Opinion: Robertson family played big role in Indian Territory

Monday, January 16, 2012  

"The William Robertson family had a tremendous impact on Indian Territory, particularly in an area known as the Choska Bottoms. Here was the location of the Tullahassee Mission that William and his wife Ann Eliza ran for many years. The Robertson’s daughter Alice is the best known member of the family, but all contributed to education in the Creek Nation. Alice’s sister Augusta, in her own way, had an equal impact in the area.

In November of 1882, Augusta, a young widow and teacher, married Napoleon Bonaparte Moore who was a leader in Creek politics. He owned a 200-acre ranch called Mule Shoe Ranch located near present-day Haskell. Their home was a large log cabin, and it was for many years a social center for the area bringing many influential Indian leaders to the Choska Bottoms to meet with Judge Moore.

N.B. Moore had served in various capacities in Creek government including four years in the House of Warriors and another four in the House of Kings at Okmulgee, the nation’s capital. At the time of his marriage to Augusta, he was serving as a supreme court judge for the Creek Nation. He worked with Joshua Ross in Muskogee to develop the International Indian Fair that was first held in the early 1870s at what today is Spaulding Park."

Get the Story:
Jonita Mullins: Robertson legacy found in Haskell (The Muskogee Phoenix 1/15)