RELEASE DATE: APRIL 28, 2019
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
Many genealogists trying to trace their Native American ancestors are familiar with the Dawes Rolls. Perhaps a lesser-known resource is the Starr Roll of 1894. Thanks to Jeff Bowen’s transcription of the material, that source is now available in print format in his series, STARR ROLL 1894 (CHEROKEE PAYMENT ROLLS), DISTRICTS: CANADIAN, COOWEESCOOWEE, AND DELAWARE, VOLUME ONE and STARR ROLL 1894 (CHEROKEE PAYMENT ROLLS), DISTRICTS: FLINT, GOING SNAKE, AND ILLINOIS, VOLUME TWO.
Why were these rolls made? As Bowen points out in his introduction, the U. S. Congress passed an act authorizing the sale of lands west of the Cherokee Nation lands on 3 March 1893. Known as the Cherokee Outlet, the lands for sale were later referred to as the 1894 Cherokee Strip Payment. Originally created by agreement with the Eastern Cherokee in 1835, the Cherokee Outlet occupied a strip of land fifty-seven miles wide in present-day northern/northwestern Oklahoma and was intended as a “perpetual outlet west” for the Cherokee. After 1877, however, the Cherokee Nation leased the Outlet to the Cherokee Strip Livestock Association, which desired it for its rich grazing lands. In 1893, homesteaders were permitted to stake their claims to this land in the fourth and largest of Oklahoma’s five land runs. In return for opening the Outlet to white settlers, eligible members of the Cherokee Nation were paid the per-capita sum of $265.70.
Ezekiel Eugene Starr, treasurer for the Western Cherokee Nation, created the receipt roll for the payments. He arranged the roll by each of the nine Cherokee Districts and thereunder by each party’s enrollment number. The contents of the receipt roll furnishes the name of the head of household, names of other household members, the amount of the payment, name of the person receiving the payment, and name of the individual who witnessed the transaction. Sometimes miscellaneous remarks may also be included, such as family relationships or status, like “minor” or “invalid.” Some recurring surnames are ADAIR, ALBERTY, BEAN, BECK, BELL, BROWN, BYERS, CATCHER, CHRISTIE/CHRISTY, CLOUD, COCHRAN, CRITTENDEN, DOWNING, FIELDS, FOREMAN, HOLLAND, MORRIS, PETIT/PETITT, RIDER, ROGERS, SANDERS, SCOTT, STARR, STILL, THOMPSON, THORNTON, VANN, WALKER, WELCH, and WOLF/WOLFE.
Bowen is to be commended for making this valuable resource readily accessible to more researchers. Many genealogists will be looking forward to seeing what they can discover about their ancestors in STARR ROLL 1894 (CHEROKEE PAYMENT ROLLS), DISTRICTS: CANADIAN, COOWEESCOOWEE, AND DELAWARE, VOLUME ONE and STARR ROLL 1894 (CHEROKEE PAYMENT ROLLS), DISTRICTS: FLINT, GOING SNAKE, AND ILLINOIS, VOLUME TWO.
Volume One has 540 pages while Volume Two has 331 pages. Both publications have soft covers, an introduction, illustrations (including E. E. Starr’s family tree), a few reproductions of documents, and a full-name index. To the books’ price of $43.50 each, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.50 for one book and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $7.50 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional book. The set (item order #8007 for Volume One and #8008 for Volume Two) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Clearfield Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website at www.genealogical.com.