Wealaka Charter Chapter papers were officially confirmed by the National Headquarters on December 12, 2009. Organizing Regent Mrs. Marilyn Means led fourteen other organizing members and twelve charter members during that building period. The name Wealaka was selected as the chapter name, referring to both the area between Bixby and Leonard where the Arkansas River has a bend in it as well as the Indian boarding school Wealaka Mission School.
Wealaka (WEE-AH-LAY-GAH)
During the time of the American Revolution, Oklahoma was a "territory." In 1867, the Creeks formed a constitutional Muskogee Nation with Okmulgee as its capital, and established a National Council consisting of two houses; the House of Kings and the House of Warriors, with laws to be enforced by "Light Horsemen" (or Indian Marshals).
In 1880, a second post office for the Tulsa region was established in the W. R. "Jeff" Davis store at the Wealaka trading center. This trading center was built up near the Wealaka Mission School established by the Presbyterian Church to educate the American Indian children. The mission was operated as a boarding school for about fifty children at the time. The school was built on a bluff that overlooked the Arkansas River in the area that lies East of Jenks, between Bixby and Leonard.
Daniel Childers, Captain for the "Light Horsemen' in the area operated a pole ferry just under the bluff at Wealaka along the Arkansas River. He charged fifty cents for wagons, twenty-five cents for people on horseback and ten cents for foot passengers, to cross the river. From the ferry, it was a "fair day's drive" by team to "Tulsey Town."
The Wealaka Mission, the trading post and the ferry were all located on the Sampson Chisholm Trail. Sampson was the foster son of Jesse Chisholm who laid out the famous two hundred twenty mile trail from Texas through El Reno, Oklahoma; to Dodge City and Wichita, Kansas.
In 1870, Sampson broke a new trail from Chisholm, Texas, east of Dallas, which ran through Eastern Oklahoma to South Coffeyville, Kansas. This trail passed through large cattle ranches in the Wealaka area. When herders reached the Arkansas River, they forded the river just south of the mission school and, when the water was too high, they used the ferry there to carry the cattle across. For three years prior to the railroad extension into Texas, herds of cattle ranging in number from one thousand to three thousand were driven through the Wealaka area to Kansas markets using this route.
After statehood in 1907, Wealaka Mission and the surrounding land passed into private ownership. The mission building burned in 1935. Currently only the basement and cemetery remain.
Wealaka is pronounced WEE-AH-LAY-GAH. According to the Bacone College Museum curator, Creek Indians have no 'k' sound, it becomes a "gah" sound.
Wealaka (WEE-AH-LAY-GAH)
During the time of the American Revolution, Oklahoma was a "territory." In 1867, the Creeks formed a constitutional Muskogee Nation with Okmulgee as its capital, and established a National Council consisting of two houses; the House of Kings and the House of Warriors, with laws to be enforced by "Light Horsemen" (or Indian Marshals).
In 1880, a second post office for the Tulsa region was established in the W. R. "Jeff" Davis store at the Wealaka trading center. This trading center was built up near the Wealaka Mission School established by the Presbyterian Church to educate the American Indian children. The mission was operated as a boarding school for about fifty children at the time. The school was built on a bluff that overlooked the Arkansas River in the area that lies East of Jenks, between Bixby and Leonard.
Daniel Childers, Captain for the "Light Horsemen' in the area operated a pole ferry just under the bluff at Wealaka along the Arkansas River. He charged fifty cents for wagons, twenty-five cents for people on horseback and ten cents for foot passengers, to cross the river. From the ferry, it was a "fair day's drive" by team to "Tulsey Town."
The Wealaka Mission, the trading post and the ferry were all located on the Sampson Chisholm Trail. Sampson was the foster son of Jesse Chisholm who laid out the famous two hundred twenty mile trail from Texas through El Reno, Oklahoma; to Dodge City and Wichita, Kansas.
In 1870, Sampson broke a new trail from Chisholm, Texas, east of Dallas, which ran through Eastern Oklahoma to South Coffeyville, Kansas. This trail passed through large cattle ranches in the Wealaka area. When herders reached the Arkansas River, they forded the river just south of the mission school and, when the water was too high, they used the ferry there to carry the cattle across. For three years prior to the railroad extension into Texas, herds of cattle ranging in number from one thousand to three thousand were driven through the Wealaka area to Kansas markets using this route.
After statehood in 1907, Wealaka Mission and the surrounding land passed into private ownership. The mission building burned in 1935. Currently only the basement and cemetery remain.
Wealaka is pronounced WEE-AH-LAY-GAH. According to the Bacone College Museum curator, Creek Indians have no 'k' sound, it becomes a "gah" sound.
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