Isaac Impson born around 1800 in Mississippi.
Josiah Impson was born on a 160 acre farm on Fannagusha Creek, Homes County, Mississippi, about 1824 to Isaac Impson and a mother whose name we do not know. He had at least three brothers: William born around 1822, Morris and Louis. There may have been other children.
When the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed in September 27, 1930, it meant the Impsons would have to give up their home and move to a new land, west of the Mississippi River. In the fall of 1833, the Impsons, along with other Choctaws, started on the journey, which would become known as "The Trail of Tears." Driven by the United States soldiers to the new Choctaw Nation, they were mustered in at the Red River District at Fort Townson, December 13, 1833.
Josiah and his brother, William, settled in Jacks Fork County, near Many Springs, which was the county seat. This area is now Daisy, Oklahoma, in Atoka County.
During the 1800's, Josiah served in several capacities in Jacks Fork County government. First as secretary of the court, then, in 1872, he was appointed to a two-year term as County Treasurer. He was later appointed County Clerk.
On August 20, 1872, his brother, William, was appoint County and Probate Judge of the County by Chief William Bryant.
Josiah was married four times, and had ten children by these marriages. They were Eliza, Morris, Issac J., Mary Ann, Jane, William, Dennis, Elise, Alice and Nelson.
Josiah Died September 2, 1896, in Jack Forks County and is buried in the old Impson Cemetery, one mile east of Jumbo, where the Impson Methodist Church once stood.
His daughter, Mary Ann, 5/8 Choctaw, was born around 1861. She was first married to Benjamin Murphy around 1880 who was sheriff of Jacks Fork County. They had two daughters, Josephine (1881) (married Fount Clark) and Mary Jane 12-1884 (Dawes # 5735) (married Lut Mitchell.) About 1885, they moved to Balls Chapel Community West of Atoka, where he continued to work as a lawman and raised cattle. As he returned from duty one day, an assailant shot him in the back. He fell into the river and was later found dead.
On March 27, 1889, Mary was married a second time, to Thomas Fernley Danenhour, in Sherman, Texas. Mary's Father would only let them marry if they married in both Indian Territory and white man's country.Thomas Fernley was born November 1858, in Philadelphia, PA, to George B. Danenhour and Rebecca Winder, whose father was propertied to be a millionaire.
Thomas Fernley's parents George Danenhour and Rebecca Winder lived in Philadelphia and were thought to be part Jewish and Pennsylvania Dutch. Original Danenhour's came from Germany through Holland to Pennsylvania.
Around 1883, Fernley left Philadelphia, going first to Wyoming, then to Montana, and finally, following the Shawnee Trail landing in Indian Territory, during a cattle drive. He went to work for Ben Murphy.
Following their marriage, Thomas Fernley and Mary moved back to the Balls Chapel Community, and in 1891, built a home, which still stands. Fernley kept the Ben Murphy brand - BM.
Sometime in the early 1890's Thomas and Mary moved to the community of Standing Rock and built a three-room house. Thomas and Mary had five children: Fannie 1-1890, Hettie 3-1892, George 12-1893, Annie 12-1895, and Benjamin Franklin 9-7-1897.
Mary died August 30, 1898 at age 37, and is buried in the old abandoned Balls Chapel Cemetery. Fernley received an Indian allotment along with their children.
About 1900, Tom married Emma Toaz from Eaton County, Michigan who came to Indian Territory with her three brothers Kimball, Alvin and William. It was said Emma was a mail order bride. About 1904 Alvin married Rilla Peck also from Eaton County, Michigan and they had four children. Carl (who was killed by lightning in 1913), Mildred, Gretchen, and Lillian.
In 1904, Alvin and his family came to live with the Danenhours in Standing Rock and together, Tom and Alvin built eight rooms onto the original house, and a cellar. The children attended the Chilocco Indian School in 1907. Coal County records show that T. F. Danenhour purchased land in Coalgate on 2/24/1913 and in Lehigh on 12/5/1916
In 1914 Tom began to keep a few store goods to sell. In 1915 a steel railroad track was built from Hickory Hill Community, where he built a large commissary, a boarding house for mine workers and six-four room tenement houses. The first oil well drilled in Oklahoma was in Atoka County, at Standing Rock. Mr. Danenhour leased 1920 fenced acres in the west half of section 12 and the west half of section 2S, R10E. The Danenhour girls were later sent to Boston Mass to boarding school, (at least Annie was according to her granddaughter). There is no record of George except for the fact that he was drafted into WWI and served until he retired as a Major. Benjamin Franklin stayed at Jones Male Academy until age fifteen and in 8th grade. Frank later taught at Jones Academy where is met his future bride, Jewel Adams. Son of Benjamin Franklin said that Mary Jane Mitchell; half sister (daughter of Mary and Benjamin Murphy) raised the Danenhour children for a time.
Between 1918 and 1920, Tom and Emma sold all their belongs and left Atoka County. Thomas Fernley lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and died there October 6, 1929. He is buried in the West View Cemetery in Atoka, OK.
