TECUMSEH A. McCLURE -Chickasaw

[Information is taken from the book "Leaders and Leading Men of the Indian Territory, Choctaw and Chickasaw", by H. F. O’Beirne, vol. 1. Publisher is: American Publishers’ Association, Chicago, IL, printed in the year 1891.
page 308-309]

This highly esteemed representative of his race was born in Mississippi about the year 1830, being of the house of Mo-suck-cha. He emigrated with the first group that left the old State. His mother being left a widow, married Smith Paul soon after their settlement on Blue Creek (Smith Paul is the only white man now living who emigrated with the Chickasaws). Tecumseh was therefore taken in charge by his step-father and placed at school at Boggy Depot, boarding the while at the residense of Colonel Guy. Later he was transferred to the school of Post Oak Grove, now known by the name of Emmet. In 1862 he married Mary, daughter of Aho-che-tubbe, of the house of Metapo. Her mother's name was Suth-a-hacha and her grandfather was Captain Ala-pam-bay.

In 1865, after having spent the years of the war in the Sax and Fox country, Mr. McClure and his family settled in Paul's valley close to Smith Paul, who had been there since 1859. In those days game was very plentiful, and Tecumseh being a great hunter, killed numbers of deer, antelope and buffalo. But civilization has wrought a vast change, and the hunting ground is now metamorphosed into a field of corn and cotton, of which the subject of our sketch owns at least one thousand acres and pays permits for about thirty hands.

In recollection of the olden days Mr. McClure is about building a deer park, and has already commenced collecting a small stock of those animals.

The subject of our sketch has never voted but three times, having kept out of politics till 1886, when he was elected to the Senate and became its President the first year. In 1890 he was called upon to be a candidate for Governor, but refused the nomination.

Mr. McClure has six children, all of whom are well educated. They are named Janeson, Selina, Melinda, Imon, Edward and Abbie, the eldest being twenty-six and the youngest ten.

Tecumseh McClure is beloved and respected by all -- his record is without a blur or blemish.

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