ozarks
roots
the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home
The Legacy of Neosho
By Terry Ropp
Photos by Terry Ropp
A decendant of Neosho Parthena Brown continues her mission of giving This is the story of Neosho Parthena Brown, a Euchee/Creek Native American whose father Samuel W. Brown and Euchee Chief was born in Fort Smith, Ark., during the Trail of Tears. The Oklahoma Indian Territory was supposed to belong to the Indians forever, but in 1899 America decided the tribes needed to dissolve and given allotments of 160 acres as compensation. While the idea was not popular among the Native Americans, Chief Brown believed this was the best deal they were ever going to get. Consequently, his 16-year-old daughter Neosho drove a buggy with her father sitting beside her with
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a shotgun for protection while registering his people for allotment eligibility. Even though she was only 6 years old at the time when she passed away, Neosho’s great-great-granddaughter Jane Breckinridge remembers her well. “Neosho was very tiny, perhaps only 4-foot-10, but with a commanding dignity,” Jane said. “She wore long dresses and had long hair in a bun. Her most defining characteristic, however, was her love and compassion for others helping even with her limited resources.” The door to Neosho’s primitive log cabin didn’t have a doorknob but rather a leather strap to secure it. Through the years, Neo-
sho opened her home to those who needed it. Jane’s grandmother Maxine remembers many of those people spoke no English but were some of the beneficiaries of Neosho’s constant charity. Jane’s mother Joan spent many summers at her grandmother’s, and if they needed to go to town, they would walk the one-third-mile lane to the highway to catch a Greyhound bus. Jane believes the lane may have been part of an old wagon road. Sadly, the log cabin is no longer there, though Jane treasures being able to see the precious family site while working on her farm. When Neosho passed in 1971, her daughters split the allotment, which has since been handed down within the family.
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
When oil was discovered on the allotment during the early part of the 20th century, the family prospered. They had a beautiful home in town and purchased furniture all the way from Kansas City. Like many, they lost their money during the Great Depression and were forced to return to the land though they were able to bring their beautiful furniture with them. Jane now possesses the family’s library table, which is in her farm’s meeting space, proudly decorated with old family photos. Because the land had been used for oil and still had old equipment, it was never to be plowed, making Neosho’s true legacy helping others. That legacy remained SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
