KENTUCKY UNDER A DEPUTY GREAT INCOHONEE, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TRIBES
BY THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES, 1894.
In the summer of G. S. D. 403, there came to the hunting grounds of
Lexington J. B. Mendenhall, holding a commission as Deputy for Great
Incohonee Andrew H. Paton. Mendenhall held a withdrawal card from
Ninegret Tribe, No. 21, of New London, Conn. Where he received his
honors as a Past Sachem is not known, as it is certain he was not known
as a Past Sachem in Ninegret Tribe. During the autumn of this great sun
Mendenhall began an active canvas for petitioners for a charter for a
Tribe of Red Men in Lexington, and with the assistance of O. R. King, J.
R. McConnell, and others he was abundantly successful, so that on the
15th of Hunting Moon, G. S. D. 403, he had a list of 121 accepted
applicants, including Past Great Sachem Thos. A. Hornsey, formerly a
member of old Osceola, No. 8, of these hunting grounds, who deposited
his withdrawal card from that Tribe. On the above date the Tribe was
instituted in the Opera House by Great Incohonee A. H. Paton, of
Massachusetts, assisted by Great Chief of Records of the G. C. U. S.,
Charles C. Conley, of Pennsylvania; Past Great Incohonee and National
Exemplifier Thos. K. Donnalley, of Philadelphia; Great Sachem of
Illinois, Wilson Brooks, of Chicago, and Past Great Sachem Judge Alfred
Ellison, of Indianapolis, Ind. The work of the Adoption Degree was
exemplified by the chiefs of the new Tribe, the National Exemplifier
having been drilling them for several suns, and it is doubtful if the
work done by the team at that time has ever been excelled in this
reservation. Immediately the Tribe was instituted its members began
active efforts to establish other Tribes in their vicinity, and under
the leadership of Deputy Great Incohonee J. B. Mendenhall, Miantonomo
Tribe, No. 1, of Lexington, of which he was now a member, assisted in
the institution of the following Tribes:
Onequa Tribe, No. 2, at Winchester, on the 29th of Cold Moon, G. S. D.
404, with 41 charter members, of whom 18 had previously taken
membership in Miantonomo Tribe, No. 1, and became members of Onequa, No.
2, by the deposit of withdrawal cards. Many of these members had been
formerly members of Old Shawnee Tribe, No. 18.
Wyandotte Tribe, No. 3, at Maysville, on the 3d of Hot Moon, G. S. D.
404, with 35 charter members, including many members of old Wyandotte
Tribe, No. 16, one of whom was Past Great Sachem Thos. A. Davis.
Winona Tribe, No. 4, at Lexington, on the 24th of Hot Moon, G. S. D.
404, with 25 charter members.
Tecumseh Tribe, No. 5, at Harrodsburg, on the 27th of Hot Moon, G. S. D.
404, with 25 members.
Paughcaughnaughsinque Tribe, No. 6, at Augusta, on the 1st of Beaver
Moon, G. S. D. 404, with 41 charter members.
Hiawatha Tribe, No. 7, at Louisville, on the 6th of Hunting Moon, G. S.
D. 404. with 63 charter members.
Cherokee Tribe, No. 8, at Louisville, on the 22d of Hunting Moon, 404.
Minnehaha Council, No. 2, Degree of Pocahontas, at Lexington, with a
charter membership of 49, on the 28th of Worm Moon, 404.
Charters were issued to the foregoing by the Great Council of the United
States.
In his long talk to the Great Council of the United States in Corn Moon,
G. S. D. 404, Great Incohonee Andrew H. Paton said:
"More than forty great suns ago a Great Council fire was kindled in
Kentucky, which was extinguished after burning somewhat feebly for about
thirty great suns. In G. S. D. 397 the few members in the State were by
this great Council placed under the jurisdiction of Ohio. The Order
here, as it has in some of the other States we are trying to reorganize,
had fallen into disrepute because of the carelessness, bad management,
and vicious material which had been admitted into the Tribes. Although
these characteristics had ceased to be, the Order was and is yet
suffering in that State because of what had been, and the Great Council
of Ohio found itself unable to overcome the prejudices which prevailed.
Under these circumstances it seemed better to place the interests of the
Order in Kentucky in charge of some one on the ground, who could give
them personal oversight. By consent of our Board of Great Chiefs the
Great Sachem of Ohio was visited, and at a meeting of the Great Chiefs
of Ohio and several of its Representatives and ex-Representatives to
this body, arrangements were made by which Ohio resigned its control of
Kentucky except of the two Tribes, the fires of which were then burning.
At the Great Sun Council of Ohio in Flower Moon, it was voted that its
authority over these two Tribes should be withdrawn this Cold Moon. By
good fortune, an enthusiastic Red Man from Connecticut, Brother J. B.
Mendenhall, had taken up his residence in Lexington, Kentucky, and
arrangements were made with him to rebuild the Order in the State. In
spite of many obstacles, and at much cost of labor and wampum, Brother
Mendenhall has added five Tribes to the two existing at the time of his
appointment, and of material which is an ornament to the fraternity. A
Great Council of Kentucky is therefore also within sight. No member of
the Order has made more sacrifices the past great sun for the Improved
Order of Red Men than has Brother Mendenhall. He has spent his time, his
efforts, and his wampum without stint and under circumstances which
often gave good excuse to do otherwise."
On the 7th sun of Hunting Moon, G. S. D. 404, Deputy Great Incohonee J.
B. Mendenhall addressed a circular letter to all Tribes and Past Sachems
in the Reservation of Kentucky, from which the following extracts are
made:
"Your attention is again directed to my talk of the 11th sun of Beaver
Moon, relative to the institution of the Great Council of Kentucky.
Miantonomo Tribe, No. 1, adopted 106 pale faces last sleep, and I will
institute Hiawatha Tribe, No. 7, at Louisville, Ky., on the 9th sleep of
this moon, with about 70 charter members. This will give us a total of
about 700 members and 50 past Sachems in good standing.
Every Past Sachem will therefore take notice and make a special effort
to be present in the hunting grounds of Lexington on the 27th and 28th
suns of Hunting Moon, G. S. D. 404.
The council fire will be kindled at the 10th run, rising of the sun,
and the Great Council Degree conferred upon all Past Sachems then in
waiting, and the transaction of business will begin immediately
thereafter.
The institution will take place in Red Men's Hall, 38 East Short
street.
Osceola Tribe, No. 18, Ashland, and Miami Tribe, No. 17, Newport, are
now under my jurisdiction, and they will pay their per capita tax to the
Great Council of Kentucky, as soon as instituted, instead of to the
Great Council of Ohio."
The Great Chief of Records of the Great Council of the United States, in
his report to the G. C. U. S. for G. S. D., gives the following
statistics for the Tribes in Kentucky under the jurisdiction of the G.
C. U. S., which does not include Miami, No. 17, and Osceola, No. 18:
Number of Tribes, 5; adopted, 267; admitted by card, 2; withdrawn by
card, 20; Past Sachems, 26: total membership, 249.
[Illustration: FIRST GREAT COUNCIL OF KENTUCKY.--LEXINGTON, KY., DEC.
27, 1895.
First Row--John I. Winter, Frank L. Smith, J. Hull Davidson, J. R.
McConnell, W. C. Conley, P. G. S. of Penn., Chas. C. Conley, P. G. I.,
J. B. Mendenhall, W. E. Fite, A. F. German.
Second Row--W. B. Wilkerson, W. C. Diederich, Willie Walker, J. W.
Hollar, R. W. Jones, O. R. King, T. M. Russell, J. W. Crumbaugh, John
Armstrong, R. Eason, E. G. Van Zandt.]