Nuyaka Mission
Encyclopedia
The Nuyaka Mission site is located in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
, approximately 15.7 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Route 75
and State Highway 56 (6th Street) in the City of Okmulgee, Oklahoma
. The Nuyaka Mission is included on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
. The mission was established by Alice Mary Robertson
at the request of the Creek Council, and run by the Presbyterian Church. (She later was elected as the first woman US Representative from Oklahoma.)
Per the granite marker at the site:
"Established in 1882 by the Creek Council, Nuyaka Mission was a boarding school for Boys and Girls by the Presbyterians from 1884 to 1899. The Creek Tribe then operated the school for ten years. From 1909 until 1921 it was operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
. From 1921 to 1933 it was operated by the Baptists.
"In 1936, the buildings were removed and E.E. Mount bought the site to prevent its destruction. In 1937, his daughter and son-in-law, Oakla and Bill Spears bought the site and lived in the Dormitory Superintendent's Home for 54 years.
"Interested in the site's history, they interviewed former students and children of former superintendents. Their efforts led to the preservation of the property which they donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society
in 1992."
Pursuant to the Oklahoma Legislature
's Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25 in May 2003, ownership of the site was transferred from the Oklahoma Historical Society to the Nuyaka Homecoming Association and Historical Society, Inc.
Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 39,685. Its county seat is Okmulgee.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,819 km²...
, approximately 15.7 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
and State Highway 56 (6th Street) in the City of Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 12,321 a loss of 5.4 percent since the 2000 census figure of 13,022. It has been the capital of the Muscogee Nation since the United States Civil War. Okmulgee means "boiling waters" in the Creek...
. The Nuyaka Mission is included on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
National Register of Historic Places listings in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States...
. The mission was established by Alice Mary Robertson
Alice Mary Robertson
Alice Mary Robertson was an American educator, social worker, government official, and politician who became the second woman to serve in the United States Congress, and the first from the state of Oklahoma. Robertson was the first woman to defeat an incumbent congressman...
at the request of the Creek Council, and run by the Presbyterian Church. (She later was elected as the first woman US Representative from Oklahoma.)
Per the granite marker at the site:
"Established in 1882 by the Creek Council, Nuyaka Mission was a boarding school for Boys and Girls by the Presbyterians from 1884 to 1899. The Creek Tribe then operated the school for ten years. From 1909 until 1921 it was operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
. From 1921 to 1933 it was operated by the Baptists.
"In 1936, the buildings were removed and E.E. Mount bought the site to prevent its destruction. In 1937, his daughter and son-in-law, Oakla and Bill Spears bought the site and lived in the Dormitory Superintendent's Home for 54 years.
"Interested in the site's history, they interviewed former students and children of former superintendents. Their efforts led to the preservation of the property which they donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma Historical Society
The Oklahoma Historical Society is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma....
in 1992."
Pursuant to the Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
's Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25 in May 2003, ownership of the site was transferred from the Oklahoma Historical Society to the Nuyaka Homecoming Association and Historical Society, Inc.