Joel B. Mayes
Encyclopedia
Joel Bryan Mayes (1833 – 1891) was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
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on October 2, 1833, of mixed Cherokee and white ancestry. He attended college at the Cherokee Male Seminary
and was editor of a small weekly newspaper, there, called the Sequoyah Memorial, whose motto was "Truth, Justice, Freedom of Speech and Cherokee Improvement." He graduated in 1856.
In 1857 he married Martha Candy, who died three years later. She had been an 1856 graduate of the Cherokee Female Seminary
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He served as a major in the Confederate Army, where he held the positions of quartermaster and paymaster, till the end of the war. During this time, he married Martha McNair in 1863. She died three years later, just as the first Mrs. Mayes had.
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In 1873 he married Mary Delilah Vann, who outlived him.
Nation after a disputed election in 1887. It was during his administration that the Cherokee Outlet
sale was negotiated. He was re-elected to a second term, but died shortly thereafter, on December 14, 1891.
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
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Early life and education
He was born in present-day Bartow County, GeorgiaBartow County, Georgia
Bartow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 100,157. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2009 estimate, the county's explosive growth resulted in a population of 96,217, a 26.5% increase in less than ten years...
on October 2, 1833, of mixed Cherokee and white ancestry. He attended college at the Cherokee Male Seminary
Cherokee Male Seminary
The Cherokee Male Seminary was a tribal college, established by the Cherokee Nation, and one of first institutions of higher learning established west of the Mississippi River.-Creation:...
and was editor of a small weekly newspaper, there, called the Sequoyah Memorial, whose motto was "Truth, Justice, Freedom of Speech and Cherokee Improvement." He graduated in 1856.
In 1857 he married Martha Candy, who died three years later. She had been an 1856 graduate of the Cherokee Female Seminary
Cherokee Female Seminary
The Cherokee Female Seminary, , serves as the centerpiece of Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States. The building was constructed to replace the original Cherokee Female Seminary that burnt to the ground Easter Sunday 1887...
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Military service
Postwar Life
After the war ended, Joel B. Mayes, became a successful farmer along the Grand RiverNeosho River
The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.- Course :The Neosho's...
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In 1873 he married Mary Delilah Vann, who outlived him.
Political career
In 1868 he became a court clerk, and upon completing one term he was elected judge of the Northern Circuit of the Cherokee Nation. He served in this office for five years before being appointed secretary of the Commission on Citizenship. While still secretary of the Commission on Citizenship, he became clerk of the National Council. He was then named an associate justice of the Cherokee Supreme Court, which he served for one year before being elected Chief Justice by the National Council.Cherokee Chief
He was named Principal Chief of the CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Nation after a disputed election in 1887. It was during his administration that the Cherokee Outlet
Cherokee Outlet
The Cherokee Outlet, often mistakenly referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th and 100th meridians. It was about 225 miles long and in 1891...
sale was negotiated. He was re-elected to a second term, but died shortly thereafter, on December 14, 1891.