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A cousin has recently told me he remembers our great-grandmother, Mary Ann “Annie” (Morrow) Walker telling him that she was full-blood Blackfeet. Until recently, I only knew of the Montana Blackfeet — a Nation I understood was a sub-group of the Teton Sioux — so was a little skeptical of this. However, having discovered this site and forum today, I am encouraged that his memory and her assertion are likely correct and it may now be possible to find out something about her family! Thank you!
Another cousin said that Annie’s mother was a Bowman and that the family lived in an area called “Little Dixie.” I had assumed this was the area of that name in IT/OK because some others of the family also lived in IT/OK but I have since learned there was/is also an area by that name in Missouri and that many “stepped off” the Trail of Tears in parts of Missouri, settled there, adopted ‘white ways’ and so were no longer ‘counted’ as Indian.
Annie married Alford McCoy “Bud” Walker on 13 Jul 1891 in Van Zandt Co., TX. I don’t know her father’s name or when her family came there. Bud was born in Marshal (Harrison) TX; his father, A.T. Walker, was born in 1839 in MS but HIS father, Richard Henry Walker, was born in 1804 in TN or KY; Richard’s father was William but don’t know where or when he was born. I suspect this family has Cherokee ancestry as well, possibly from a woman named McCoy who may have been one of Alford McCoy’s ancestors, but have nothing solid.
On the other side of the blanket, my mother always said we were Choctaw from her mother’s side. The family research other cousins have done indicates Grandmother’s father’s father was full-blood Cherokee. This line is Brannan and they ended up in Van Zandt County too, by way of GA>AL>MS but from TN/KY before that. Grandmother’s father was James Clarence Brannan, b 27 Mar 1837 in AL; his father was (I think) Stephen D. Brannan (b abt 1813 in GA or TN). Stephen was married to Priscilla whose maiden name may have been White, also possibly Cherokee.
What makes me think the connections are there:
1. Mother’s assertion (Choctaw)
2. Mary Ann’s assertion (Blackfeet)
3. Appearance and pictures of Mother and both her Brannan and Walker kin
4. Many family names on Cherokee Rolls (don’t have access to lists or rolls for other tribes)
5. Recurrence of Indian names among neighbors on censuses in KY, AL, MS, and TX
6. Does my ‘gut’ count?
It seems likely that these families lived near each other, associated together, and moved around together, if not at the same time, eventually met up at the same places.
To summarize the names in Mother’s blood line: Walker, Morrow, Bowman, Brannan, White, Maxey, Slaughter, and Wilder. Some of the inlaws and side-lines: Furrh, Munn, Freeman, Kelley, Grant, Kamman, Askew, Stone, Lewis, Haney, Harron, Moore, Boren, Parker, and Black.
Sorry to be so long winded but hope some of this story may ring a bell somewhere. I’ll appreciate any assistance and am happy to share the info I have.
Would they have lived near Cape Girardeau, MO? I have heard other Cherokee say their family stepped off the Trail of Tears in that area. There is a national park of the Trail of Tears near there. Where did your Blackfeet side reside?
Troislangues
Mary,
Your Walker line interests me as I’m researching the Walkers. I believe that they are part of the original Christanna settlement from Brunswick County. Your last name also piques my interest. Have you done much research on your Askew line? I’m curious to know if they, too, are from NC. There is another little settlement of Askews from Northampton and Bertie Counties. I believe they are going to be decendants also. I know the ones in Northampton are.
I’ll be in touch regarding your family. I’ll need to research it some more and sift through my stuff.
Talk soon
Crystal
Crystal….My father’s middle name was WALKER and so was my grandfather. My gggranfather was John W. ( don’t know actually what that (w) stood for) I was told by family WALKER was family name. Do you have a Walker /Collins connection? I was told it stood for “walker of the tribe”.
??????
Brenda
Welcome aboard, and thanks for taking the time to share all this. My husband has Walkers in his family he knows to be native.
There’s one thing that’s confusing me. It seems a reversal of the migration pattern for your Annie Walker to have been born in TN/KY if her parents were from MO or the Indian Territory. Of course I’ve seen it before — people who were removed out west who show up back east a generation later. Is that what you’re thinking happened here?
Thanks, all, for your prompt replies and your warm welcome! I’ll try to answer your questions.
Re Cape Girardeau, MO and migration patterns: Don’t have anything else on Annie’s family except impression Annie’s parents were also from TN/KY. Am really grabbing at genealogical straws, here! Maybe this part of the family never went West… or, as Linda suggests, maybe they went but came back…could be… there were almost 40 years between the TOT and when Annie was born in TN.
The cousin who said Annie and/or her family had lived in “Little Dixie” may have meant after her parents left TN. In the almost 20 years between her birth there and her marriage in east Texas they traveled, and either MO or IT/OK could have been on their route south and west… maybe they went to be with others who went earlier??
Does Bowman ring a bell for anybody?
Re Askew… Crystal, that’s my husband’s line. As of now they don’t think they’re related to the Bertie County ones. His came from TN to SC then GA and settled around Charlton and Harris counties. The oldest we’re sure about is Andrew Jackson Askew (1815-1867, s/o Anne and ___ Askew) m 1842 in Harris Co. GA to Mary Thornton Copeland (1823-1886) I have quite a bit on this, though, and am happy to share if it seems a fit for you.
About Walker… I’m stumped for earlier than Richard Henry (b c1804, TN), his wife, and for where the Alford and the McCoy names came from. There was some traffic on GenForm about a Choctaw or Cherokee named Amanda McCoy marrying a Walker but haven’t been able to make a connection.
Re Dawes and other Rolls, can someone suggest how I can go about getting more detail on the names listed in the two volumes of Blankenship’s “Cherokee Roots” (besides writing Washin’tn) and access to Rolls for other tribes? So many of my family’s names are on the Cherokee Rolls, I have to believe clues I need are there.
Thanks again for your replies!
mha
Mary,
Something has been bugging me for a couple days now. I have read your post several times and I am going to throw my 2 cents in and hope I don’t confuse you. Believe me my intentions are good.
1) My James Spencer’s mother was suppose to be Anne MORROW. ( I know nothing about the Morrow line) I do know about the Spencer line.James is identified on his war of 1812 pension applacation as being “Indian”. Some folks insists James father was Thomas Spencer but this in my mind has never been completely proven. All they are relying on is a will left by James Marrow which leaves a rifle to his grandson James. There are three James Spencers in the same area and all being about the same age. How do they know if they have the right one. I know this pension applacation is MY James because my gggrandfather Washington Spencer, son by the second marriage, signed the record as a witness. I just thought it was odd for us both to have a Anne Morrow. The Walker also ties in as my grandfather Collins and father both carry the Walker names as Middle names.I have been told they are family names but can’t find a Walker any place…instead I was told by a cousin that Walker meant “walker of the tribe”. If you aren’t confused by this time…I am
2) You mentioned “Little Dixie” but are you aware that there is also a “Little Dixie” in PIKE CO,KENTUCKY? YES….Chrystal and Linda I said Pike County,Kentucky….
3) BOWMAN….Check out Bowman’s Station on Google. It appears that a John COLLINS from Orange Co. Va was with Bowman and George Rogers CLARK (as of Lewis & Clark) in the founding of Bowman’s Station, Kentucky.
Brenda
P.S. I also have an ESKEW that married into my Collins line. Have you looked at this spelling?
[This message has been edited by Brenda Collins Dillon (edited 07-17-2001).]
Brenda,
No, I didn’t know about a Little Dixie in KY…that makes even more sense than MO! I’ll have to do some more checking.
Thanks for tip about Bowman Station, KY… will check. There’s also Bowman’s Crossing, south of Winchester,VA.
Interesting about the Anne and Annie… when was your James Spencer born? And when was James Morrow’s will was written? Does it mention other names?
Later,
mha
The sun us shinning bright this morning. Gone to be another HOT one in New England.
You ask: Interesting about the Anne and Annie… when was your James Spencer born? And when was James Morrow’s will was written? Does it mention other names?
JAMES3 SPENCER was born 1785 in Greenbrier Co. Va., and died 1880 in Nicholas Co. WVa.. He married (1) ELIZABETH HOPTONSTAL 1808 in Greenbrier Co. Va., daughter of ABRAHAM HOPTONSTAL and RACHEL PRICE. She was born 1791, and died 1831 in Greenbrier Co. WVa.. He married (2) MARY COOK 1833 in GreenbrierCo.Va.. She was born 1815 in Va..
James Morrow Will “West Va Estates Settlements” James Will dated Jan 1790
Appraisal July 1798
Thanks for info… did James’ will mention children? or others? I don’t have enough about Mary Ann Morrow to know if she belongs to the ones you mentioned … except that a cousin said her mother was a Bowman. If the will had Mary Ann and some or all the other names I found on the picture (Will, Ed, Emma), I’d think pretty good chance your James was the right father.
Thanks for looking!
Best wishes,
mha
as a native oklahoman, i’ve always heard of “little dixie” — that’s Southeastern Oklahoma — where the Choctaw nation is
hi my name is alicia beth morrow. i am of age 20yrs old. well i have been in CPS since i was 6yrs old. when i turend 18yrs old on july 2 2008 i got to see my mom for the first time in years. well my mom says that we have cherokee and choctaw in us well my grandma madien name was mary lue covitingtion she was maried to my grandpa frank morrow. well i am trying to find all of my realitves thank you please if you can help.
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