Pioneer Spirit, story of Amanda Wampler, Grady County, Oklahoma Thelma (Smith) Noland      RockinN@aol.com Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ==========================================================================                          Pioneer Spirit                 Amanda is Latin meaning "To Love"            Lee is Anglo-Saxon meaning "Field, Meadow"                         By Thelma Noland      A proud strong pioneer woman, best describes, Amanda, my great-grandmother. Amanda's life is a great example of what pioneer spirit means. Making her home in Oklahoma in 1889, (eighteen years before Oklahoma was a state) raising her children and living to the age of ninety-six. QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT! Her life as a frontier woman had many everyday challenges and she faced the same adversities as others. She had to be self confident and with a take charge spirit to meet and confront the challenges of moving into this new and unsettled frontier called Oklahoma.      Her pioneer spirit began and evolved from circumstances that happened many years before, taking many turns and through several states at a time when this country was being settled. To understand Amanda's pioneer spirit you have to go back in time to her Gr-grandmother Otemansea, a full blood Choctaw Indian, from the Six Towns Tribe in Mississippi. Otemansea married Moses Foster, a white man, living their entire life in and around Holmes and Yazoo County, Mississippi. There was never a need or reason for them to move away from Mississippi. Otemansea and Moses had several children, one of whom was James Foster (Amanda's grandfather). James married Malinda Womack about 24 april 1826 in Copiah Co, Mississippi and they had four children, Dorothy, James Madison, Ellen (Amanda's mother), and Ephriam.       James's name appears on Page 133 Volume VII, American State Papers, Public Lands. In a register of Choctaw names as entered by the agent previous to August 24, 1831 his desire to become a citizen according to a provision of the late treaty of 1830 as a "half breed Choctaw Indian" and having at the date of the treaty four children under the age of ten years of age. The evidence showed, beyond any doubt that James Foster appeared before Colonel Ward and signified his intentions to remain for a five years stay and take land under article fourteen of the treaty of 1830 (Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty).         The land records in Yazoo County, Mississippi states James was allotted one section, a part of a reservation allowed to the said James Foster by provisions of said treaty. In October 1831 James sold 160 acres to John N. Morrison for the sum of 1000.00 dollars. James died before April 1834 (cause of death unknown) leaving Milly and the four children as his survivors. James is buried in Lexington, Mississippi. In 1833 Holmes County was created out of Yazoo County dividing James property in half. Court records in Yazoo county states Milly sold another 160 acres to Mr. John N. Morrison for the sum of $ 320.00 Dollars. This property still being in Yazoo County on the west side of Black Creek. The remaining 320 acres now being in Holmes County was sold to U.G. Davis for 50.00 dollars with a quit claim forever and sell unto the assigned all her dower rights to property  on Black Creek. (Dower - The part of or intrest in the real estate of a deceased husband given by law to his widow during her life.)     I feel some of Milly's brothers or sisters were already living in Louisiana and that was her reason for moving there. In the Indian documents it states Millie lived a few years in Louisiana and then moved on to Texas and in 1889 some of the family moved on into Oklahoma Indian Territory.      Ellen, (Amanda's mother) married Lee J. Campbell in 1849 in Louisiana. Lee was the son of John Paul Campbell who was born in North Carolina. They had seven children, Amanda was the youngest of four daughters and three sons. Three of the children were born in Louisiana. They moved to Texas sometime between 1855 and 1858 where the four remaining children were born. Amanda was born on 15 January 1861. Amanda was only five months old when her father Lee and uncle went to fight in the Civil War. Therefore, she did not have the opportunity to know her father in her younger years. Lee and his brother were discharged in Louisiana and had walked most of the way home to Texas, taking some weeks.      Amanda married Thomas "Tom" Lenochan on Feb 22, 1879. They lived in and around Lamar County, Texas, later moving to Midland, Texas.      Two children were born to this union. Victoria Ellen was born on 10 September 1880 and Joe was born May 4, 1883.      Jimmy Campbell (Amanda's brother) was taking fourteen hundred head of cattle to New Mexico to sell and ask Amanda if she would like to come along. Amanda could ride as well as any cowboy, and having the same pioneer spirit as her mother and grandmother and knowing no physical pain said, YES. Taking her son Joe, she joined her brother Jimmy on the trail. They remained in New Mexico about one year until the cattle could be sold, once again returning to Midland, Texas. The Chickasha Express Newspaper ran an article about Amanda, The title of which said "Pioneer Tuttle Woman once played the role of cowboy."      While trying to take care of his cattle in a raging snow storm Tom Lenochan caught pneumonia, had a relapse and died. He is buried in a private cemetery near where they lived. It is not known for sure what prompted Amanda to decide it was time to move on, perhaps it was to find a better place to raise her children and the lure of land in the Indian Territory. It is not known if she moved with a wagon train or if she came with other members of her family, or perhaps she moved by herself. Letters from other family members stated that Amanda took her two children, a dog, her gun and all their possessions in a covered wagon and started on the great drive up the Chisholm Trail. Amanda and Joe rode their horses and moved the cattle (which I understand was quite a few) and Victoria drove the wagon with Joe sometimes helping her. They first moved near Blanchard and remained there until moving to Old Silver City in 1889 where she met and married George Wampler Sr. in February 1890.      George was born in 1862 in Vesands, Indiana. George left Indiana in 1887 working on the Santa Fe Railroad in Wichita, Kansas. He came to Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1889 making the run and staking a claim in Caddo County. A short time later coming to Minco. To this union was born three sons' George Jr., 1891, John 1893 and Edgar 1894.      Victoria was married on July 13, 1896 in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Newt Stafford and to this union was born one daughter Tina Stafford on August 7, 1897. Newts' family lived in and around Wenoka. They were divorced in 1899. Victoria and Tina came to live with Amanda near Blanchard. Victoria met and married Joseph Moore Smith on December 18, 1901 in Indian Territory, Southern District. To this union was born two sons' Carlton on April 12, 1903 and died on June 30, 1905. La Verne Jerome Smith on January 5, 1912 and died on January 8, 1986.      Joe Lenochan (Victoria's brother) married May Fryrear in 1910. To this union was born three children Joe, Margie and Mildred. Joe was a World Champion Rodeo Roper. He traveled the circuit from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. One of his records was tying five steers in eighteen seconds.      In 1905 Amanda, Victoria, Joe and several other members of her family applied for and received Indian Allotment land. Evidence was given to determine the identity of Amanda and other members of her family as Choctaw Indians entitled to rights in the Choctaw lands under Article Fourteen (Dancing Rabbit Creek) treaty of 1830. Amanda lived on her allotment land six miles South of Tuttle with her husband George and their three sons. Victoria, with her husband Joseph and their two son's lived on her allotment land also south of Tuttle and not far from Amanda. Amanda and Victoria were members of the Church of Christ in Tuttle.     Tuttle is on State Highway 37. There is a hugh twelve ton boulder marking the course of the Chisholm Trail and the site of the old Silver City trading post. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Chickasha Chapter placed the monument there. It is dedicated to Ranchmen, Cowboys, Early Settlers and their descendants. The plaque bears the names of 112 Silver City Pioneers including Amanda, George Wampler Sr., Victoria Smith, Joe Lenochan and several other members of their family.       Amanda died September 3, 1957 and is buried beside her husband George.      Amanda's family has fond memories and many reasons to be proud that they were a part of settling this great state of Oklahoma. Amanda has several grandchildren and many gr and gr-gr, and gr-gr-gr grandchildren still living in Grady County and scattered throughout Oklahoma and other states. NOTE !! Amanda is my gr grandmother. "Pioneer Spirit " has been printed in: Twin Territories Newspaper Vol 3  No 9   1993 Life & Times of the Choctaw Original Enrollees    By Wesley & Charleen Samuels Bishinik Newspaper  Dec 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html