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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma 
Date: February 10, 1938 
Name: Jennie L. Akins  
Post Office: Westville, Oklahoma 
Residence Address: 
Date of Birth: February 26, 1866 
Place of Birth: Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation, I.T. 
Father: Coon Foreman 
Place of Birth: Georgia 
Information on father: 
Mother: Peggy Richardson 
Place of birth: Georgia 
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: W. J. B. Bigby 
Interview II (This one is listed as the Second Interview - however I see that it was recorded at an earlier date.)

I was born in the old Goingsnake District, Cherokee, February 26, 1866.

My father was Coon FOREMAN, an Immigrant Cherokee who came here about 1836. My mother was Peggy RICHARDSON, also an Immigrant Cherokee. There were nine children born in our family, Nelson, Charles, Jennie, Mollie, Tom, Fannie, Willie, Lu and Helen. Helen married Dennis BUSHYHEAD, a prominent Cherokee.

Early Life
Most of my early life was spent on the farm of my father, near the present town of Westville. During the War, Father was a blacksmith at Fort Gibson. After the War he operated a blacksmith shop at the stage station near Westville on the old Fayetteville and Fort Gibson road.

School
The first school that I attended was the Prairie Grove School, located southeast of Westville about two miles. This was an old Cherokee school and the teacher was Jim BATES, a permitted white man who taught twenty terms at this school. I finished the grades there, then was sent to the Female Seminary later.

I taught school in the Cherokee schools in the eighties, my first school being at Green, about four miles west of Westville.

Church
The earliest church that the Cherokee people attended was at the Baptist Mission which was located about four miles north of Westville. This was the nearest church but the Prairie Grove schoolhouse was also used as a church.

Trails
In those days all the roads were called trails, the main trail being what we called the Fayetteville and Fort Gibson Road. This was really a military road, but all people used it as it was the best road in this part of the Cherokee country at that time. This was a stage route. This was about a half mile northwest of Westville.

Ferries
There was only one ferry on the Illinois River here, that is in Goingsnake District. This ferry was located east of Watts on the Arkansas line but I do not know the name of the operator. There was also another ferry at Boudinot near Tahlequah but that was in the Tahlequah District.

Milling and Trading Point
The earliest milling point was at Michell’s Mill located on the Illinois River northwest of Watts. Cincinnati was our main trading point.

Post Office
The earliest post offices were established at Baptist Mission and at George Christie’s about 1870.

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date:  March 14, 1938
Name:  Jennie Akins
Post Office:  Westville, Oklahoma
Residence Address:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:  Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation, I.T.
Father:  Ellis "Coon" Foreman
Place of Birth:  Tennessee
Information on father:
Mother:  Margurette "Peggy" Richardson
Place of birth:  Tennessee
Information on mother:
Field Worker:  Jesse S. Bell

Jennie Akins was born in Goingsnake District and is the daughter of Ellis (Coon) FOREMAN, and Margurette RICHARDSON Foreman. She had the opportunity to obtain a fair education in a common school and a seminary. She has taught school and has always been interested in the politics and has been active in church work. She was the first woman Justice of Peace ever elected in the state of Oklahoma and was active in school affairs.

Her husband, Andy AKINS, was elected county sheriff for one term and deputy sheriff for one term and served as an Indian Police for four years, and councilman in Chief Mayes Administration Model 14 when they tried to bribe the councilmen to purchase the Strip 1888-89.

Mr. Akins lived in Goingsnake District all of his life except for eighteen months when he lived in Rogers County where he engaged in farming. Mrs. Akins bore eight children; Ellis, Mollie, Watie, William, Thomas, Mable, Louise and Maggiebelle.

Jennie Akins’ great grandfather, Anthony Foreman, came on the "Mayflower"* into this country and was of Scotch descent. He married a full blood Cherokee woman named Susanna GOURD after he had come to this country as an emigrant. Grandfather and grandmother Foreman eloped from their home in Tennessee. They rode one horse one day and one night, then Grandfather bought another horse and saddle to continue on their journey to Indian Territory. Grandfather Foreman is buried on the James SHELL place about three miles south of Westville. The family burial ground located at one mile west of Westville is known as Foreman Cemetery.

Submitter’s comments: *This statement is incorrect as Anthony Foreman was born in the mid 1740’s probably in Scotland and emigrated to the area of the Pennsylvania colony.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Wanda Morris Elliott <jwdre@intellex.com > October, 2000.