The Choctaw Freedmen Part 48

July 21,1912.

A Friend, SIMON FOLSOM.

FRUIT BULLETIN

The superintendent continued to have charge of the improvement and other work of the Academy and farm, until the first of October; publis.h.i.+ng in the mean time the last issue of the Freedman's Friend in September; and, remaining during the month of October, prepared and published a bulletin ent.i.tled, "Approved Fruits for Southern Oklahoma."

The aim of the author, in preparing and publis.h.i.+ng this fruit bulletin, was to furnish a short and reliable text book on horticulture, for use in the Academy; and to supply the patrons of the inst.i.tution, the information they were needing, to enable them to secure, when making their first investments, profitable early, medium and late, fruit-bearing varieties of trees for a small home orchard on their respective allotments.

FAREWELL

The farewell words of the superintendent, briefly summarized, appeared as follows in the last issue of the Freedman's Friend:

With the sending forth of this issue of the Oak Hill Freedman's Friend, Rev. R. E. Flickinger lays aside the mantle of service, as superintendent of the Academy and Farm, and cordially commends Rev. W.

H. Carroll, his successor, to the confidence and esteem of all the patrons and friends of the inst.i.tution.

The opportunity afforded here during the last eight years, to engage in the educational work among the colored people of our beloved land, has been the realization of an earnest desire awakened in the early part of our ministry, but not expressed until the opening occurred at this place. The silent but deeply impressive cry of need, the golden opportunity to lay the foundation for the organization and development of an important Industrial Educational Inst.i.tution in this new section of country, and the cordial co-operation of local ministers, teachers, patrons and friends, have combined to make this work throughout, intensely interesting.

It has enlisted our n.o.blest and best powers of mind, heart and hand. The constant probability that our term of service would at best be brief, and the desire to accomplish the greatest possible results, have proved an incentive to incessant industry. When difficulties increased, they served as a signal to go forward more earnestly.

We have done what we could to add our mite, most, effectively, to the great educational work needed in this south land. That which has been done, has been due to the constant and cordial co-operation of our Board of Missions for Freedmen, and of the immediate patrons and friends of the inst.i.tution. It remains, that we express to you all our lasting grat.i.tude, for your cordial co-operation, and for the present, say, Farewell!

"G.o.d bless you, till we meet again."

Very truly,

R. E. FLICKINGER.

PART III

HISTORY ... OF THE ...

PRESBYTERY OF KIAMICHI ... AND THE ...

SYNOD OF CANADIAN

"My church is the place, where the Word of G.o.d is preached, the power of G.o.d is felt, the Spirit of G.o.d is manifested and the unity of G.o.d is perceived."

"There, I am to meet my Saviour, to meditate on his redemption, to listen to his commands, to bow in reverence before him, to pray for his guidance, to sing his praise, to ask for his help, and to sit quietly in his house."

"It is the home of my soul, the altar of my devotion, the hearth of my faith, the center of my affections and the foretaste of heaven."

"I have united with it in solemn covenant, pledging myself to attend its services, to pray for its members, to give to its support, to obey its laws, to protect its name, to reverence its building, to honor its officers and to maintain its permanence."

"It claims the princ.i.p.al place in my activities, and its unity, peace and progress, concern my life in this world and that which is to come."--F. Hyatt Smith.

XLI

THE PRESBYTERY OF KIAMICHI

CONSt.i.tUTED IN 1896.--ORGANIZED AT GRANT.--BOUNDARY ENLARGED IN 1907.--REPORT IN 1913.--GROWTH, 1868 TO 1913.--DEARTH OF MINISTERS.--FAVORITE SONS.--NEW ERA.

"Neglect not the gift which was given thee, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery."--Paul.

The ministers and group of churches, that first formed the Presbytery of Kiamichi, belonged originally to the Presbytery of Choctaw; which included the territory allotted in 1832 to the Choctaw Nation, comprising the southeast one-fourth of Indian Territory, after the establishment of Oklahoma Territory in 1890.

CONSt.i.tUTED BY SYNOD

The Synod of Indian Territory, at the meeting held at South McAlester, Oct. 22-25, 1896, in response to an overture for division from the Presbytery of Choctaw, established the new Presbytery by the adoption of the following resolutions:

1st. That the Choctaw Presbytery be divided into two Presbyteries, according to the following geographical boundaries: First, beginning at Durant on the M. K. & T. Railroad, east on the 34th parallel to the Arkansas line, thence South to the Texas line, thence west with the Texas line (Red river) to the M. K. & T. Railroad, thence north with the M. K. & T. Railroad to Durant, the starting point; this Presbytery to be known as the Presbytery of Tuskaloosa, and to embrace the following churches now within its bounds: St. Paul, Oak Hill, Bethany, Forest, Beaver Dam, Hebron, Sandy Branch, New Hope, Oak Grove and Mt. Gilead--10; and to embrace the following ministers, now members of the Presbytery of Choctaw: Rev. E. G.

Haymaker, (white) Rev. E. B. Evans, (white) Rev. Wiley Homer, Rev.

J. H. Sleeper, and Rev. Samuel Gladman--5.

2nd. That the Presbytery of Tuskaloosa meet at Beaver Dam (Grant) on the Sat.u.r.day before the third Sabbath in November, 1896, at 11 o'clock a.m. and be opened with a sermon by Rev. E. G. Haymaker, or in his absence, by the oldest minister present, who shall preside until a new Moderator is elected.

ORGANIZED AT GRANT

The first meeting of this new Presbytery was held at Grant, in the Beaver Dam church of which Rev. Wiley Homer was pastor, Nov. 14-16, 1896, seven months after the death of Parson Stewart, who had organized and developed all these churches. The meeting was opened with a sermon by Rev. Edward G. Haymaker, superintendent of Oak Hill Academy, Clear Creek; and he was chosen to serve as the first stated clerk. The first annual report, April 1, 1897, showed an enrollment of 5 ministers, 11 churches and 292 communicant members. The name of the Choctaw church at Wheelock, Garvin, P. O. was included in this report, and Richard D.

Colbert was enrolled as a licentiate and appointed stated supply of New Hope and Sandy Branch churches.

The name given this new Presbytery, which was the name of a county and county seat town in Alabama, was not entirely satisfactory to those, who were included in it; and in making their first report to synod in the fall of 1897, they requested the name be changed to Mountain Fork, the name of a branch of Little river, that flows from the east end of Kiamichi mountain. While this matter was under discussion at synod the name of the princ.i.p.al river flowing through the bounds of the Presbytery, "Kiamichi," (Ki a mish ee) signifying "Where you going," was suggested by Rev. Wiley Homer; and it was approved both by the Synod and Presbytery.

The roll of the Presbytery, at the time of its first report in the spring of 1897, included two Choctaw churches, namely, Oak Grove at Grant, and Wheelock, having 5 and 70 members respectively. During this year Oak Grove was disbanded and dropped; and Wheelock, becoming vacant, was transferred to the Presbytery of Choctaw; Rev. Evan B. Evans, its last pastor, having gone to Mulhall, in the Presbytery of Oklahoma.

Bethany, a colored church previously reported as having 9 members was also dropped. These changes reduced the Presbytery to one consisting entirely of colored churches and of colored ministers, with the single exception of Rev. E. G. Haymaker, superintendent of Oak Hill Academy, who was engaged in the educational work among them.

The annual report for 1898, the first one under the new name, "Kiamichi"

that included only colored churches, shows that the Presbytery then consisted of 4 ministers, E. G. Haymaker, Wiley Homer, John H. Sleeper and Samuel Gladman; 2 licentiates, William Butler and R. D. Colbert; and 8 churches, Oak Hill, 40; Mount Gilead, 25; Saint Paul, 14; Beaver Dam, 34; Hebron, 13; New Hope, 25; Sandy Branch, 16; and Forest, 20; having 187 members and 248 Sunday school members.

BOUNDARY ENLARGED

In May 1907, when the General a.s.sembly at Columbus, Ohio, united and rearranged the synods and Presbyteries of the Presbyterian and c.u.mberland churches, after the union of their a.s.semblies at Des Moines the previous year, the boundary of the Presbytery of Kiamichi was defined as follows:

The Presbytery of Kiamichi shall consist of all ministers and churches of the Negro race in that part of the synod of Oklahoma, lying south of the south Canadian river, and south of the Arkansas river, below the point of confluence of these two rivers.--Min. G. A., 1907, 214.