Chief Charles Journeycake

From the book:, Some Old DelawCare Obituaries, by Ruby Cranor. pg 40/41.

Rev. Charles " Chief Charles" Journeycake famous Delaware leader and preacher was the last official Chief of the Delaware Tribe. Although there is no obutuary on record for him, we know he died in 1894 and was buried in the Armstrong Cemetery south of Nowata and then when the Oolagah Dam was built the entire cemetery with several others that were in the path of the lake were moved to the south edge of the Nowata Cemetery.

Chief Charles Journeycake signed the treaty of the Delaware /Cherokee agreement of 1867 and led his people to their new homes in the Indian Territory in 1868. He organized the Baptist church in Alluwee in 1871 and was instrumental in building a number of other churches in this locality including the very first church in this vicinity, the old Silver Lake Baptist Church just south of town. He had completed a hymn book in the Delaware tongue and in his later life related to his successor in his ministry, Rev. S. H. Mitchell, the event of his life and the story of his people. This book was published in 1895 and is listed in the Library of Congress in Washington D. C.

He was the father of 13 children, 8 daughters living to adulthood. Among these were Mrs. J.H. (Nannie) Bartles founder of Bartlesville, and Mrs. Mary E. Armstrong who became one of the community's most prominent women, built and occupied the residence of Johnstone Avenue which is now the Y.W.C.A. Mrs. Armstrong was the mother of Mrs. Lillie Johnstone, first wife of William Jonstone, and Mrs. Carrie Overlees, wife of Frank M. Overlees, Mrs. Overlees was the first subscription school teacher in Bartlesville. Most of Chief Journeycake's daughter attended the Baptist school at Granville, Ohio and the Female seminary at Tahlequah.

Other than the two daughters mentioned above, Chief Journeycake left three other daughters, Mrs. J.C. (Emeline) Campbell, Mrs. Charles W. (Adeline) Merritt and Mrs. Emma E Armstrong, at least

grandchildren and a host of friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Socia Journeycake, two daughters, Rachel Ann Tanner and Lucy Jane Armstrong: 3 infant daughters, 2 infant sons and 14 grandchildren.