Finding a Link to the Western Catawba Indian Association of the 1890s

Only two surnames are (at present) associated with the Western Catawba Indian Association -- Bain/Bane and Williamson. These are not known Catawban surnames. I discovered 2 censuses in the mid/late nineteenth century in Western Arkansas that looked helpful. In these records, a "Bunch" and a "Minor" were living with Bain/Bane families. Minor and Bunch are known Catawban surnames. The second surname associated with this group was Williamson. There was a White Williamson family living on Catawba land in South Carolina. Since few records of Catawban marriages exist from this timeframe, perhaps one of these Williamson's married into the Catawba. I have shown possible reasons why these surnames could be valid -- not proof that they are. Can I tie my family to either of these surnames? Let's see.

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1746580/m1/2/zoom/?resolution=1.5&lat=6100.4621193714465&lon=2535.8025970156878

The Frederick Leader; Friday, December 29, 1922; page 2 of 4; 2nd column

Deep Red

Deep Red, December 27. [A few paragraph’s down]

Mr. & Mrs. Swaney Richey, Mrs. Holton Richey and daughter, Juanita of Cement spent the holidays at the J. H. Richey home.

Miss Willie Bell Wiley spent Sunday with Miss Eunice Hawkins.

. . . several paragraph’s down . . .

Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, and daughter Maurine, spent Tuesday at the J. H. Richey home.

My great grand parents were J. H. (Jeffrey Hoten) and Josephine (Brown) Richey. Swaney Richey was grandma’s brother, dad’s uncle. So was called Hoten Richey (spelled here as Holton). He was also named “Jeffrey Hoten Richey,” same as his father. But while his father was called “Jeffrey”, the younger son was called “Uncle Hoten” – that’s what dad always called him. “Eunice” was dad’s cousin, great Aunt Bea’s daughter. Dad used to say she knew our Indian heritage. Dad used to be close to her. But he said he asked her once about out Native heritage and she replied, “Oh, you just want that Indian money.” Dad said she hurt his feelings and he quit being so close to her after that. He never asked her again. Dad would have been 6 or 7 years old in 1922. He always said he grew up on a neighboring farm, next door to his grandparents. He might have known of these Williamson’s visit, but being so young, it never registered on him. I wish I could ask him who they were, now. It’s 30 years too late to ask him.

I don’t know who those Williamson’s were that visited my great grandparents. Could they have been relatives of George E. Williamson? That's the name associated with the Western Catawba Indian Association in the 1890s. I don’t know what to do next . . .

My great grandparents lived in the Chickasaw Nation and are on the 1900 Chickasaw Nation census. On the 1910 census they are recorded in Tillman County, in the new state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma became a state in 1907.Maybe finding Maurine/Maureen Williamson is the key. I’ll keep looking.

I found the following:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGRL-S5ZT

Citation:

"Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGRL-S5ZT : 18 October 2019), B J Williamson in entry for Maureen Williamson, 1916; citing School Enrollment, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm .

Name B J Williamson

Sex U

B J Williamson's Spouses and Children

Maureen Williamson

Daughter

F

6

Event Type School Enrollment

Name Maureen Williamson

Sex Female

Age 6

School Enrollment Date 1916

School Enrollment Place Oklahoma, United States

School Enrollment Place (Original) Oklahoma

Birth Date 14 Jul 1910

Parent Name B J Williamson

So there was a “Maureen Williamson” born in 1910 in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, only a “B. J. Williamson” is listed as a parent. The “Maurine” listed in the Frederick Leader would have been a twelve years old at the time of the newspaper article, If “Maurine” is “Maureen”. They visited my great grandparents during the school Christmas/News Year holidays. Wish I knew more about this family.

Maureen is listed with two sisters, Ruth and Mary. “Maurine” is most likely “Maureen”. They visited my great grandparents during the school Christmas/News Year holidays. Maybe I'll discover more about them one day.