Also known as Mary Kelly. The nationality of
Mary Eagle Man was an unknown place ; Oglala Lakota. Also known as Ijkalaka Eagle Man. Mary was born in 1858. "She was the daughter of Eagle Man. Her mother died when she was very young and was raised by an aunt who was married to a man named Bullard."[Sundstrom, Montana Town of Color, 1997].
1 She was the daughter of
(?) Eagle Man and
Unknown Sister Richard. She resided at Chugwater River Region after 1865, "From the late 1860's until 1884, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly made their home on the Kelly Ranch, near Chugwater where three daughters and five sons were born. They lived in a log and sod house until 1877, when Hi built a spacious brick house containing 14 rooms which included bedrooms, a beautiful front hallway and staircase, kitchen, butler's pantry, and a back staircase leading to two small bedrooms above the kitchen. On the east side of the house was a large porch, and on the south (front) side there was a portico leading to the double front doors, and over this was a balcony.
It was her the Kellys raised their family. Always living with the family were tutors from the East as well as household help. Hi planted cottonwood trees araound the house, many of which are still standing. Mrs. Kelly had one of the first vegeble gardens in this part of Wyoming. Close to the house was a thick-walled building made of grout with wooden bars covering the windows. It served at one time as a jail for retention of road agents on the Cheyenne-Deadwood Trail. On a little hill east of the ranch buildings was a small graveyard where several of Mrs. Kelly's reletives were buried. The brick house stood until 1874.
In 1876 Kelly built a large frame house a mile south of his home, and he and his brother-in-law, Tom Maxwell, operated this as a hotel and station on the Cheyenne-Deadwood stage road. This house still stands, and was for many years the residence of managers of the Swan Company."
Journalist of a Trip Beyond the Mississipp "
"Wed, Apr 16 [1873] - (Enroute to Bordeaux) Started home on Coach. Staid at (Hi) Kelly's all night. Denison & Dines promised to go to Medicine Bow to freight. McKinstry comcd driving. [John Hunton Diary. (1956) v.1, pg. 22]
"Sat, May 10 [1873] - Enroute to Cheyenne). Started to Cheyenne with Phillips (cash 18$) on way to Omaha to bid on contracts. Jules Ecoffey passed. Borrowed 200$ of (Hi) Kelly. [John Hunton Diary. (1956) v.1, pg. 23]
"Sun, May 11 [1873] - (Cheyenne). Staid at Kelly's all night. Nooned at Horse Creek. Arrived in Cheyenne at 5 P.M. Deep snow all the way from Bear Springs to Cheyenne. [John Hunton Diary. (1956) v.1, pg. 23].
2,1,3,4 She married
David Harrison Russell at
Laramie Co., Wyoming Territory, USA, on February 16, 1874. "One historian said David Russell gave eight horses and a one hundred pound sack of sugar as a bride-gift. The gift for a bride was a time-honored custom those days."[Sundstrom, Montana Town of Color, 1997].
1 Mary, as an unknown person 's wife, resided with an unknown person , at
Ekalaka, Carter Co., Montana, USA, in 1881. The Russell's " moved to southwestern Montana in the fall of 1881, they had four children. On the ranch David establish in Montana, they had nine more children. David was a buffalo hunter and also had a trading post there. Theirs was a lively household. The Russell children were sent to the Pierre, South Dakota, Indian Boarding School.".
1 An unknown person , Mary's significant other, resided with him In 1893, Russell had his wife and all of the children except one George, go to the Pine Ridge reservation for the winter. Two of the boys, Ben and John, were at the Indian school and were joined ther by James, Will and Kate. At that time David Russell and his son, George, packed their belongings to the reservation, David intending to live there. One of the Russell children, Elmer "Chug", died while the family lived on the reservation., at
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, USA.
1 Mary died on May 16, 1901 at
Ekalaka, Carter Co., Montana, USA. Ijkalaka, whose name meant "restless, always moving," was said to have worn her hair in long braids tied with red ribbons. She is remembered as being beautiful, a good neighbor and a good seamstress..
1 Her body was interred circa May 20, 1901 at
Ekalaka, Carter Co., Montana, USA, at Russell Family Cemetery.
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