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Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: April 13, 1938
Name: Henry Cicero Crittendent
Post Office: Westville, Oklahoma
Residence Address: 
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Father: Henry Clay Crittenden
Place of Birth: Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation
Information on father:
Mother: Mary Susan (Morris)
Place of birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Jesse S Bell

Henry Crittendent was born April 12, 1857, at Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation, a Cherokee full blood, son of Harry Crittendent and a full blood Cherokee Mother, Sookie SANDERS. [error - see note at bottom] There were four boys in this family, Charley, John R., George, and Henry C. being the youngest son. They were of a prominent family. John R. (Dull Hoe), a brother, being a District Judge during Tribal times. They were large land holders.

Henry C. Crittendent and Mary Susan, a sixteenth part Cherokee Indian, were united in marriage about 1879 and to that union were born four boys.

Farming
They were general farmers owning almost a section of land, raised wheat mostly and livestock and their land extended to the state line of Arkansas.

Education
Henry C. Crittendent received his education in the Tribal schools of the Cherokee Nation. He has taught several terms of school in the Cherokee Nation and completed his education in the seminary at Tahlequah.

Secret Society
He was a Charter Member of the Westville Masonic Lodge.

Political Affairs
He has been active in political affairs of the Cherokee Nation. He was elected for several terms as Councilman from Goingsnake District, on the National Party ticket. After Statehood, he retired from active political affairs and settled down to general farming and livestock raising until his death July 29, 1923, when he was laid to rest in the private family cemetery.

[Submitter's Note: This interview was given by Henry Cicero Crittenden, the son of Henry Clay Crittenden, about whom the interview was given. Henry Clay, on his Guion Miller application lists the name of his mother as Susannah WOLFE, Indian name, Sukey, and his grandmother as Jennie SANDERS. It seems Cicero got the two generations confused. The children of Henry Clay Crittenden and Mary Susan Morris were: Charles L., William H., Henry Cicero, Minnie, Thomas Richard, Susan Frances and Myrtle Inez. Henry Cicero was June 6, 1886, in Westville, Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation. (by Wanda Morris Elliott, a great grand niece of Mary Susan Morris).]

Transcribed and submitted by Wanda Morris Elliott <jwdre@intellex.com> 10-2000.