s, a native of Goshen, New York, who, for seventeen years previous
to the Civil War, had been a missionary to the Choctaws, having his home
at Goodland.

The Indian Mission school at Muskogee was also re-opened that year by
Miss Rose Steed.

In the fall of 1883 the Presbytery of Indian Territory was
re-established with a membership of 16 ministers, 11 churches, 385
communicants and 676 Sunday school scholars.

In 1884 Wheelock Academy was re-opened by Rev. John Edwards, who for a
couple of years previous, had been located at Atoka. This was a return
of Edwards to the educational work among the Choctaws. From 1851 to 1853
he served at Spencer Academy, north of Doaksville, and then from 1853 to
1861 had charge of Wheelock Academy, as the successor of Rev. Alfred
Wright, its early founder.

In 1883 two teachers were sent, who opened a school among the Creek
Freedmen at Muskogee, known as the "Pittsburgh Mission." A teacher was
also sent to the Freedmen among the Seminoles.

After a few years the Pittsburgh Mission was transferred from Muskogee
to Atoka, where it supplied a real want for a few years longer. In 1904
when adequate provision was first made for the Freedmen in the public
schools of that town this mission was discontinued.

TRANSFER OF THE FREEDMEN'S WORK

During this same year, 1884, the Presbyterian Board of Missions for
Freedmen, Pittsburgh, Pa., received the voluntary transfer from the
Southern church of all the work it had developed at that date among the
Choctaw Freedmen. This transfer was made in good spirit. The motive that
prompted it was the conviction and belief the Presbyterian church could
carry it forward more conveniently, aggressively and successfully.

The work that was transferred at this date consisted of Rev. Charles W.
Stewart, Doaksville, and the following churches then under his pastoral
care, namely: Oak Hill, Beaver Dam, Hebron, New Hope and St. Paul
(Eagletown).

Parson Stewart had been licensed about 1867 and ordained a few years
later. With a true missionary spirit he had gone into these various
settlements and effected the organization of these churches among his
people. During the next two years he added to his circuit two more
churches, Mount Gilead at Lukfata and Forest, south of Wheelock, and
occasionally visited one or two other places.

INDIANS MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS CIVILIZATION

About the year 1880 the social and moral condition of the Indians in
Indian Terri