John Redden Riddle

Attended Choctaw Academy in Blue Springs, Scott County, Kentucky in 1825.

Captain John Riddle was granted the privilege of erecting a bridge across the Fourche Maline near his place of residence and establishing a tollgate at that point, on "the road leading from Fort Smith to Boggy Depot." (Approved October 21, 1858.) John Riddle was born in Mississippi in 1809. He was the descendant of a Virginian who had married a full-blood Choctaw woman and settled in the Nation at an early day. Their daughter Mary, reported to have been a very beautiful girl, married John Walker, also a Virginian. They in turn were the ancestors of Governor Tandy Walker, of Skullyville, who was therefore a relative of Captain John Riddle. In 1831, the Riddles and the Walkers lived in the Northeastern (Mosholatubbi's) District of the nation east of the Mississippi River, on the highway a few miles from Demopolis, Alabama. Captain John Riddle had been educated at the Choctaw Academy, in Kentucky, and was a prominent leader among his people in the Indian Territory, serving not only as a member of the Council for several terms but also holding other important positions. In 1858, his residence was on the west side of the Fourche Maline in Gaines County, Choctaw Nation, a little over two miles east of Wilburton.

JOHN W. RIDDLE. A native son of Oklahoma and one who has been entrusted with the duties of maintaining the peace and order of Latimer county is John W. Riddle, the county sheriff and the subject of this review. The Riddles are one of the old families of Oklahoma and were founded here along with the settlement of the Choctaw nation early in t forties, when the first settlers of the band came hither from Mississip in fulfillment of their agreement with the federal authorities and for the establishment of a permanent abiding place in their new land. The patriarch of the family was John Riddle, born in 1809. He finally located in Gaines, now Latimer county, where he was known as a stock man and farmer and where he died in 1863. He was a half blood Choctaw, and the records of the Indian courts of the county show him to have been a court judge for some years. His first wife was Eve Riddle, who died leaving a son, George W., now a well known citizen of Latimer county, and by a second wife there were four children, two of whom are Henry and William Riddle.

History of the Choctaw Academy

The Choctaw Academy is located on Blue Springs farm, a beautiful homestead with rolling hills, hand made rock fences, and a sparkling spring. In the year 1818, Richard M. Johnson, future Vice-President under Martin Van Buren, feeling led to help the Indians, donated land right next to his home to the Kentucky Baptists Mission Society for building an academy that would educate and civilize the Indians. This land was known as Blue Springs. Consequently, the academy was built consisting of five buildings. The academy itself was a two-story stone building; there were three buildings for living quarters and dining, and one frame structure. It was first opened in 1819, but was closed shortly after in 1821. It was not reopened until after 1825, when Richard Johnson made a treaty with the Choctaw nation promising to give the money received from the sale of Indian territory to the education of Indian children.

Around twenty-five young Choctaw Chief’s sons, ranging from ages 13-24, were sent to the Choctaw Academy becoming the first teenage boys in the school. They each were given a new American name like Davis Fry, Adam Nail, John Wade, Daniel Miller, and Thomp McKenny. Reverend Thomas Henderson, a strong Christian man, was selected to be the overseer of the school. The Indians were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, practical surveying, astronomy, and vocal music. If the students wished, they could also work in a trades shop for making shoes, building wagons, running a tailor store or a blacksmith shop. Also a fund was given to each Indian (who participated in the trade shop) to enable them to buy instruments and tools to start their own trade on returning home. There was plenty of land outside for the boys to have fun playing games, running or relaxing in their spare time.

Other Indian nations soon saw the quality and education the Choctaws received, and joined the Choctaw Academy including: Chickasaws, Cherokees, Foxes, Miamies, Osages, Pottowatomies, Seminoles, and Quapaws, also attending were local black and white boys from nearby farms. By 1830, the Academy was in full bloom with over a hundred students. Choctaw Academy kept growing so much that by 1831, they decided to move to White Sulphur, a nearby farm also owned by Richard M. Johnson.

Rev. Thomas Henderson expressed his feelings of success when he learned that pupils from the Choctaw Academy were putting to use what they had learned and were behaving as Christians. Many graduated students had written him stories about their newly found jobs. One student had opened a blacksmith shop, another was running a shoe and boot store, and one had just become a teacher. Hearing these stories made Henderson value the work and effort he put into the academy, knowing that the students would grow and apply their knowledge. Like most schools, the Choctaw Academy had to face some mischievous rumors. In 1839, a group of boys wrote a letter about their suffering to Mr. Armstrong, who recruited Indians for the Choctaw Academy. Many people believed the letter to be lies told from ill-behaved boys who just wanted to go home, but never-the-less more examinations were made. Even thought the Choctaw Academy went through numerous more inspections to prove its quality and even selected a Choctaw named Peter Pitchlynn, to fill in the space Rev. Henderson’s retirement left, many parents refused to send their children. Some think that the refusal from some of the Indians was what caused the Choctaw Academy to close but that is not true. With the Indians starting to build their own schools in their land, there was no use in going to a school that was miles away in Kentucky. So in 1845, the Choctaw Academy came to an end. But for twenty years the Choctaw Academy had the privilege of educating many generations of Indians and seeing them grow with the nation. Some of these young men were: Lewis Downing, George W. Harkins, Peter Pitchlynn, Robert Jones, William Smallwood, the Leflores, the Folsoms, and the Nails.

There is only one building left, believed to be a living quarter, because of a fire. The Choctaw Academy building has survived for almost two hundred years and I think it would be wonderful if it could be preserved for future generations to tell the story that it has experienced even if it was for only a small period of time. It represents the accomplishments of many Kentuckians, who overcame the prejudice of that time, to prove that if you work hard and follow your heart; you can accomplish something great for yourself and others.

Next to the school is a small hill where some of the young boys attending the Choctaw Academy died from the Cholera epidemic; I believe this should also have a sign placed on it telling about the students of Choctaw and their accomplishments.

References were gathered from “Scott County: a History”, “Chronicles of Oklahoma”, “Col. Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky”, and “History of Scott County”.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Updated from RootsWeb's WorldConnect by SmartCopy: Jan 12 2015, 21:27:17 UTC