requested to come to Concharty Town in the Creek
Nation to take charge of a school, which school (as all then
were) was under the control of the United States Indian Agent,
who, being greatly interested in the education of the Creeks,
secured the services of Mr. Severs, who, although young, was
highly esteemed by the agent, and by him deemed competent and
qualified to assume that responsible charge. Mr. Severs here
first formed the acquaintance of Miss Annie Anderson, the
present Mrs. Severs, whose father was George Anderson, the king
of Concharty Town, and also second chief of the Creek Nation.
Miss Anderson was a highly educated young lady, gifted with
considerable personal beauty and mental attainments of the
highest order, and possessing all the attributes that make up a
lovable character. Miss Anderson was favorably known throughout
the Creek Nation, as taking a deep interest in the educational
advancement of the Concharty people, among whom she taught
school for several years, and until she married. She was
educated at Tallahassee Mission, which school was conducted by
the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions; Rev. R. M.
Loughridge was superintendent and Rev. W. S. Robertson was
principal, at that time his wife (Mrs. A. E. W. Robertson) was
principal teacher, she is now an aged lady, living in Muskogee,
respected and loved by her former pupils and the entire
community. This estimable lady, in her advanced years, is still
greatly interested in the educational and religious welfare of
the Muskogee people, and devoted much of her time, assisted by
Mrs. Severs, to the translation of the Scriptures into the
Muskogee language. The subject of our sketch left Concharty in
1858 to fill the position of principal teacher of the Asbury
Mission, a school under the charge of the Southern Methodist
Board, and located at old North Fork Town, now known as Eufaula,
on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad. Here Mr. Severs
taught for two years, when his brother-in-law, Mr. H. Shields,
trading at Sheildsville, a post near the capital town of
Okmulgee, solicited his assistance and services, which he
continued to render for two years, until the breaking out of the
war in 1861. The Creek Indians were forced by circumstances to
take sides in the late civil war. Mr. Severs espoused the
Southern cause and was mustered into service in the First Creek
Regiment as first lieutenant, in Captain Checote's company of
full-blooded Indians, and succeeded to the captaincy when
Checote was promoted to the colonelcy. Later on he was appointed
brigade commissary, with the rank of major, which he retained to
the close of the war. He is familiarly known, however, and
addressed as Captain Severs.
At the breaking up of the army at the close of the war, Captain
Severs was in Texas. Laying aside the profession of arms,
without delay he resumed the peaceful occupation of educator,
and taught school near Bonham for three months. Meantime his old
home in Arkansas had been devastated by contending armies. He
received his pay for teaching in produce and provisions, which
he had hauled to the Washington County homestead, to replenish
the exhausted larder. This indefatigable ex-soldier then loaded
up a four-mule wagon with apples, and made two trips from
Arkansas to San Antonio, Texas, marketing his fruit there and
hauling back return loads of provisions, which were readily sold
at a profit. Then, with his small means and some aid from
friends, he commenced business on his own account at
Shieldsville, in the Creek Nation, at the old stand where he was
formerly employed. About that time his old commander, Checote,
was elected principal chief of the Creek Nation, who appointed
him his private secretary. The assistance Captain Severs
rendered in this department proved of great value to the chief
and to the nation, as he heartily engaged in shaping a sound,
constitutional form of government for the Indians, and made many
suggestions that were adopted and proved to be judicious. He
moved his store to Okmulgee in 1868. His business grew steadily,
and in 1870 he married Miss Annie Anderson, before mentioned,
who was then engaged in teaching the same school in Concharty
that Captain Severs taught before the war.
The old board storehouse in Okmulgee has given place to a
handsome stone building, which contains a stock of general
merchandise varying from $20,000 to $35,000 in value, to meet
the requirements of trade. He also owns at Okmulgee a cotton
gin, and grist and saw mill, which cost ten thousand dollars,
and which was built to replace a fine new mill destroyed by
fire. In addition, he owns nearly all the business and dwelling
houses in the town, for which he receives rent.
In 1884 Captain Severs moved to Muskogee to secure the excellent
opportunities afforded at that town for the education of his
children. Here he built a comfortable residence for his family.
He also purchased the house and business of S. S. Sanger, and is
now carrying on an extensive general merchandise business.
Muskogee growing in importance as a cotton point, he erected a
capacious cotton gin, with all the latest improvements. There
being great need for a flouring mill at Muskogee, to stimulate
the growing of wheat to produce a home supply of flour, Captain
Severs, with his fellow-merchants, organized the Muskogee Roller
Milling Company, which erected a mill and an elevator at a cost
of $25,000, one-fourth of the paid-up stock being owned by him.
The establishment of the United States Court for Indian
Territory at Muskogee necessitated the erection of many
buildings to accommodate court officials, attorneys and others,
which was met, in part, by Capt. Severs, who built several
dwellings and law offices, and to supply a much-needed want, he
erected a very handsome brick bank building, at a cost of
thirteen thousand dollars. He, with others, procured a charter
from the United States and organized the First National Bank of
Muskogee, with a capital of stock of $100,000. He is stockholder
and a director of the bank.
Captain Severs is prominent as a stockman in Indian Territory;
he owns about 8,000 head of a graded class of cattle. At his
stock farm, Pecan Grove Ranch, he has a large country house of
modern architecture. Here are orchards, gardens capacious barns,
stables and sheds, everything necessary for the successful
prosecution of farming and cattle rising. The farm consists of
250 acres of superior soil, in a good state of cultivation. A
few miles from Okmulgee is his horse ranch, where he has five
hundred head of improved stock.
Mrs. Severs has had six children, three of whom are living,
Bessie, born April 1st, 1871; Mary, born September 1st, 1872;
Annie born December 5th, 1878. The two eldest graduated at Baird
College, Clinton, Mo., the summer of '91 and Annie is now
preparing for the same honor, at the same college.
Holding Captain Severs in high esteem, the Creeks adopted him
into their tribe, with all the privileges of citizenship, a very
uncommon mark of their regard, not a single white citizen of the
United States having been adopted by them since the war. He
takes a deep interest in the welfare of the people; by material
aid and encouragement he has always assisted them to progress in
industrial pursuits, in education and religion. Time and again,
when failure in crops or other causes had created distress, he
supplied their pressing wants until they could obtain relief.
The widow, the orphan and the destitute have always found in him
a friend, and worthy charities find in him a liberal
contributor.
Captain Severs is full five feet eleven inches in height, of
fine personal appearance, of gentlemanly and affable manners, of
a cheery and sanguine disposition, and a steadfast friend. He is
one of the richest men in Indian Territory. His success has been
won by sagacity, by knowledge of human nature, and by untiring
energy and devotion to the smallest details of the various
pursuits that engage his attention. He is in the prime of life,
with unimpaired health, and may reasonably expect many years to
enjoy the fruits of a successful and well-spent life in the
bosom of his estimable family, in whom he takes great delight, a
loving husband and a devoted father.
Source: The Indian Territory, Its Chiefs, Legislators and
Leading Men 07-29-2009
He accumulated wealth by trading for pecans gathered along the
Arkansas River by Creeks and shipping the nuts to St. Louis in
exchange for merchandise to stock his store.
Sources: good faith fair use of sources stated above
Compiled, transcribed and submitted by Marti Graham, Oklahoma County, OKGenWeb Coordinator,
July 2009. Information
posted for educational purposes for viewers and researchers. The contributor is not
related to nor researching any of the above.
I believe in random acts of kindness and I believe in sharing genealogy. If you have copies of
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