Chahta Tamaha, Indian Territory
Encyclopedia
Chahta Tamaha was an important town in the Choctaw Nation
, Indian Territory
that served as the Choctaw capital from 1863 to 1883. The town grew up around the Armstrong Academy. The townsite is located in present day Bryan County, Oklahoma
. Today nothing is left of the town or the Academy. However, the Armstrong Academy Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The site was selected because there was a good fresh water spring with enough current to run a gristmill.
A large wood supply was available.
The first classroom buildings and dormitories were built of logs from the area. In the late 1850s a brick building replaced the log building. A two-story brick addition was added later.
A trading post, blacksmith and church were established early on.
As a school the average attendance was about 65 students though in 1859 it had about 100 students.
"The mission was transferred from the American Indian Mission Association to the Domestic Board of Southern Baptist Convention."
The Baptist Missionary Society of Louisville, Kentucky directed activities until 1855. In that year it was turned over to the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions who directed it until the school closed in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War.
the academy closed. Part of the building was used as a Confederate Hospital. The Choctaw Council met there in 1863, and the Choctaw capital was transferred there during the same year.
The United Nations of Indian Territory delegates (Cherokee
, Chickasaw
, Creek, Choctaw
, Seminole
, and Caddo
) met here with the Confederacy
to plan war strategy.
Commercial activities increased during that time.
. In that same year the Armstrong Academy again became a school. Admission was limited to orphaned boys.
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
, Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
that served as the Choctaw capital from 1863 to 1883. The town grew up around the Armstrong Academy. The townsite is located in present day Bryan County, Oklahoma
Bryan County, Oklahoma
Bryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 36,534 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Durant. The county shares the same boundaries as the Durant Micropolitan Area. It is also home to the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma located in Durant...
. Today nothing is left of the town or the Academy. However, the Armstrong Academy Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Foundation until the Civil War
Armstrong Academy was founded as a school for Choctaw boys in 1844. It was named after William Armstrong, a popular agent of the Choctaws.The site was selected because there was a good fresh water spring with enough current to run a gristmill.
A large wood supply was available.
The first classroom buildings and dormitories were built of logs from the area. In the late 1850s a brick building replaced the log building. A two-story brick addition was added later.
A trading post, blacksmith and church were established early on.
As a school the average attendance was about 65 students though in 1859 it had about 100 students.
"The mission was transferred from the American Indian Mission Association to the Domestic Board of Southern Baptist Convention."
The Baptist Missionary Society of Louisville, Kentucky directed activities until 1855. In that year it was turned over to the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions who directed it until the school closed in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War.
As Choctaw capital/Chahta Tamaha
During the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the academy closed. Part of the building was used as a Confederate Hospital. The Choctaw Council met there in 1863, and the Choctaw capital was transferred there during the same year.
The United Nations of Indian Territory delegates (Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
, Creek, Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
, and Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
) met here with the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
to plan war strategy.
Commercial activities increased during that time.
Capital moved
Chahta Tamaha remained the capital of the Choctaw Nation until 1883, when the capital was relocated to TuskahomaTuskahoma, Oklahoma
Tuskahoma is a community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma.-History:A United States Post Office was established at Tushka Homma, Indian Territory on February 27, 1884. On October 28, 1891, the spelling changed to Tushkahomma. On December 6, 1910 the...
. In that same year the Armstrong Academy again became a school. Admission was limited to orphaned boys.
Destruction
The Armstrong Academy was destroyed by fire in February 1921. The Federal government refused to rebuild it, and today the area has reverted to its original state as a deserted pasture. Nothing remains of the town but rubble from the Armstrong Academy.Sources
- Wright, Muriel H. "Historic Spots in the Vicinity of Tuskahoma". Chronicles of Oklahoma 9:1 (March 1931) 27-42. (accessed February 8, 2007)
- Wright, Muriel H., George H. Shirk, Kenny A. Franks. Mark of Heritage. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Historical Society, 1976.