Euchee Mission, Creek Nation, Indian Territory

 

Updated: 06 Sep 2009
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Euchee Indian Boarding School 

 


notes only - to be completed

EUCHEE MISSION  

Plans to establish the Euchee Indian Boarding School began as early as 1891, but the school was not built until 1894...

The land was public domain, but in 1899 it was surveyed and 40 acres reserved for the school...

The school in the beginning was in charge of a Presbyterian Mission at Park Hill. It had an 80 pupil capacity. The Council agreed that it be co-educational with 50 Creeks and 50 Euchees. Noah Gregory was the first Superintendent.

When first organized the school had 3 buildings - 2 dorms and a 3 room school less than a mile outside the city limits.

1925 it became a school for boys - 110 Euchees and Creeks and more buildings were added. The girls were sent to Eufaula. 1928 the school opened the Federal support, receiving Creek, Euchee, Cherokee and Seminole boys. In 1929 ninth-grade boys were placed in the pubic schools of Sapulpa.

1895-1899 J. H. Land was Superintendent and Minister of the school. 1900 Wm A. Sapulpa was the Superintendent.

1897 Creek Nation took over and provided for maintenance of the school. 

1907 control of the school was assumed by the Federal Government. 

1929 boys above forth grade were enrolled in Sapulpa City Schools. Fifth and sixth graders attended Woodlawn School which was located on the two acres given to the City of Sapulpa by the Creek Nation. Seventh and eighth grades attended Washington School. The school accepted students from this area who were without adequate homes, having lost one or more parents. Boys must not have less than 1/4 degree Indian blood. Creek, Euchee, Seminole, Chickasaw, Cherokee tribes were enrolled.

1947 the Euchee Mission was abolished by government order and pupils absorbed by the Sapulpa School system.

Source: Sapulpa, 74066 Vol. 1, p. 112

Other bits about Euchee Mission from the Sapulpa book -

Stella Woodson, R. N. Nurse at Euchee Mission
Hattie Garber teacher at Euchee Mission

Much credit for the founding of Euchee Mission is due to Samuel Brown, Noah Gregory, Henry Land and Wm Sapulpa.

Euchee Tribe of Indians, 2 S. Independence, Sapulpa.....918-224-3065

Wanda Havlick  [email protected]
I went to Woodlawn School (the old one) several hundred years ago while the Euchee Mission was active.  The old Woodlawn was located just to the south of what is now the administration building.  When I was in grades 1-3, the Euchee area was fenced and we were not allowed to cut through there and had to go down to Lincoln Street to get to the residential areas east of the mission.

By fourth grade the mission had been opened and the Woodlawn 4th grades had classes in one of the two of three two storied buildings that were either dorms for the mission students or classrooms....I really don't remember. I do remember that there were four classes in each building.  The buildings sat about where the parking lot is located on the east side of Woodlawn (new) and the HS.  There was a house located on the property occupied by the Bonham family, I think.  Both adult Bonhams were teachers.  I don't recall any other homes ever being on that piece of land now occupied by the school.

One of the old mission buildings was used as a Youth Center at one time and was near the center of the area now occupied by the schools.  I lived in the 1400 block of Thompson Street and remember walking through the area.

We were not allowed to fraternize with the Mission students, nor they with us.  However, I recall that many of the students later attended Woodlawn. At my age, I hardly remember what happened yesterday, but I do remember Euchee Mission.  Would you believe I felt discriminated against because I thought their school was for the more privileged???
WH

Charlie R Brooks  [email protected]
The Euchee school was located on a large plot of ground that extended from Mission & Lee streets south to Lincoln and East to what is now Watchhorn. The buildings were located east of Mission about 50-100 yards from the street. Altho I'm not Creek or Euchee (Part Cherokee) I took boxing  from a Coach at the mission who was called "Two Thumbs".  There is a Euchee Mission Society located at Okmulgee Ok. at the Creek Headquarters and I believe they have a complete roster of all who attended over the years.

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]
(Record Group 75)

http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg075.html
75.20.11 Records of the Euchee Boarding School, Sapulpa, OK

Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Narrative and statistical reports, with accompanying photographs, 1928-46. Records relating to enrollment and attendance, 1914-42; and personnel, 1912-47. Student case files, 1912-47.

http://libraries.ou.edu/depts/westhistory/sapulpa.htm 
University of Oklahoma Libraries
Western History Collections
SAPULPA (OKLAHOMA) EUCHEE BOARDING SCHOOL COLLECTION
Ledgers recording supplies used by the school, along with the number of teachers and students in attendance, 1915-1918.

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/pioneer/ohs/creekschools.html 
When the Nuyaka Boarding School was closed the students of that school were transferred to Euchee Boarding School, which is still in use and retains its same name.