Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1960.6176.01 |
Object Name |
Document |
Description |
JASPER EXENDINE, born May 30, 1853 in Kansas was the youngest child of Johnson Exendine and his wife, the daughter of a chief of the Delawares when the Delawares agreed to remove from Missouri to Kansas. The father, Johnson Exendine served in the Civil War, on the side of the north as a member of the First Arkansas Cavalry, Co. B, 5th Reg. and gave his life for his country during this conflict. When Mrs. Exendine was notified of her husband's death the shock was more than she could bear, dying on the spot from heart failure. These tragic incidents left Jasper an orphan at the age of ten years. For the next four years he lived with his brothers and sisters on the Delaware lands in Kansas. When the Delawares came to Indian Territory, Jasper came along. He became a strong athlete and could out wrestle, out fight or out run anyone who dared challenge him. Jasper chose a Delaware girl, Emeline Ellis, a daughter of Wa Nahr Que Noh o, as his first wife. Her parents had died when she was very small and she was raised by Sam Williams, her grandfather. Jasper built a trading-post at the Rocky Ford crossing on the Caney about six miles northwest of Bartlesville. Here his first son, Fred was born in 1879 and in 1884 Albert Andrew came along. Mr. Bartles bought this store from Jasper and so the family moved to just west of Bartlesville on the east slope of the Mound. Here another store and blacksmith shop was built. Emiline, the mother of the two boys died in January 1884 and was buried in the Delaware Indian Cemetery northwest of Dewey. Jasper re-married in 1885 another Delaware by the name of Mary (Hill) Snake. She had two children, Oliver and Annie Snake. Jasper, adopted these children as his own, Oliver Exendine was a fireman for many years at Station #6 in Oklahoma City. Three more children were born to Jasper by this wife. They were Frank, Louise and Joseph. Jasper became a powerful political figure in his tribe, but as all political figures he made enemies. Some people taking advantage of Jasper's friendship and trust duped him out of much of his land and holdings. Jasper then decided to move to the Ringo area where he hoped to re-establish himself as a merchant. He built a store and blacksmith shop and a home about a mile southwest of the little settlement on the trail going south. He helped to establish a school here where his two sons might attend. This home is where little Louise was born and died soon after and was buried on the farm there. Again Jasper decided to move, settling at Grayhorse in the Osage for a while then running a ferry on Bird Creek near Skiatook for a while. Not finding acceptance in the Osage he moved to Anadarko and was enrolled with the Absentee Delawares causing an injunction to be written in the Delaware Roll of 1898 whereby he and his descendants were forbidden to ever share in any payment to the Delaware Indians. On his land allotment seven miles west of Lokebo he built a home and a store once more. It was at this location that a post office was established in 1902 and given the name of Exendine. In 1908 Jasper purchased a ranch in Mexico and had the beginning of a successful spread when he was forced into flight by the bandit, Pancho Villa. Leaving during the rainy season and traveling at night, the family suffered many hardships and lost most of their belongings including valuable legal papers, diaries and pictures. It was in 1931, long after the death of his beloved Delaware wife and two subsequent marriages, Jasper was laid to rest beside Tote-ki-e-now-qua or Emaline, in the Delaware cemetery northwest of Dewey. The years of wandering and heartbreak for a man who only wanted the betterment of his people and the best for his family had come to an end. Only one daughter remains to think of this man and his trials. With the passing of Albert, his son, there leaves yet another Albert to carry on the name, Exendine, a descendant of a German by the name of Oxendine who married a Delaware Indian maiden and was disinherited by his family probably in the late 1700's. We are indebted to Mr. Harold R. Farrar for the material on Jasper Exendine. The History Room has copies of the story of the Ranch in Mexico, Oyo De Aqua Ranch and other material suitable for research all through the generosity of Mr. Farrar. See-Magnet, 29 Mar.1895; 26 Feb 1897 pg 3; 8 Mar.1895. Caney Chronicle Exchange, pg 3, Col 2, JE -71-36-1 pg 16 F#6 also pg 8. Historical Society Minutes 6-15-1966 F#65 69-107-1 pg 103b, Farrar SB., & pg 174- also. |
Number of images |
2 |