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Manuscript Collection: George W. Benge

Collection Overview

Collection summary derived from "Guidebook to Manuscripts", 1969: These papers concern the circuit court of which G.W. Benge was judge at the time. There are letters and "House Bills" regarding the sale of land in the Cherokee Outlet - especially some dealing with E.D. Chadwick and R.T. Wilson. One document, an amendment to House Bill No. 10,002, relates to the "Old Settlers or Western Cherokees Fund." There is one petition asking that the town of Catoosa be incorporated. Most of the items consist of correspondence to and from G.W. Benge (1853 - 1919) a Cherokee of some prominence in the tribe. He was a delegate to the Sequoya Constitutional Convention (1905) and Judge of the Circuit Court at Tahlequah, Indian Territory. Interesting item: In Folder 24, one De Gar du Nah Judge signs an affidavit to the effect that while under the influence of whiskey and because he had been given a pair of shoes, he voted for Joel B. Mayes running on the Downing Ticket. He says that otherwise he would have voted for G. W. Benge who was running on the National Ticket. Written in the Cherokee Language.

Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive
ENG, CHR
67 items
1885 - 1919
CSV file
MC.1954.15

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Access Restrictions

Available by appointment only at the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR) with the exception of materials with donor restrictions. Contact Library staff in advance to inquire if materials exist pertaining to your research interests.

Use Restrictions

Please contact the Rights and Reproduction Department for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Gilcrease Museum as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.

Provenance

The Gilcrease Foundation acquired these materials before 1964 and is housed in the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR). The library currently receives most materials through community donation, board members, artists and the acquisition of manuscript collections.

Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the collection passed to the City of Tulsa in the 1950s.