Life History

Notes

• Charles' parents, Charles Adams and Fannie Colbert Conchran Green, married in about 1879.
  
  "She married Charles Adams circa 1879.  (Charles Adams is #26911.)  She married Dr. Theophilus H. East in Berwyn, Pickens Co., Chick Nation, IT, 13 MAY 1884.  They had no children."  [Other sources report two children Charles and Oliver.]
  --  Chickasaw History, Francis Colbert, http://www.chickasawhistory.com/colbert/i0026899.htm#i29612b
  
  We learn in evidence in the Divorce case of Francis Colbert Adams against Charles Adams that Charles abandoned her while she was pregnant in October 1880.  A son Charles appears in several later records, including the Chickasaw census cards for 1902, reporting his as 22 years old (so born about 1880).  The 1900 census reports Francis, reported as a widow, rather than as Divorced, with one child, named Oliver L Adams, and reported born in December 1881.
  
  But the divorce testimonies report that Charles abandoned Fannie in October 1880.  So the census must in error, as usual, and the actual birth date was probably December 1880.  But this seems to indicate that the reported Son Charles and the son Oliver were the same child.  And indeed some early genealogies report this.
  
  U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914
  Chickasaw Nation, Marietta, Census Field #1615, 25 Sep 1898, All Enrolled 1896 Pickens Co, p 26 (updates through 1902)
  1 Dawes' Roll #4315, Frances East, Age 67, Birth Abt 1831, 1/2 Chickasaw, Father David Colbert Dead Chickasaw, Mother Mamie Colbert Dead Chickasaw
  No 1 on Chickasaw Roll as Francis East
  Nos 1, 2 & 3 originally enrolled on Choctaw card #336 and transferred to this card Oct 13, 1902
  2 Dawes' Roll #4316, Daniel Green, Age 24, Birth Abt 1874, 1/4 Chickasaw, 26 Father Daniel Green Dead Non-Citizen, Mother No 1
  3 Dawes' Roll #4317, Charles Adams, Age 18, Birth Abt 1880, 1/4 Chickasaw, Father Charles Adams ---- Non-Citizen, Mother No 1
  4 Dawes' Roll #648, Theophilus East, Age 50, Birth Abt 1848, Intermarried White, Father Alvis H East Dead Non-Citizen, Mother Jane East Dead Non-Citizen
  No 4 Enrolled by Department 1907, Transferred from Chickasaw Card No C-209
  Nos 1,2 & 3 hereon approved by the Secretary of the Interior Mar 6, 1903
  No 4 hereon approved by the Secretary of the Interior Mar 4, 1907
  
  In the 1900 census Fannie is the single head of household with two sons, Dan Green and Oliver L Adams whose birth date is reported in the 1900 census as Dec 1881.  Note also that the eniumerator has reproted the children as more Choctaw than the mother!
  
  1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, 1 June, Township 8, South Range 1 East, District 151, page 1A, Hse #2
  East, Francis J  Head Indian Female Aug 1844  55 Widow  Ind Territory Mississippi Mississippi Farmer  Owns Farm  Can read and write
  Adams, Oliver L  Son Indian (3/4 Choc) Male Dec 1881  18 Single Ind Territory Texas Ind Terr Farm Laborer  Cannot read & write
  Green, Dan  Son Ind (3/4 Choc) Male April 1872  28 Widow  Ind Terr Georgia Ind Terr Farm Laborer  Cannot read & write
  
  The 1900 census has only Oliver L, born 1881, but Dawes registration and the 1910 census have the only son as Charles.  The origin of the name Oliver is unknown.  The 1900 census is the only instance of it in any records.  Neither has anything been found to account for the middle initial L.
  
  Testimony in the divorce case reports that Charles abandoned Fannie in October 1880 and had not returned or been heard from since that time.  Testimony also indicates that she was pregnant with a child.  Oliver had to be born a short time after that.  This means the birth was probably in December 1880, consistent with the pregnancy in October 1880.  In the 1902 Chickasaw census roll, Charles was reported as 22 years old.
  
  U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914
  Chickasaw Nation, Marietta, Census Field #1615, 25 Sep 1898, All Enrolled 1896 Pickens Co, p 26 (updates through 1907)
  1 Dawes' Roll #4315, Frances East, Age 67, Birth Abt 1831, 1/2 Chickasaw, Father David Colbert Dead Chickasaw, Mother Mamie Colbert Dead Chickasaw
  No 1 on Chickasaw Roll as Francis East
  Nos 1, 2 & 3 originally enrolled on Choctaw card #336 and transferred to this card Oct 13, 1902
  2 Dawes' Roll #4316, Daniel Green, Age 28, Birth Abt 1874, 1/4 Chickasaw, 26 Father Daniel Green Dead Non-Citizen, Mother No 1
  3 Dawes' Roll #4317, Charles Adams, Age 22, Birth Abt 1880, 1/4 Chickasaw, Father Charles Adams ---- Non-Citizen, Mother No 1
  4 Dawes' Roll #648, Theophilus East, Age 50, Birth Abt 1848, Intermarried White, Father Alvis H East Dead Non-Citizen, Mother Jane East Dead Non-Citizen
  No 4 Enrolled by Department 1907, Transferred from Chickasaw Card No C-209
  
  Some careless genealogies have also attached informatoni about one Oliver L Adams in Vermillion, Illinois, or a Chalres Adams in Indiana to this son of Frances Colbert.  There is also another Charles Adams who is a Choctaw, born in about 1881.  He is the son of Jessie and Mary A Adams, who were enumerated in the 1900 census in Township 5, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory
  
  Chickasaw Roll, Citizens By Blood 1903
  Roll #4315  East, Frances 71 F  1/2  Census Card #1615
  Roll #4316  Green, Daniel 26 M  1/4  Census Card #1615
  Roll #4317  Adams, Charles 22 M  1/4  Census Card #1615
  Roll #4318 Thompson, Minnie Lee 28 F  1/4  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4319 Thompson, Mamie Frances 11 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4320 Thompson, Robert Lee 9 M  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4321 Thompson, Emma Augusta 5 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4322 Thompson, Jessie May 3 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4323 Chochran, William Hunter 34 M  1/4  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4324 Chochran, Willie 7 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4325 Chochran, Vertis 7 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4326 Chochran, Samuel T 2 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  
  Charles is also reported under that name still in Fannie's household in 1910, but his age is reported as only 25 then, although they said he was 22 in 1902.  Ages were not thought of in absolute objective terms back then like they are now.  Especially on the frontier, and in tranditional concrete-relational societies, which focued on life events, not absoluteabstrct facts.  It seems the name Oliver never appears again.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Love County, Oklahoma, 27 April, Washington Township, District 173, page 5A, Hse #85, Fam #86
  East, Francis Head F Indian 73 Widow OK MS MS Occupation "Own Account" Owns
  Adams, Charles Son M Indian 25 Single OK TX OK
  
  The 1910 census has his age as 25, but the earlier Dawes' registration says he was age 22, so born 1880.   We can see the folks in that era did not focus on the value of abstract "facts" and information as a critical factor of life.

Sources

• 1. 1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory
  • 1 June, Township 8, South Range 1 East, District 151, page 1A, Hse #2
• 2. 1910 Federal Census, Love County, Oklahoma
  • 27 April, Washington Township, District 173, page 5A, Hse #85, Fam #86
• 3. U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914
  • 25 Sep 1902, Dawes' Roll #4317, Census Card #1615
• 4. 1903 Chickasaw Roll, Citizens By Blood
• 5. Chickasaw History
• 6. Chickasaw Land Allotment Cards