Vann Cherokee Wildlife Sanctuary

Vann Indian Heritage Abundant information - google search "Vann Indian family".

Vann Luther Family History (Italic type indicates you are a sperm or egg from their loins.)

Grandma Ethabelle Phariss Luther, I love and thank you for presenting me with the list of our ancestors, the Indian stories you told me as a baby. I thank you for the cherokee necklace I reverently treasure. My sister who unknowingly inspired my journey. I was looking for medical benefits to aid her physical needs, when I found myself. I also thank cousin Iron Head (David) Vann who assisted, and verified my family research. I also thank the internet. I have a friend who tells me the Indians will return, when the buffalo do. My friend owns buffalo farms, and the land I love, live, and care for. Shortly after I took occupancy of the land I had been harvesting for ten years, I had a marvelous vision. As my mind entered twilight, a red plum, coming from the northwest, came onto the land. Inside this plum were hundreds of Indians. Dressed nobally, some in ceremonial, most in functional. Thousands of them, walking three and four astride. The next morning when I went outside, they're still here. I can see and feel them everywhere. Their message is "a place to be!" Until this event, I was calling this wonderful land I came to homeless, as the Vann Cherokee Wildlife Refuge. I immediately changed the name to Vann Cherokee Wildlife Sanctuary.

In the early 1700's, the British King George (via an emissary) appointed Moy Toy as Emperor of the Cherokees. About 1740, Moy Toy's son, Atta-kulla-kulla (English name Leaning Wood or Little Carpenter) traveled to England for an audience with the King. They swore allegiance and the King officially recognized the Cherokee Nation as a 'political entity' with their boundaries clearly defined.

The King and Atta-kulla-kulla agreed to be 'allies against the French and Creek Indians' and agreed on a location for the British to establish a Trading Post and Fort within the Cherokee Nation. The British built Fort Louden in eastern Tennessee and supplied troops to protect the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nations boundaries against white encroachment. They traded muskets, iron tools, cloth, and other trade goods for furs and skins, which were supplied by the Cherokees, other friendly Indian Tribes, and licensed Indian Traders. All whites entering the Territory had to obtain “Cherokee Passports” in order to enter the Cherokee Nation.

John Joseph Vann, born about 1735-1740 in Scotland. (Present family historians in Scotland believe the Vann family only lived in Scotland for two generations, previously Dutch.) Vann was licensed by the British government in Charleston, authorized under the Carolina Company, to be a Indian Trader and interpreter to His Majesties Indigenous Subjects. As such he operated out of the area of Fort Louden and is reported to have had two wives, both white and Cherokee. (John Joseph Vann is a Great Grand Father of Debora VAnn Luther Moore, and his wife, Waw-Li, the daughter of Moy Toy, and Go Sa Du Is Ga, .

Go-sa-du-is-ga B~1680 - One of the younger wives of one of the Cherokee Emperors (which one not known - Moy Toy B~1640, Attakullakulla b 1713, Tahchee b~1725), after her husbands separation/death, she married a man named SCOTT. Waw-Li (pronounced War-Lee), her father is in dispute. Waw-Li is also said to have been the wife of Ludovic Grant (one of the first Scotsmen to settle in the Cherokee Nation). After Ludovic's death, she married John Joseph Vann. After his death in 1804, she married his brother James Clement Vann. She was too old to have any more children, but her husband Clement had at least one other Cherokee wife of childbearing age, at the same time. The History of the Cherokee Indians (page 419) shows him married to Elizabeth, a daughter of Go-sa-du-is-ga. It was a common practice for Cherokee wives to move in with a widowed sister, or invite that sister to move in with them and become a 'second wife' to their shared husband.

Waw-Li, b~1710 (baptized as Mary about 1810 by the Moravian Mission at Spring Place, adjacent to the Chief Vann House) - Married John Joseph Vann (b ~1740), and his brother James Clemet Vann b~1750.. Recorded as Family A-1 in Vann Generations With Cherokee Origins. This James Clement Vann is not Chief James Vann, but his uncle whom he was named after.

2005 I had an epiphany while following a van on the free-way. "Two hundred years later, if it carries large cargo, or a lot of people, we call it a van." I immediately send this brain-storm e-mail to my cousin Iron Head (David) Vann. This is his response: About 1750, John Joseph VANN, husband of Waw-Li, built huge wagons to haul supplies, cargo, food, skins, etc.. across Cherokee lands to the trading post at Fort Louden. He hired hundreds of Cherokees to clear trees and build roads for his wagons as they were too large for the buggy-trails of the day. These huge wagons were called 'vans' because they belonged to Vann. His son James (Chief James Vann) continued the business and received large Federal Grants for building roads and supplying the American Army in remote areas. He redesigned the Cherokee War Canoe that would hold 40 warriors, to a huge flat-bottomed 'barge' that could be towed or 'poled' along the rivers. He would travel far to find a farmer with a large crop of corn (several tons) that had no way to get it to market, and transport it to the Cherokee towns along the rivers for large profits. Chief James son, Rich Joe, expanded the business with steamboats and steamships that traveled the Mississippi and crossed the Atlantic to France and England. In those days, a 'fast ship' could make the Atlantic crossing in 6 weeks. Rich Joe was able to cut the time to just under 3 weeks, and took the lion's share of the southern cargo route. He had ships that were so fast, no pirate could catch them and were able to run blockades during war time. They were the Fed-Ex of the time, and used Cherokee warriors for armed escort through 'hostile territory'.

**Chief Joseph (Rich Joe) Vann; B: 11 February 1798 Spring Place, Georgia, M: Jennie Springston 1820, M: Polly Blackburn 1826 (another bigamist), D: 26 October 1844 ***Found under rich Joe Cherokeebyblood .com 7 24 07

One of their sons was Joseph David Vann recorded in The History of the Cherokee Indians (page 643) and as family B-6 in Vann Generations With Cherokee Origins. This is not Rich Joe Vann, but an Uncle of Rich Joe. Joseph David Vann was also known as Chief Joseph - Chief of the Chickamauga band of Cherokee Warriors. This group was constantly waging war with the white settlers who stole their lands. Joseph David Vann (Chief Joseph) married Millie Rowe, and POLY BLACKBURN. (Chief Joseph David Vann, and Poly Blackburn federal Indian records list Lucinda (Lemila) Crawford Vann as their third born child. Family diaries talk of affection between Poly Blackburn and Rich Joe, and they were both in Indiana at the time of conception of Lucinda (Lemila). Chief Joseph Rich Joe Vann married Polly Blackburn in 1826. (See above paragraph). Lucinda (Lemila) Crawford Vann born 1828.

After the Revolutionary War, the revolutionaries persecuted the Cherokees because they had been allies to the British during the war, and they held millions of acres of prime land that was wanted by the expanding Colonists of the newly formed America. The Americans refused to respect the Land Grants issued to the Cherokees by King George, and initiated a series of land-grabs via Treaties. These treaties were considered illegal by the Cherokee Council as they could not and would not cede or sell any lands to the whites. The whites would get a few local Chiefs drunk, get them to make their mark on the Treaties, and then claim that those Minor Chiefs were legal representatives of the Cherokee Nation. This led to a series of bloody wars between the Cherokee Nation and the newly formed republic, the wars led to more white pressure on the government to remove the Indians by whatever means necessary.

Grandfather Chief Joseph Vann had several children with his two wives... William, David, Sofia, Johnson, Sallie, Delilah, Lucinda (aka Lemila), and Martha. Information on these children was published in the 1921 edition of The History of the Cherokee Indians, data supplied by a descendant of William Vann. Chief Joseph sent his wives and children to areas out of the way of hostilities and waged bloody war with the whites in Tennessee and Georgia. Most of the family was scattered in later years and lost contact with each other. Most of them married white spouses, passed for white, and did not claim or record themselves as Cherokees to avoid the forced removal and local hostility with their white neighbors.

Lucinda (Lemila) Crawford Vann, a full blood Indian, born in Indiana in 1828, and died in Izard Arkansas in 1874. Lucinda (Lemila) Crawford Vann married James Madison Luther - the 1850 Indiana Census lists on line 6 page 531 / a James M Luther age 22 and a farmer - line 41 page 532 Lucinda Luther age 18, assuming all part of same family since listed together is Cynthia A age 18, and Cynthia K 8 mo. The family became white. Ethabelle Phariss Luther told me the reason all males have Vann as their middle name is because the Vann's were a famous Indian Family.

Lucinda Vann Luther, and James Madison Luther - had a son George Vann Luther, who married Melesia Harmon. On the Indiana 1850 Indiana Census is listed a George(283a), and a George W (287b) Luther.

George Vann Luther and Melesia Harmon had children by the names Oren (Orin) Vann Luther*, Hannah Luther Click, Bessie Luther Towns, RH Elders, Ben Luther, Joe Luther.

Hannah Luther is listed on the 1850 Indiana Census as 287B. On the 1850 Indiana Census there is Lucinda Luther listed as 11 and a female (283A)

On the 1900 Indiana Census, 7 - 123 - 125 - George Luther is listed as born in 1841 age at that time 58, he was born in Indiana, as was his mother and father. He was a farmer.

On the 1900 Indiana Census, there is a Richard Vann born April 1880, age at that time 20. He is listed as a boarder, coal miner. He was born in Indiana, as was his mother and father.

Oren (Orin, Owen) Vann Luther married Etha belle Phariss. Etha belle Phariss is the daughter of Nancy (Loulou or Luela) Oliver and John Phariss. Phariss listed on the old settlers list. There were several children in this marriage: Eunice Richardson, Lollian Richardson, Ona Denney, Ortis Phariss, Harvey Phariss, Alva Phariss.

Nancy Oliver’s parents were Mat Oliver F and Lee Oliver M. - Other children were Louise Oliver, Minnie Oliver, Egha Oliver, Doris Oliver, and Warn Oliver (m).

John Phariss father or brothers name was Ed Phariss .**There is a John Phariss listed in the Dawes Rolls, and fits the needed time frame, I am investigating.**

Etha belle Phariss and Oren Vann Luther lived in Oklahoma. Their first born child was John Vann Luther. Chose to be called J.V. Luther. Other children were Addie Luther, Inez Luther.

John Vann Luther married Helen Ruth Cooper. Their children were Debora VAnn Luther Moore, Linda Jo Luther, Barbara Luther.

Ruth Helen Cooper, Luther, Fiegel married Jerome Raymond Fiegel in Wichita Kansas in 1968.

Debora VAnn Luther Moore, had a daughter with Frank Dallas Moore: of cherokee decent - This section has been deleted at the request of the daughters due to fear of government reprecusions.

Debora VAnn Luther Moore, had a daughter with Jerrie Faeh Pauletic: Jerrie Faeh Pauletic parents are Gerald Pauletic, and Dorthy Pauletic. Others in the Pauletic house hold. siblings, Ann, Nan, and Jan. - This section has been deleted at the request of the daughters due to fear of government retaliation.

Ruth Helen Cooper Family History Born Helen Ruth Cooper b 5 19, 1928, Trusket Texas

Colman Washington Cooper married Minnie Mae Pults (Wicker-married 5 times outlived them all). Colman Washington Cooper dies when his 3 children were very young. The C.W. Cooper's lived at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, Pauls Valley is on the Red River which divides Texas and Oklahoma. Their first son was born, Garvin Napolian Cooper born 3 28 1903 died 10 7 1987. Minnie Mae Pults father, Napolian Bonapart Pults, lived at Cement and Chickasha, Oklahoma. Minnie Mae was blind for several years before she died in 1959 buried at Cundiff, Texas. She lived out her last years on her farm at Jacksboro, Texas. Two other children: George Washington Cooper born 12 12 1905 died 3 22 1985. Bessie Cooper died when very young.

February 17, 1912, a Court Hearing made Rose and Rhoda Hatchell Wards of the Court, unable to locate the parents or any family members.

Rhoda Helen Hatchell, born April 9, 1907, was given a Foster Home with Claude Ross and Ephemia Peters, Ross, Claude Ross was an educated, Cherokee Indian. He was a successful farmer at that time. Later he became an Indian Agent for the State of Oklahoma. (1907 is the year Oklahoma became a State.)

Rhoda Helen Hatchell was a very fortunate little girl to have a lovely home, loving Foster Parents, education and good training for her life. Rhoda was raised with a Foster Brother, Hoolie Sparks. Clude and Ephemia Ross had no children of their own. They were very generous in sharing their life and worldly possessions with Rhoda and Hoolie, through they did not adopt either of them.

Ephemia Peters, Ross, born 2 10 1884, died 6 14 1936 at Stillwell, Oklahoma. Claude ross, born in 1886, died in 1943 at Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Claude Ross and Ephemia Peters, Ross are buried in the Peters Cemetery near Seven Oaks School. (No longer a school.)

Ephemia Peters' Father is Joe Peters, full-blood Cherokee Indian. He owned a lot of land and worked hard, "sun-to-sun." They only came from the fields when the "dinner-bell" rang. Anyone remember the ole dinner-bell? I'm told it is still there, and still rings for family gatherings.

Sequoya Home, State Park is not over 20 miles from the Peters and the Ross Home-stead's. There is no doubt Sequoya, Cherokee Indian teacher and scholar was directly responsible for teaching and educating the Cherokees in the area.

No one ever was able to find out what happened to Rose Hatchell. We can only hope that she had a good and happy life too. The End

Garvin Napolian Cooper married Rhoda Helen Hatchell, Ross. Born 4 9 1907 died 6 27 1969, Rhoda's parents are not known for she was found with her sister in the middle of the road. It is thought her mother's name is Sarah Hatchell, not fact. Rhoda was raised by Claude Ross family. Garvin Napolian Cooper and Rhoda Helen Hatchell, Ross, children are Claude Garvin Cooper born 7 28 1926, Ruth Helen Cooper born 5 19 1928, Betty Louise Cooper born 12 26 1930, Bernie Joe Cooper born 11 8 1932.

Rhoda Helen Hatchell, Ross, Cooper Barnes married Lafyette Faulkner Barnes. Known to friends as "Peck" Barnes, born 2 24 1905 died 6 4 1969. Rhoda and Peck have three children, Margaret Fay Barnes born 4 30 1944, Jerry Leon Barnes birn 9 4 1947, Larry Glendon Barnes born 6 12 1949.

Peck Barnes parents are William Henry (Bill) Barnes married to Eliza Faulkner, Barnes. The Barnes family lived in Akins Township, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. Children Frank (s Bertha Roberts ), Oma (s Roberts), Annie (s Bidge Stewart), Kate (s Jim Gibson), Curtis, Lafyette (Peck) (s Rhoda Helen Hatchell, Cooper), Ben (s Tillie Lindsey), Perry (Dude)(s Lena Stewart), Booge (s Emma), Roy.

Eliza Faulkner, Barnes is a sister to Mamie Faulkner, Floyd. Mamie Faulkner, Floyd is the Mother of Charles A. Floyd, known as Pretty Boy Floyd was somewhat of a hero---robbed the rich and gave to the poor.

E. W. Floyd, Pretty Boy Floyd's borther, later became the Sheriff of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, and was still County sheriff when he died.

Sheriff E. W. Floyd and Charles A. (Pretty Boy) Floyd are almost side by side in the Akins Cemetery. The Barnes and Faulkner families are of Indian Ancestry. It would be worth your time to research this if you are interested in your ancestry. The End

Rhoda Helen Hatchell, Ross, Cooper and Garvin Napolian Cooper had four children

• Claude Garvin Cooper married Anne, children Peggy Ann, Claudine Allice, Becky Jean, Billy Claude, Amy Beth.
• Ruth Helen Cooper married John Vann Luther children Debora VAnn, Linda Jo, Barbara Susan.
• Betty Louise Cooper married Jessee Lee Ross children Gary Lee, Connie Helen, Bullet Wayne, Judith Ann.
• Bernie Joe Cooper married Bonnie Mae Burnes, children Bobbie Joe, Brenda, Phillip Garvin, Janet Marie.

In an effort to understand the conditions at the time, I thought this information to be beneficial. From Collier's Encyclopedia.

1732, A group of Englishmen, led by James E. Oglethorpe and John Perceval, secured a royal charter for the colony of Georgia. 1733, Savannah, founded by Oglethorpe, became the first permanent European settlement in Georgia.

Grandfather: John Joseph Vann Sr., a Scottish born representative of the Queen of Great Britain, born 1730 Scotland, died 1780 Tennessee. In 1755, John Joseph Vann Sr. came to territory, as a Mormon missionary, and with special citations from the Queen, desiring to obtain clay for the British crown to make fine china with, met with GoSaDuIsGa. Almost immediately, the second born daughter of GoSaDuIsGa, Grandmother Wai-Li (Elizabeth), born 1710 in Greater Cherokee Nation, fell in love with the handsome John Joseph Vann Sr. GoSaDuIsGa, gave permission to Wai-Li now age of 55,) and John Joseph were married in 1763. (Wai-Li died in 1815 at Spring Place, GA. Their house is a national historical monument in Georgia, which still exist, (it is a plantation mansion.) All the history books talk of Chief John Joseph Vann Sr. of Tellico who governed the lands in Tennessee. This is the beginning of the fact and legend of the three most influential chiefs, the Vann family. John Joseph Vann Sr. brought to America members of his family from Scotland. Delilah Vann, (Delilah’s mother was Elizabeth Scott, father Walter Scott, a famous South Carolina Indian Trader). Delilah Vann was born in November 31, 1838, and moved west, married David McNair (died August 18, 1836),became Chief David McNair when the nation was official formed - war of 1812.

John Joseph Vann Sr. Also brought his brother Clement Vann from Scotland.

John Joseph Vann Sr, and Wai-Li first born, Chief Crazy James John Vann, & Chief Joseph David Vann

Chief James John Vann (born 1765 Tennessee, died Feb 19, 1809 Georgia). Chief Crazy James discovered gold 1804 in Georgia. He died from a shot in the dark from robbers, at a Tavern in 1809. The chest James was carrying, only contained rocks-not the gold the robbers expected. James married - Elizabeth Hicks in 1795, and Margaret Scott in 1797.

Chief James John Vann, and Elizabeth Hicks had a son Chief Joseph John Vann, born February 1798, Spring Place Georgia, died in steam boat race on Ohio River October 26, 1844.

Chief Joseph John Vann also known as 'Rich Joe', he was rich beyond belief. The Presidents of the US came to him to speak for the Indians for he was the Principal Chief, well liked, very generous, extremely well educated, and world traveled, on his own ocean sail boat, and numerous steam ships. Remember he still held title to all the lands I listed in the above paragraphs. The google search engine can give you thousands of websites about our famous, and generous family. With the invent of the Eli Whitney cotton gin 1793, ‘Rich Joe’ was able to escalate the family fortune. In 1820’s Georgia was the major supplier of cotton world wide. The family was one of the most rich in the whole world.

In 1802, Georgia ceded its territory west of the Chattahoochee River to the United States. 1800 The Indiana Territory was created.

Cherokees never 'owned' Cherokee land. All of the land belonged to all of the Cherokees, under the control of the Tribal Council, but an individual could 'own' his improvements (buildings, tilled fields, orchards, livestock, etc..). Titles were never drawn up or recorded because the Cherokees didn't have such a thing in their society, and the white courts rarely recorded anything the Cherokees had. Some of the influential Part Bloods had land maps drawn up and recorded in some of the white courts, to keep other whites from laying claim to their land. Most of these 'claims' were later disputed in white courts because the Cherokee owner had made a minor infraction to some law that was passed retroactively. Rich Joe 'lost' the title to his land in a Georgia court, when the court passed a law prohibiting any Indian from hiring any white man. Rich Joe or his father Chief James 'hired' a part white in-law to oversee his plantation while he was away on business. The court said that the in-law was mostly white, and Rich Joe or his father, was mostly Indian, so the law applied. Once the Cherokees discovered gold in Georgia, the whites invaded illegally and tried every trick in the book to drive the Cherokees off. If they didn't have a law, they made one up.

In 1804, the US bought the Louisiana Purchase as a place where they could exile al of the Indians. The US made a deal with Georgia to give up all of its ‘undeveloped’ lands in exchange of removing the Indians from Georgia. The Cherokees fought this in Philadelphia and won the case in the Supreme Court, that they had the right to stay on their land. Andrew Jackson committed an act of sedition when he sent the army into Georgia to force the Cherokees out as part of the Indian Removal Act.

1816 A force led by William Henry Harrison defeated the Indians at the Battle of Tippercanoe.

1818, Extensive lands in central Indiana, known as the News Purchase was purchased by ‘Rich Joe’ for $1,000,000. From the US, and paid for with IOU’s he was holding that had been issued in payment for goods they had purchased, but had not money to honor.

1820, the US government went ahead and opened this New Purchase agreement up to settlers.

1826 grandfather Chief Joseph John ‘Rich Joe’ Vann records the marriage of his second wife grandmother Polly Blackburn, their daughter grandmother Lucinda Crawford Vann is born in 1826, the Crawford identifies her with the county in Georgia her family comes from. 1830 Indian Removal Act, The Trail of Tears. (By Charles Hicks, an Assistant Principal Chief, 'I saw my daughter sweep the house and burn the broom for good luck, walk out, and start on the long journey, no doubt with a sad heart'.)

The Trail of Tears was from 1837-1838. The first two waves were run by soldiers with a high loss of life. Rich Joe traveled to Washington to get the government to let the Cherokees run the rest of the wagon trains, and loss of life was greatly diminished. Rich Joe took several thousand Cherokee and their possessions to the New Territories in his steam boats. This was called the Water Trail.

1844 ‘Rich Joe’ dies in boat race on Ohio River, Indiana.

1863 Confederate troops led by John Hunt Morgan invaded southern Indiana.

1874, first major railway in the state between Indianapolis and Madison was completed. 1874 grandmother Lucinda (Lemila) Crawford Vann Luther dies in Izard County, Arkansas.

1877 Chief Joseph Vann led the Nez Perce retreat through the mountains of the northwest aka Chief Crazy Horse.Custers last stand. Lucinda (Lemila) brother, born 1826.

1889 An oil refinery at Whiting became the first major industrial plant in the Calumet.

The Cherokee Nation was granted political sovereignty by King George about 1740. The Cherokee Nation was not recognized by the US government until 1860. In 1861, the Cherokees joined the Confederacy with promises of 'permanent land grants'. After the Civil War, the US government said that since the Cherokees had succeeded from the Union, all previous treaties were Void. New treaties were drafted which would give each adult citizen a square mile of farm land, and the rest of the Cherokee Nation (7 million acres) would be ceded to the US government for disposal to white settlers. The Dawes Rolls of 1886-1906 were a 'forced census' of the Cherokees that would be eligible to receive farm land. Most of the Cherokees refused to sign away their new land, and left the country to avoid being arrested and forced to sign.

About a quarter of the Cherokees that signed up on the Dawes Roll were judged to be ineligible for land because -

A – They or their parents had not been permanent residents of the Cherokee Nation since 1850

B – Their ancestors were not listed (by exactly the same spelling) in the Old Settlers Roll of 1851 or the Drennen Roll of 1852

C – Their marriage did not occur prior to 1875

D – Their marriage was not performed by a minister licensed by the Cherokee Nation.

E – Their Cherokee spouse had died before registration, and they did not know enough about their spouses parents to establish ‘proof’ of descent.

F - The Indian Agent thought they looked like they had a drop of Negro blood in them.

Debora Vann Luther Moore (316) 524 6001 -- Born November 13, 1947 -- P. O. Box 48258, Wichita, KS, 67201 -- debby hempforus.com - ---------------------- http://www.HempForUS.com