Mary E Kellogg Sappington, Born 1876, was my great grandmother, and I’m told she was full blood Cherokee but refused the Dawes Roll. I’m wondering if her brothers or sister are on the roll. Melinda Gifford Kellogg was her mother. James Kellogg the father. Siblings Maggie Kellogg, Bill Kellogg, Elias Kellogg.
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are you a Kellogg, Elias Sherman Kellogg is my great great grandfather
I did a search and Elias Sherman Kellogg is my great grandmothers brother. I’m trying to trace my Cherokee heritage and even though my great grandmother refused the Dawes Roll, I was hoping a brother or sister may be on the roll. I was always told she was full blood Cherokee but I have no proof. Thanks for your help.
Rick
I’m not a Kellogg, that was on my mother’s side. My great grandmother, Mary Kellogg Sappington lived in Stigler, Ok.
i have land in Monroe ok, there were a lot of kelloggs there i do know where the old Kellogg place is and it was Choctaw land.i have heard a lot about the sappingtons and even have a couple of pics. i have letters that the kelloggs were denied a number.the old timers in Monroe used to tell me a lot of stories about the kelloggs my ex wife grandmother was raised with them.if i can help you in anyway you can call 918-647-6504
This Kellogg family was not “denied a number,” regardless of what any old timers may have claimed or the stories that got passed along. This family came from Ohio originally, and only moved into Oklahoma when it was being opened up to White settlement and the tribal lands were being allotted to tribal members.
Even denied applications were filed in the national archives. They didn’t file for enrollment, nor were they entitled to enroll. They were not Cherokee citizens.
I have a photocopy of a denial letter from the Honorable Guillom Miller. So Yes they were denied. It was actually a letter of correspondence with Lucinda Kellogg Bivens.
Mary E. Kellogg was born in Ohio in 1876. Her parents were also born in OH. They moved to Sebastian County Arkansas sometime before 1880. She married Miles Welcome Sappington and this couple is found living in Sebastian AR in 1900. They moved into Oklahoma sometime before 1910. In 1910, they were living in Leflore County, OK. “Weck” Sappington is listed as being in general farming and they rented their home. This was not part of Cherokee Nation and they are listed on the White schedules. They then moved to Stigler and lived the remainder of their lives in Haskell County (also never part of Cherokee Nation).
This family had no apparent tribal affiliation and it doesn’t appear that Mary “refused the Dawes Roll” but was simply not a Cherokee citizen eligible to be enrolled. In fact, it doesn’t appear that any Cherokee families were enrolled with that surname, Kellogg. Sometimes the Final Index is a bit out of alphabetical order, but multiple searches on various databases brings back no results. Here is the final Dawes page for Keek-Kelly. There doesn’t appear to be a name associated with any Cherokee family.
http://media.nara.gov/media/images/35/21/35-2096a.gif
The Keetoowah Base Roll of 1949 also shows no families with the name Kellogg. Likewise, it is not found among the Eastern Band in 1924, Baker Roll.
If there was any Cherokee connection you’d have to keep digging, several generations back. The fact that Mary’s parents are listed with Ohio births would make this less likely, although no impossible either. Just keep going through the older branches of this tree.
the old timers in monroe ok told me the kelloggs went to fort smith in the early 1900s to sign up and got drunk instead. I have papers were the kelloggs were denied but they applied under a different name . Gifford. there is no doubt we have cherokee blood my dad growing up looked full blood.i really hope you do some good and I wish you would keep me posted
Cherokees didn’t go to Ft. Smith to get enumerated as Cherokee citizens, although they may have been in a scenario where they decided to get drunk at some point in the early 1900s (that is another matter entirely).
The Dawes commissioners set up offices in the main tribal towns or occasionally they’d move around the Nation, setting up tents and temporary locations. Likewise, families didn’t apply under “other names.” Even a tribal citizen married to a White spouse (IW) could be found under their married name, with the names of their parents listed on the application as well. Or, if a family unit came in as a group and are found enumerated together, their various legal names will be listed differently (even if found on the same application or given tribal roll numbers in a family cluster).
An entire family that was legally known as Kellogg would not be applying under a different name. In any event, Gifford is also not a name associated with the Cherokee Nation. The Final Roll lists two individuals with this name and they are of mixed blood (1/8 degree). This name was found through intermarriage, and shows up in only one Dawes entry. It is not a Cherokee name, and it is certainly not a “full blood” Cherokee name.
http://media.nara.gov/media/images/35/21/35-2071a.gif
The Giffords on the Dawes Rolls are as follows:
Suzie E. Daniels (1/4 Cherokee) married James Gifford (White man). She was the daughter of Osceola Daniel and Emma Ross. Osceola was born in Indian Territory about 1837.
Suzie’s children are listed on the By Blood rolls, Lizzie E. Gifford and John O. Gifford. In 1900, during enumeration, Lizzie was age 4, John, was age 2. They were living in Tahlequah District at the turn of the century. A third child died in 1901 and is not found on the Cherokee Minor roll. Suzie died December 11, 1900 and is also not found on the Final roll.
The fact is your specific family line were not recognized as members of the Cherokee Nation. They were from Ohio and only moved into the Cherokee Nation at the height of White settlement to this territory. Lucinda Bivans did not apply to the Dawes Roll, she put in a claim for the Eastern Cherokee settlement (AKA the Guion Miller Roll). This is different than the Dawes Roll. This was actually part of a legal settlement and represented a monetary compensation to Eastern Cherokees (and their descendants). Her application was denied because she was not an Eastern Cherokee or a recognized descendant. Her application was like thousands of others that were put in by non-Cherokees with the family lore of some “Indian blood.” Also, a large percentage represented fraudulent claims and an attempt to receive some financial gain. People would often exaggerate or spin stories or sometimes create completely fake ancestral claims, whole cloth.
Her Guion application states the following:
“My name is Lucinda Bivans; I was born in Brushcreek Co. OH, about 1824; my father claimed his Indian blood through his father, Isaac M. Gifford; I don’t know where my grandfather was born; my grandfather Isaac M. Gifford, claimed his Indian blood through his father, James Gifford; I have seen my great grandfather; I don’t remember or ever hearing where my great grandfather was born; my great grandfather lived with the Cherokees in Virginia. The eastern part; my father and grandfather never lived with the Cherokees that I remember; in 1835 my father, grandfather and great grandfather were living in Sioti [sic], Co. Ohio; in 1851 my father, grandfather and great grandfather were living in Clinton Co. Ohio; neither I nor any of the ancestry through whom I claim were ever enrolled and never received any money or land that I know of; to my knowledge none of my people over lived in the Ind. Terr.’ I never made application before the Dawes Commission; none of my relatives ever received an allotment in the Cherokee Nation; I am an eighth Cherokee; none of my relatives ever lived in N.C., Georgia, Tenn., or Alabama. It was my understanding that my grandfather, great grandfather and father were enrolled in Ohio; I was no enrolled and do not know why I was not.” SIGNED: Lucinda Bivans, Fort Smith, Sep 15 1908.”
So, here is the scenario:
Your ancestor claimed to be 1/8 Cherokee (through straight paternal lines) on the Guion Miller Roll, but clearly states her family was never living in Cherokee communities since the early 1800s onward. There is no evidence that she is even 1/8 degree. This was her family lore or individual claim…nothing more. In fact, if you continue to do genealogy along the line that Lucinda herself claims, you’ll see it traces back to England rather quickly. There were never any Cherokee settlements in Virginia and they ceded this territory within the current VA state borders even before the American Revolution. Likewise, there were never any Cherokee settlements in the state of Ohio and there were no enrollments or enumerations in that location (when she mentions that her father’s family was enrolled “in Ohio.”). Lucinda is either mistaken about her lineage, or was attempting to put in a fraudulent Guion Miller application.
I’m going to end my posting here because I can tell that establishing the actual ancestry and family tree for this individuals is a secondary concern at this point. The mythology and family lore and recycled stories of Cherokee blood (and “full blood” status even) seems to be more important than creating a true profile of said ancestors.
Thanks so much for the information. Maybe I should follow up on the Gifford family and see where that leads.
Thanks again,
Rick
I have the same family stories and Kellogg/Giffords great-great-grandparents. It appears that Lucinda Elizabeth Giffords (aka. Lucinda Bivans) applied under the Dawes commission and was denied. She claimed 1/8 blood. This is documented in ‘Cherokee by Blood’, Vol.3, claim 5054. And yes, they lived on Choctaw lands at one time as well.
Living on land within the Choctaw Nation boundaries is not indicative of tribal affiliation. These were the same White people that Choctaws (and Cherokees) were complaining about flooding into their lands, in other words. The majority of those living in Indian Territory at that time period were White Americans. Indians were actually a small minority in the territory by the late 1800s. .
Anyone related to Lucinda is a relative of mine. I welcome you. Look for Facebook group. We have been looking for you, because there are some lost branches on this tree. As far as statements about Lucinda’s heritage. My great Aunt Pansy knew her,, and she told me that she was native. And that she owned the first boarding house in Poteau, Oklahoma. She moved there for business reasons. She would ring a bell for dinner, and she would have to tell other natives, in their own language, that it was not free, they had to pay. So she knew her, she heard her speak a native language, and she told me. Plus we have a photo of her. I think our information is more correct than your information, because a lot of native women married white men and claimed white on the census so they they could feel more protected. We also have copies of the original letters from the agent stating that even her grandchildren looked native ( my father ).