Interview with Thomas Rutherford "Oad" Colbert

While searching for something else, I found this interesting interview of Thomas Rutherford "Oad" Colbert (1879-1939). He was the brother of my great-great grandmother Carrie Colbert.

I'm posting a link to this interview mostly for my few family members who visit this blog, but regular readers might find his words interesting as well.

The Colberts were a big part of Chickasaw history. Oad provided his opinion of his ancestors' move from Mississippi to Indian Territory in 1832 and the land allotment they received from the government.

"We were kidded into believing we're getting a fine thing, when they began allotting the land. But did not learn until later that we were being fooled."

This is a very short interview, and I wish there was more. Family, do you remember Doris talking about Oad? I do. He died in a car accident in 1939 when he was 59.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5

During our Oklahoma road trip, we visited the Chickasaw National Capitol Building in Tishomingo.

Behind the purple-flowered bushes are a set of memorial bricks that people can purchase in tribute to others. My dad had a set made for the ancestors in our Chickasaw line. They sit at the base of the building and welcome all who visit:

My grandmother

My great-grandmother

My great-great grandmother

My third-great grandfather

My fourth-great grandfather

My fifth-great grandfather

My sixth-great grandmother

My sixth-great grandfather

It was 105 degrees on the day we visited the Chickasaw National Capitol Building. The trip was nice, but equally as nice was the Dairy Queen just 2 blocks down the road. It was an ideal end to our day.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 7

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

During our Oklahoma family history road trip, we visited the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur. By coincidence, the day we decided to visit was their one-year anniversary and they were having a party with food, movies, giveaways and $1 admissions.

There were lots of people there, but you can't even tell from these pictures. The grounds were laid out nicely so that we weren't all up in each others visits.

While I was there, I stopped by the Holisso Research Center on the grounds and met with the head librarian. We had exchanged emails in the past, so it was nice to see her in person. The library and archives are amazing. There are special collections and staff to assist you in finding historical items. The online library catalog is being built and items are still being moved from the old location and/or being cataloged. Once everything is done, this will be an amazing research space.

The Chickasaw Cultural Center is a first-rate destination for families. I was pleased to share this experience with my son so he could see what it means to be a Chickasaw Citizen.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Last week, I went to Oklahoma with my son and parents. We wanted to visit some Chickasaw sites, do a little genealogy and just have a road trip.

Ardmore was our home base and we set out each morning from there. On the first day, we went to Ada to handle some business with the Chickasaw Nation. This isn't as cryptic as it sounds. My dad needed new glasses and he gets them from the Nation. We went to the eye doctor and the pharmacy.

On the trip there, we paused to consult a map. This guy was no help:

Since this was a family trip, each member of the family had distinct activities they wanted to accomplish along the way. Longtime readers of this blog will not be surprised that my son wanted to photograph train crossings:

On the way back to our hotel, we drove through the Chickasaw National Recreation Area bordering Sulphur. It was a lovely place, but the 100+ temperature didn't make exploration very appealing. We did see some of the park residents, though:

On to Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2 here.

Pride and Joy

The Chickasaw Times is a monthly publication sent out to Chickasaw Nation citizens on a monthly basis. One of the features is a "Pride and Joy" section where parents and grandparents can brag about their kids. There's a family in my neighborhood who gets in that section regularly. I joked with my dad that he needs to keep up with the other grandparents when it comes to getting the grandkids in the paper.

Imagine my surprise this week when I see some familiar faces in the Pride and Joy section: my son and nieces. My dad did a great job with his bragging. He talked about his grandchildren and their ancestral connections. Their second- and third-great grandmothers are original Chickasaw enrollees.

If my grandmother was still here, she would be very proud to see some of her great-grandchildren in the Chickasaw paper. But I think she'd be even more thrilled to see her mother and grandmother in the paper, mentioned by name as original enrollees.

My grandmother, Doris

I inherited her shortness and wide feet.

My great-grandmother, Frankie Jones 

(original Chickasaw enrollee #3702)

My great-great grandmother, Carrie Colbert

(original Chickasaw enrollee #3701)

Thanks for getting my kid in the paper, dad! I think these ladies would be proud of their descendants.

Stand Up and Be Counted

Native American genealogy research can be tricky for many reasons. One of those is the fact that sometimes those of Native American descent did not state the fact on records. Fortunately for me, my ancestors had no problem claiming what was theirs.

The above page is a 1910 census page for the "Indian Population" of Ward 1 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. This page is in the back of the regular population schedule for this ward. The second family on the list is my great-great grandparents and five of their six daughters.

Would you believe the enumerator got Jones wrong? He or she did by writing JONE. This is the Frank and Carrie (Colbert) Jones family. Their eldest daughter, Frankie (my great-grandmother), was married with a child of her own by this time and thus not part of this household. It's tough to see in this photo, but Frank is listed as "w" for white, and everyone else is listed as "In" for Indian. Carrie is a descendant of James Logan Colbert, who is a prominent name in Chickasaw history.

On the bottom half of the Indian Population page, it lists the tribe and degree of blood.

I'm not sure why my ancestors stood up to be counted in the 1910 Indian Population census. Was it pride? Or the land? I may never know why they did it, but I am glad they did.

[You can find this record by going to the 1910 U.S. census > Oklahoma > Stephens County > Duncan > Ward 1 > ED 232 > Sheet 21A (or page 21 in Ancestry.com). This Indian Population page is at the back of the population schedule  for this district on Ancestry.com.]

Chickasaw Genealogy Resources

Here are some resources that may help you with Chickasaw genealogy.

Official web site of the Chickasaw Nation

Chickasaw Historical Society
PO Box 1548
Ada, OK 74821
580-559-0847

Chickasaw Tribal Library
1003 Chamber Loop
(send mail to PO Box 1548, Ada, OK 74821)
Ada, OK 74821
580-310-6477

Chickasaw Genealogy Archive Center
402 W. 8th
(send mail to PO Box 1548, Ada, OK 74821)
Tishomingo, OK 73460
580-371-0374

Chickasaw White House
6379 Mansion Road
(send mail to PO Box 1548, Ada, OK, 74821)
Milburn, OK

Chickasaw Council House Archives
209 N. Fisher
Tishomingo, OK 73460
580-371-3351

Chickasaw Photograph Archives
1003 Chamber Loop
(send mail to PO Box 1548, Ada, OK, 74821)
Ada, OK 74821
580-310-6487

These sources and addresses came from the Chickasaw Nation Services @ Large 2009 book mailed to my house. I tried to link to the title but Blogger doesn't like the @, so click here for the link.

COG 63: New Year's Genealogy Resolutions

The topic for the 63rd Carnival of Genealogy is New Year's resolutions. Participants are supposed to discuss plans for genealogy research and blogging in the coming year. Easy enough.

Plans for WeTree:

I resolve to double my number of daily visitors to this blog. I also plan to double the number I currently see on Feedburner, as well as my authority number on Technorati. I wrote today's stats in the back of my 2009 calendar, so we'll see if I reach my goal.

The blog itself will stay the same in terms of style and focus (or lack thereof). I will continue to treat it like a plant, adding to it, watching it grow and waiting for the crop to pay off.

Plans for Research:

Lenertz - I'm at the end of my rope with these folks and their only children, random movements across the country, and lacking vital records. It's challenging to trace an unusual name, especially a branch for which I can find no previous research. I resolve not to give up. It's all I can promise.

Thibodeaux - I resolve to poke around in Louisiana a bit, get some vital records and start to build a case to prove my theory that Noel Thibodeaux is often being connected to the wrong Pierre Thibodeaux. I also want to explore the Bourgaux and Menou names in the Acadia and St. Landry Parishes.

Colbert - I've cleared the ground and planted a seed. Now it's time to grow a family tree for my Chickasaw Colberts. This year, my Colbert time will focus on getting information on great-grandmother Frankie's sisters.

Miscellaneous Plans:

I resolve to have two writing pieces published somewhere. That's it. I don't care about the focus or the audience. Just write two pieces and have someone print them. I was published once last year, so I'm doubling the goal to challenge myself.

I resolve to have a personal CG timeline in place by Dec. 31, 2009. I know I want to be certified. Right now, my response is "some day." By next year, I figure I'll know enough about the process to feel comfortable setting a timeline to reach that goal.

I am attending the big events for NGS, SCGS, and FGS in 2009. I plan to meet as many blog readers and Facebook friends as I can so we can share in our own brand of craziness.

Guess that's all. It's going to be a good year for me, geneaogically speaking. I can feel it.

My Own Personal Show and Tell

I've read numerous blog carnivals, but never thrown my hat in the ring. Today, I will in the 55th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic is to show and tell "about an heirloom, a special photo, a valuable document, or a significant person that is a very special part of your family history."

There were several qualifying items and people in my tree: the guy who was governor for a few weeks, the guy who was murdered over a woman and a horse, numerous Civil War veterans, many hard working folks who were good people without notoriety.

However, the subject of my show and tell is yours truly:



Earlier this year, I became a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

My grandparents would have been very proud.

Like several Chickasaw citizens, we descend from James Logan Colbert. For family members playing along, the line goes like this:

James Logan Colbert > Major James Colbert > James Isaac Colbert Jr. > Christopher Columbus Colbert > Carrie Colbert > Frankie Jones > my grandma > my dad > me!