Lilah Denton Lindsey (October 21, 1860 - 1943,

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsCherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

) was a Native American philanthropist, civic leader, women's

community organizer Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bui ...

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

worker, and teacher. She was the first

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsIndian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

(WCTU).

Early years and education

Lilah Denton was born in 1860 near Blue Creek,

Coweta Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.Muscogee Nation,

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

. Her father, John Denton, was

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

and her mother, Susan (McKellop), was Muscogee. They were born in Alabama and were the decedents of Scots. As children, they and their families were removed in the early 1830s to what was established as the Muscogee Nation of Indian Territory. Susan McKellop's family were missionariesShe became a physician and practiced in the Muscogee Nation in its early days. Lilah Denton was the youngest in the family of six children and the only one to survive to adulthood: four siblings died in infancy, and the fifth at the age of 12 years. When Denton was 16, both her parents died. As a girl, Lilah attended Tullahassee Mission Site, Tullahassee Mission, a Muscogee boarding school that the Nation founded in 1850. Her mother was educated in the same school. At the time, Muscogee girls were not allowed to enter schools until the age of 12. Her first teacher at Tullahassee Mission Site, Tullahassee Mission was Eliza J. Baldwin. She was instrumental in directing Denton's education and encouraging her interest in the broad field of philanthropy, which she made her life work. Denton had grown up speaking only the

Muscogee language The Muscogee language (Muskogee, ''Mvskoke'' in Muscogee), also known as Creek, is a Muskogean languages, Muskogean language spoken by Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole people, primarily in the US states of Oklahoma and Florida. Along with Mikasuki ...

in her family and community. At school, she learned English. Lliah received a scholarships to further her education at Synodical Female College in Fulton, Missouri, and Hillsboro-Highland Institute in Hillsboro, Ohio. The spring before she graduated with honors in 1833 from Hillsboro, she was appointed by the Home Mission Board of schools at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to teach at the Wealaka Mission in the Muscogee Nation, to which the former Tullahassee Mission had been transferred in 1882. While there, she was encouraged to take a medical course in order to practice among her own people. She was described as having a natural ability for such work, perhaps based on her mother being a doctor. She was the first Muscogee girl to graduate from that institution.

Teacher

Denton's natural ability and her love for teaching soon gave her a high standing as an able educator in the old Indian Territory. She taught for a time at the Presbyterian Mission in Wealaka, also at the Coweta Mission, and for approximately three years at

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. Altogether, she spent about 10 years in the mission schools. In 1884, at the Wealaka Mission, Denton married Col. Lee W. Lindsey (born 1845,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

). He served in an Ohio regiment of cavalry during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After peace was restored, he moved South, living for several years in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. He supervised the quarrying of stone for building the first machine shops at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. After becoming a building contractor, during the 1870s, he moved to the Muscogee Nation,

. Col. Lindsey completed the walls and enclosure of the Creek Council House at Okmulgee. The couple moved to

in 1886. For many years, they were central figures in the political and civic life of

Northeastern Oklahoma Green Country, sometimes referred to as Northeast Oklahoma, is the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which lies west of the northern half of Arkansas, the southwestern corner the way of Missouri, and south of Kansas. Alternate ...

. After her marriage and at the solicitation of her friends, Lindsey took a position of teacher in the public schools of Oklahoma. The State Board of Education did not require her to take the customary examination for the position.

Organizer

Lindsey lived in Tulsa for 28 years. She led many woman's organizations in the city, and also did individual charity work for years. She visited the sick, personally secured donations for the needy, and practically did the work of a humane officer. She organized the Humane society. Her interest in charitable work attracted the attention of state officials.

Oklahoma Governor The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the ''ex officio ...

Charles N. Haskell Charles Nathaniel Haskell (March 13, 1860 – July 5, 1933) was an American lawyer, oilman, and politician who was the first governor of Oklahoma. As a delegate to Oklahoma's constitutional convention in 1906, he played a crucial role in draftin ...

appointed her as the Oklahoma delegate to the International

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

Conference held at Washington, DC, and she was sent to numerous state charity associations. She secured the donation of a tract of land to establish a Florence Crittenton Home for Fallen Girls at Tulsa. Failing health prevented her from completing its construction. For years, Lindsey was active in the Women's Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions of the Southwest. She was an ardent church worker and at one time was the oldest member of the First Presbyterian church in Tulsa. She became a member of the WCTU and organized a union chapter in her city. From that time until statehood, she was president of the Indian Territory WCTU. She later served as vice-president of the Oklahoma organization, president of the

Tulsa County Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the secon ...

and the local union, and for one year edited the official organ of the Indian Territory WCTU. At the World's Convention of the WCTU held in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Lindsey was introduced to the assembly of women from all nations as a 'real native of America.' When Lindsey established the Tulsa chapter of the WCTU, she effectively organized the city's first woman's club. The National WCTU was the first woman's club organized in America. She arranged for a police matron to be appointed in the city, also a first for the state, to assist girls being taken to court. When she met with the city council to propose the office, Lindsey had the preliminaries so well planned that the office was approved and the woman she recommended was hired and commissioned to begin work the following morning. She also served as vice-president of the Women's National Rivers and Harbors Congress. Lindsey also organized both the

Maccabees The Maccabees (), also spelled Machabees ( he, מַכַּבִּים, or , ; la, Machabaei or ; grc, Μακκαβαῖοι, ), were a group of Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea, which at the time was part of the Seleucid Empire. ...

and the

Woman's Relief Corps The Woman's Relief Corps (WRC) is a charitable organization in the United States, originally founded as the official women's auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in 1883. The organization was designed to assist the GAR and p ...

in Tulsa. She was a member of the executive board of the latter organization. One year, she audited the local chapter's books in

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

. She attended nine national

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

assemblies. Lindsey was strongly interested in the preservation of Native American landmarks, especially the Creek Capitol Building at Okmulgee. She encouraged it to be adapted as a museum for the preservation and interpretation of Creek relics. Her husband built the stone wall around the building and planted trees around it. She taught a term of school in one of its rooms.

Legacy

Inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1937, she later died on December 22, 1943, in Tulsa. Lilah Lindsey School was named in 1957 in her honor.

References

Attribution

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsey, Lilah Denton 1860 births 1943 deaths People from Coweta, Oklahoma Muscogee people American women philanthropists Woman's Christian Temperance Union people American community activists Educators from Oklahoma 19th-century American educators 19th-century American women educators 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American women 19th-century Native Americans 19th-century Native American women Native American activists Native American educators Activists from Oklahoma