Martin Luther Thompson
Encyclopedia
Martin Luther Thompson was a Texas Choctaw leader and rancher who along with his relatives, William Clyde Thompson
(1839–1912), Robert E. Lee Thompson (1872–1959) and John Thurston Thompson (1864–1907), led several families of Choctaws from the Mount Tabor Indian Community in Rusk County, Texas to Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, I.T. (now Marlow, Oklahoma
)
on September 20, 1857. He married Inez Monterey Fannin at Camp Colorado, Coleman County, Texas on June 22, 1876. Inez who was born on May 15, 1860 at the Mount Tabor Indian Community in Rusk County, Texas
, was the daughter of William Moore Fannin (1833–1877) who was one-fourth Choctaw
, and Sarah Horton (1840–1928) who was one-half Choctaw
, One-fourth Chickasaw
and one-sixteenth Cherokee
.
The couple made their homes near New London in Rusk County before relocating to the Chickasaw Nation
in 1894 . While living in the Chickasaw Nation
, the couple lived in what is now rural Stephens County, Oklahoma
near the community of Bray. Together the couple had eight children: Willie Newton (female), Althia, Decater Lee, Thomas Agatha (female), Clarence, Melissa Alavada, Cone Johnson and Mossie Brown. Martin died on August 25, 1946 in Jacksonville, Texas
. He was preceded in death by his wife Inez on January 10, 1931 in Overton, Texas
. Both are buried in Asbury Cemetery in Smith County .
, to represent the Yowani Choctaw descendants in the Chickasaw Nation
, in their attempt to attain citizenship by blood in the Choctaw Nation
. During the period of the Dawes Commission
building of a Final Roll of the Five Civilized Tribes
(1895–1907), Choctaw
and Chickasaw
Indians could live any place they close within the two nations. The reasons for this were many, but primarily the two tribes had been one not long before Europe
an contact. They spoke the same language, with some dialectal differences, and were culturally similar. In fact shortly after removal, the two tribes were united into one group for a short period of time.
Following his return to Texas he remained in a leadership position until his death. Although influential within the Mount Tabor Community, the larger organization, the Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands was led only by Cherokees both within the community and in the Cherokee Nation
. Most Cherokees had left Rusk County between 1866 and 1900. While the overall leadership moved from William Penn Adair
until his death in Washington, D.C.
in 1880, for a period it was again centered in Texas
through John Martin Thompson
. With his death in 1907, the Executive Committee of the Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands was shifted back to the Cherokee Nation
with Claude Muskrat as Chairman. He was succeeded by W.W. Keeler who was later to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
.
With the resignation of Keeler in 1972 and the adoption of a constitution for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
in 1975, the Texas Cherokee Executive Committee was again led by Texans. Judge Foster T. Bean replaced Keeler and remained in that capacity until 1988.
was scratched off the documents that were to be a part of the brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court in 1921.
Although his family was not able to be listed as citizens by blood on the Final Rolls of the Choctaw Nation
, his return to Texas was for the best. Oil was discovered on his land and by the time of his death he was one of the wealthiest Choctaws in the United States
. From this start many of his descendants went on to prosperous lives as doctors, attorneys, ranchers and teachers.
William Clyde Thompson
Captain William Clyde Thompson was a Texas Choctaw leader who rallied against the Dawes Commission for Choctaw enrollment. He was born in 1839 near Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nation.-Background:...
(1839–1912), Robert E. Lee Thompson (1872–1959) and John Thurston Thompson (1864–1907), led several families of Choctaws from the Mount Tabor Indian Community in Rusk County, Texas to Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, I.T. (now Marlow, Oklahoma
Marlow, Oklahoma
Marlow is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,592 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Marlow is located at ....
)
Background
Martin, the son of Thomas Umphres Thompson (1829–1864) and Martha Strong Thompson (1836–1920) (who were first cousins) was born in Rusk County, TexasRusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
on September 20, 1857. He married Inez Monterey Fannin at Camp Colorado, Coleman County, Texas on June 22, 1876. Inez who was born on May 15, 1860 at the Mount Tabor Indian Community in Rusk County, Texas
Rusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
, was the daughter of William Moore Fannin (1833–1877) who was one-fourth Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, and Sarah Horton (1840–1928) who was one-half Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, One-fourth Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
and one-sixteenth Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
.
The couple made their homes near New London in Rusk County before relocating to the Chickasaw Nation
Chickasaw Nation
The Chickasaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American nation, located in Oklahoma. They are one of the members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized Tribes were differentiated from other Indian reservations in that they had semi-autonomous constitutional governments and...
in 1894 . While living in the Chickasaw Nation
Chickasaw Nation
The Chickasaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American nation, located in Oklahoma. They are one of the members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized Tribes were differentiated from other Indian reservations in that they had semi-autonomous constitutional governments and...
, the couple lived in what is now rural Stephens County, Oklahoma
Stephens County, Oklahoma
Stephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 43,182. Its county seat is Duncan.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,308 km²...
near the community of Bray. Together the couple had eight children: Willie Newton (female), Althia, Decater Lee, Thomas Agatha (female), Clarence, Melissa Alavada, Cone Johnson and Mossie Brown. Martin died on August 25, 1946 in Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
. He was preceded in death by his wife Inez on January 10, 1931 in Overton, Texas
Overton, Texas
Overton is a city in Rusk and Smith Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,350 at the 2000 census.Overton lies in two counties as well as two metropolitan areas...
. Both are buried in Asbury Cemetery in Smith County .
Mount Tabor Indian Community and the Chickasaw Nation
Martin L. Thompson, who had been chosen the leader of the Choctaws at Mount Tabor in 1885, was passed over in favor of William Clyde ThompsonWilliam Clyde Thompson
Captain William Clyde Thompson was a Texas Choctaw leader who rallied against the Dawes Commission for Choctaw enrollment. He was born in 1839 near Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nation.-Background:...
, to represent the Yowani Choctaw descendants in the Chickasaw Nation
Chickasaw Nation
The Chickasaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American nation, located in Oklahoma. They are one of the members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized Tribes were differentiated from other Indian reservations in that they had semi-autonomous constitutional governments and...
, in their attempt to attain citizenship by blood in the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
. During the period of the Dawes Commission
Dawes Commission
The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893...
building of a Final Roll of the Five Civilized Tribes
Five Civilized Tribes
The Five Civilized Tribes were the five Native American nations—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole—that were considered civilized by Anglo-European settlers during the colonial and early federal period because they adopted many of the colonists' customs and had generally good...
(1895–1907), Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
and Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
Indians could live any place they close within the two nations. The reasons for this were many, but primarily the two tribes had been one not long before Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an contact. They spoke the same language, with some dialectal differences, and were culturally similar. In fact shortly after removal, the two tribes were united into one group for a short period of time.
Following his return to Texas he remained in a leadership position until his death. Although influential within the Mount Tabor Community, the larger organization, the Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands was led only by Cherokees both within the community and in the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
. Most Cherokees had left Rusk County between 1866 and 1900. While the overall leadership moved from William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair was a Cherokee leader and Confederate colonel.-Background:William Penn Adair was born on April 15, 1830 in the old Cherokee Nation in New Echota, Georgia. His parents were George Washington Adair and Martha Adair. He attended Cherokee schools in Indian Territory, studying law....
until his death in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1880, for a period it was again centered in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
through John Martin Thompson
John Martin Thompson
John Martin Thompson , Lumberman, civic leader, was born in the old Cherokee Nation prior to removal in what is now Cass County, Georgia. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin Thompson, a South Carolinian of Scottish descent, and Annie Martin a mix blood Cherokee...
. With his death in 1907, the Executive Committee of the Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands was shifted back to the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
with Claude Muskrat as Chairman. He was succeeded by W.W. Keeler who was later to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
.
With the resignation of Keeler in 1972 and the adoption of a constitution for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
in 1975, the Texas Cherokee Executive Committee was again led by Texans. Judge Foster T. Bean replaced Keeler and remained in that capacity until 1988.
Later life
For Martin L. Thompson family, ranching and oil would consume the remainder of his life. His only other claim to fame was his conflict with George Fields, attorney for the Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands in the 1920s. The issue was over inclusion of the Choctaws in litigation related to the Treaty of Bowles Village in 1839. From this conflict, the word ChoctawChoctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
was scratched off the documents that were to be a part of the brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court in 1921.
Although his family was not able to be listed as citizens by blood on the Final Rolls of the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
, his return to Texas was for the best. Oil was discovered on his land and by the time of his death he was one of the wealthiest Choctaws in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From this start many of his descendants went on to prosperous lives as doctors, attorneys, ranchers and teachers.
See also
- Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands
- John Martin ThompsonJohn Martin ThompsonJohn Martin Thompson , Lumberman, civic leader, was born in the old Cherokee Nation prior to removal in what is now Cass County, Georgia. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin Thompson, a South Carolinian of Scottish descent, and Annie Martin a mix blood Cherokee...
- William Clyde ThompsonWilliam Clyde ThompsonCaptain William Clyde Thompson was a Texas Choctaw leader who rallied against the Dawes Commission for Choctaw enrollment. He was born in 1839 near Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nation.-Background:...
- Charles Collins ThompsonCharles Collins ThompsonCharles Collins Thompson was a Texas judge, attorney, banker and rancher. He was a native of Erath County, Texas. He was the son of Charles Madison Thompson and Annie Margaret Jane Altman .-Background:...
- Yowani ChoctawsYowani ChoctawsYowani is a branch of the Choctaw tribe which became part of the Caddo Confederacy. The Yowani were named for their village, the reason for the founding of a trading post and what became the European-American town of Shubuta, Mississippi nearby...
- Treaty of Bowles Village
- Stephens County, OklahomaStephens County, OklahomaStephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 43,182. Its county seat is Duncan.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,308 km²...
- Rusk County, TexasRusk County, TexasAs of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
- Chickasaw NationChickasaw NationThe Chickasaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American nation, located in Oklahoma. They are one of the members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized Tribes were differentiated from other Indian reservations in that they had semi-autonomous constitutional governments and...
Sources
- William C. Thompson, et al. vs. Choctaw Nation, MCR File 341, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Muskogee, Oklahoma
- United States Department of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior-Choctaw Citizenship Cases, #4 William C. Thompson et al., pgs 151-157
- Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs correspondence between A.C. Tonner, Acting Commissioner for the Dawes Commission, and the Secretary of the Interior, April 29, 1904; ref. Land 25846-1904-Oklahoma Historical Society
- Cecil Lee Pinkston-Vinson interview with her grandfather Martin L. Thompson on March 14, 1934
- Cherokee Cavaliers: Forty Years of Cherokee History As Told in the Correspondence of the Ridge-Watie-Boudinot Family, 1939 By Edward Everett Dale and Gaston Litton, University of Oklahoma Press; ISBN 080612721X, 13:978-0806127217
- Republic of Texas Treaties; Treaty of Bowles Village February 23, 1836, Texas State Historical Society, Austin, Texas
- Treaty of Birds Fort September 29, 1843, Texas State Historical Society, Austin, Texas
- United States-Choctaw Treaties: Treaty of Doaks Stand October 18, 1820, National Archives, Fort Worth, Texas
- Starr's History of the Cherokee Indians, By Dr. Emmet Starr
- Frederick Webb Hodge, ed., Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico (2 vols., Washington: GPO, 1907, 1910, rpt., New York: Pageant, 1959)
- A History of the Caddo Indians by William B. Glover, The Louisiana Historical Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4. October, 1935
- The Old Mount Tabor Community, Genealogy of Old and New Cherokee Families, by George Morrison Bell Sr.
- George Fields Collection, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Papers of W.W. Keeler relating to the Texas Cherokees, Cherokee National Historical Society, Tahlequah, Oklahoma
- Some East Texas Native Families: Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands Genealogy Project: Rootsweb Global Search: Familyties http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=familyties
- Handbook of Texas Online: John Martin Thompson http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/TT/fth43.html (accessed September 3, 2008)
- Oklahoma Historical Society, Records of the Department of the Interior, Laws, Decisions and Regulations Affecting the work of the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes 1893-1906 pgs 130-138
- The Dawes Commission and the Allotment of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1893-1914 By Kent Carter, Ancestry Publishing 1999, ISBN 091648985X, 13:978-0916489854
- Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico By Frederick Webb Hodge, Smithsonian Institution American Ethnology, Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1907, pgs 1001-1002, ISBN 0313212813; 13:978-0313212819
- Chief Bowles and Texas Cherokees, Chapter XI, Cherokee Claims to Land, By Mary Whatley Clarke, University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 0806134364 13:978-0806134369
- Texas-Cherokees vs United States Docket 26, 26 Ind Cl Comm. 78 (1971)
- Letter regarding Choctaw Citizenship: E.A. Newman, Broker; J.M. Humphreys, Attorney, Atoka, I.T. 2/15/1906, Martin Thompson, Overton, Texas
- Dallas Morning News, Sunday, March 8, 1940, "Owns Prerevolutionary Bible"
- LWT, Martin L. Thompson 1946, Smith County Probate Records, Smith County, Texas
- Sally (Doak) Fannin letter-1877, http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:NdOzZ7u2CR4J:www.bruce-white.us/library/fannin.pdf+%22Sally+doak%22+choctaw&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
External links
- Book Search, Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, by Frederick Webb Hodge
- A History of the Caddo Indians, by WILLIAM B. GLOVER
- Thompson Cemetery, Rusk County, Texas; Information related to Cherokee descendants buried there, by Paul Ridenour, 2005
- Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery, Rusk County, Texas, by Paul Ridenour
- Additional Mount Tabor Indian Cemetery Information, Rusk County, Texas, by Paul Ridenour
- Asbury Cemetery, Smith County, Texas, Information related to Choctaw and Cherokee descendants buried there, by Paul Ridenour, 2005
- The Handbook of Texas Online: Yowani Indians, Margery H. Krieger
- The Handbook of Texas Online: Indians by George Klos
- Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Rusk County TxGenWeb
- A Starr Studded Event, April 9, 2005 by Paul Ridenour
- The George Harlan Starr and Nancy (Bell) Starr Home, Located near Leveretts Chapel, Texas (Mt. Tabor Indian Community), by Paul Ridenour 2005
- Ridenour's Major Ridge Home Page, by Paul Ridenour 2008
- Sally (Doak) Fannin letter-1877, edited by Bruce White
- Family Ties Genealogy Index, East Texas Native American family information, maintained by J.C. Thompson
- The Thompson Choctaw Indians Photo Gallery, Thompson Choctaw Indian Descendants Association 2001, edited by Jesse Thompson
- Mt. Tabor Indian Community Ancestral Roll, Sponsored by the Thompson-Choctaw Indian Descendants Association 2001, edited by Jesse Thompson
- CHOCTAW HISTORY, STORIES AND INFO, by Mike Boucher
- Museum of the Red River-The Choctaw
- Official Page of Rusk County, Texas
- Rusk County genealogy, by Gloria B. Mayfield
- Official Page of Smith County, Texas
- Smith County TXGenWeb Project, East Texas Genealogical Society