Montgomery County, KS Early Records

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_County,_Kansas

History

Montgomery County was established February 26, 1867. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, in Canada, after successfully capturing two forts and the city ofMontreal.^{[citation needed]}

When Kansas was admitted to the Union as a state in 1861, the Osage Indian reservation occupied a large tract of land near the southern border. The reservation had been established in 1825. After the Civil War ended, the Osage lands were coveted as the largest and last reserve of good land in the eastern part of the state. As early as 1866, the Osages were forced to cede tracts at the eastern and northern edges of the reservation. This treaty conceded white settlement on land in the eastern part of what is now Montgomery County.^{[citation needed]}

For a brief time, the Osages attempted to maintain a boundary at the Verdigris River. The Verdigris flows from north to south through the center of Montgomery County. From the west the Elk River joins the Verdigris at a confluence slightly northwest of the geographical center of the county. In 1867 Frank and Fred Bunker established a primitive cattle camp on the west side of the Verdigris south of the confluence. Like the Osages, the Bunkers thought they were beyond the boundaries of civilization.^{[citation needed]}

Early in 1869, however, settlers began to cross the Verdigris River, "at first under protest of the Indians, but the immense throng of settlers soon made all protests futile." Montgomery County was surveyed and organized in 1869; the governor appointed commissioners June 3.

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Submitted by Lyle Gibson

No 84 Original

Application of James L. Mayhew and Uriah S. Mayhew for Citizenship

4944

Filed Sept. 8 1896

Rejected

State of Kansas
Montgomery County

Personally appeared before me the undersigned Notary Public in and for the county and state aforesaid Lucinda Long who being by me first duly sworn says: I was born and raised in old Orange county North Carolina and lived for sometime in Allimanse [sic] County in said state and was while there now over twenty-one years ago well acquainted with one Uncle Billy Goings and Betsy Goins the reputed Great Grand Parents of Uriah S. Mayhew[1] and I know that they were Cherokee Indians and were then universally recognized as such. I also then knew Mose Curtis and Judy Curtis his wife who are reputed to be the great uncle and aunt of said Uriah S. Mayhew and I know them to be Cherokee Indians.[2] I also knew Betsy Mathews and Tommy Mathews to be Cherokee Indians but I do not know what relation they are to this said Uriah S. Mayhew but know they were related to the Goins and Curtis families before mentioned.[3]

I knew these families from my childhood until I came away from there over twenty-one years ago. I now reside in the Cherokee Nation Indian Territory about six miles from Coffeyville Kansas. I was acquainted with Henry Mayhew the father of said Uriah S. Mayhew but he had not at the time of his death established his citizenship in the Cherokee Nation.

Lucinda {her mark} Long

Subsribed & sworn to before me this 6th day of December AD 1889. WM Tibbils Notary Public

State of Kansas Montgomery County ss

James L. Long of lawful age who being by me first duly sworn deposes and says

That my age is 71 years. That Lucinda Long whose affidavit is hereto attached is my wife whose age is 62 years. That I was borne and raised at Organge & Alamance Co North Carolina. That I have heard the affidavit of Lucinda Long (my wife) read, and fully coroborate [sic] the statements thereof concerning the people therein named. That myself and Mrs. Long were married more than 24 years ago in North Carolina. That we are residents of the Cherokee Nation and my said wife is a Cherokee by blood. That we nor either of us have any interest in the procurement of citizenship of Uriah S. Mayhew, nor would it in the least ensure to the benefit of either of us in any manner.

I am acquainted with Uriah S. Mayhew and knew his father now deceased whose name was Henry Mayhew[4] and always understood and know that said Henry Mayhew was reputed to be & regarded by those who knew him as a Cherokee Indian and that he was of kin to the Goings, Mathewses [sic] and Curtises but cannot now state what that kinship was all of whome [sic] resided in North Carolina and they were Cherokees by blood. I do remember that Henry Mayhew’s mother was a Curtis and Mrs Curtis mother was a Mathews and that they were North Carolina Cherokees by blood, and further affiant saith not.[5]

James L. {his mark} Long.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 10th day of December AD 1889 WM Tibbils Notary Public

In the matter of citizenship of Henry Mayhew deceased.

State of Kansas LaBette County ss

Joel Curtis of lawful age being duly sworn on oath says: I am a resident of Baxter Springs Cherokee County, Kansas and have been for 8 years last past. I was borned [sic] at Clinton County, Illinois, my mothers maiden name was Mary Goens she married Henry Curtis about the year 1800.[6] My mother and father (Mary and Henry Curtis) were Cherokee Indians they were born in Orange County North Carolina about the year 1780 AD and they were both with and members of the Cherokee Tribe of Indians then being in said North Carolina. My sister Elizabeth Curtis married Daniel Mayhew in Clinton County State of Illinois in the year 1821.[7] That Elizabeth and Daniel Mayhew had twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, four of which are still living tow sons Daniel Mayhew Jr. and James Mayhew and two daughters Sarah Killian and Elizabeth Pendergrass. That Henry Mayhew now deceased a son of Daniel Mayhew, Sr. has two sons Uriah S. Mayhew and Hasakiah K. Mayhew who live near Chetopa Kansas and James Mayhew has three sons and four daughters as follows William H., Benjamin F. and Charles E. Mayhew. Emaly J. Tayborn, Lucy A. Mayhew, Ella B. Mayhew, and Lula B. Mayhew.

That affiant further says that his mother had two half brothers Joel and Ezekial Mathew. That affiant says that his father Henry Curtis had four sons all of whom are now dead except the affiant that John Curtis deceased brother of the affiant had four sons. One of said sons was named Frank Curtis now deceased who left one son that is now living whose name is Robert Curtis who now lives at Denison, Texas and is an applicant for citizenship in the Indian Territory.
The affiant has one son whose name is Henry H. Curtis who now lives at Baxter Springs Kansas. The affiant further says that his brother John Curtis married a woman whose maiden named was Martha Reed but they called her Patsie for short said Martha Reed ne Martha Curtis was a full blood Cherokee Indian she was born and raised in the State of Tennessee on the Cherokee reservation and when said tribe was moved west of the Mississippi River said Martha Reed with her parents moved to Clinton County, Illinois where she and my brother were married. That said Marth Reed ne Martha Curtis was the grand mother of Robert Curtis who now lives at Denison, Texas as aforesaid.

And futher that affiant sayeth not witness his hand this 9th day of June 1890

Joel Curtis

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9th day of June 1890 F. M. Smith Notary Public


No 84 Original
Application of Hezekiah Mayhew for Citizenship (3628)
4942
Filed Sept. 8 1896
Rejected

Hezkiah Mayhew’s application did not contain affidavits.

In the matter of application of Hezakiah Mayhew et al for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation.

Nations’s No 1871

Commission’s No. (left blank)

Your respondent, S. H. Mayes, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, comes now and demurs the said application, and for the grounds thereof says:

1st. That this Commission has not jurisdiction over the parties or subject matter of this controversy, and no legal right, therefore, to hear and determine the same.

2nd. That the application does not state facts sufficient, if true, to show that the applicant is entitled to citizenship.

Respondent not waiving his aforeside demurrer, but insisting upon the same for anser to said application, says that _________Robert & Polly Goins ______________ through whom the petitioners to derive his right to citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, is not now, and has not been a citizen of the Cherokee nation, since the removal of said Nation, west to the Indian Territory as at present located and defined; that his name does not appear on any of the authenticated rolls of said Nation; that neither he nor any of his ancestors now reside, or ever have resided in the Cherokee Nation and Indian Territory, as citizens thereof.

Having fully answered, your respondent asks to be hence dismissed.

S. H. Mayes, Principal Chief Cherokee Nation.

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[1] Based on the oral history and primary documents; marriage; census, register and certificates of freedom, and death records Uriah S. Mayhew was the son of the Reverend Henry Mayhew D.D. and Eliza Hickman. Henry Mayhew’s parents were Daniel Mayhew, Sr. and Elizabeth Curtis. Elizabeth Curtis was the daughter of Henry Curtis, Jr., born circa 1780 in North Carolina and Mary Goins born circa 1780 in North Carolina. Uriah’s maternal grandparents were Fanny Poles a former slave and Paschal Hickman a white slave owner from Burke County, Georgia

[2] Based on oral tradition and census records, members of the Curtis family left Illinois and moved back to North Carolina. Mose and Judy Curtis have been identified and North Carolina census records 1850 to 1870 Alamance County, North Carolina

[3] Additional research is needed to determine the connection of the Goins, Mathews, and Curtis families.

[4] The death of Henry Mayhew have been verified via two death announcements/obituaries; one from Clinton County, Illinois and the other from Chetopa, Labette County, Kansas. He died January 18, 1888

[5] Based on additional information within the Cherokee Application file (testimony of Joel Curtis); the marriage record of William H. Curtis, the wife of Henry Curtis was listed as Mary Goins or Polly Goins. One could infer that Mary Goins-Curtis’ mother, Betsy Goins was married more than once, possibly two times.

[6] To date, no marriage record or transcript has been located.

[7] Clinton County, Illinois was not organized until December 27, 1824 so in all probability, Daniel Mayhew and Elizabeth Curtis were married in Bond County. Additional research of the actual marriage record is needed, however they are enumerated together on the 1850 and 1860 Clinton County, Illinois census. Additionally, Henry Curtis and Daniel Mayhugh are enumerated on the Clinton County census for 1825. Also, Reverend Henry Mayhew, son of Daniel Mayhew and Elizabeth Curtis was born October 11, 1822, (the obituary states Clinton County, Illinois, however Clinton was not formed until 1824 so it must have been the portion of Bond County, that would become Clinton County).