Eliza Missouri Bushyhead Alberty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eliza M.B. Alberty
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Eliza Missouri Bushyhead
Jan 3, 1839 |
| Died | Nov 5, 1919 |
| Nationality | Cherokee, American |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, School Administrator, Educator |
| Known for | Lobbied state for Normal School that became NSU, Tahlequah, OK |
Eliza Missouri Bushyhead Alberty was an important Cherokee woman who lived from 1839 to 1919. She was a successful businesswoman, helped run schools, and was a teacher.
Eliza's Early Life and School Days
Eliza Missouri Bushyhead was born in 1839 in Missouri. Her father, Jesse Bushyhead, was a Cherokee minister. He led a group of Cherokee people to Indian Territory during the sad journey known as the Trail of Tears.
When they arrived, her father started a church mission. Eliza went to school there until 1854. Then, she enrolled in the Cherokee Female Seminary in Park Hill. This was a special school for young women. She graduated from the Seminary in 1856. She was part of the second group of students to finish their studies there.
Career and Family Life
After graduating, Eliza became a teacher. She taught at Post Oak Grove and Vann's Valley schools. These were public schools in the Cherokee Nation. She taught there until 1859.
In 1858, she married David Rowe Vann. After his death in 1870, she married Bluford West Alberty in 1873. Together, they managed the Cherokee Insane Asylum, also known as "Belleview."
In 1885, the Albertys bought a hotel in Tahlequah. They named it the "National Hotel." After her husband died in 1889, Eliza managed the hotel by herself. She made it the most successful hotel in Indian Territory.
Eliza was also very active in her Baptist church. People in the community and students at the seminary lovingly called her "Aunt Eliza."
Her Legacy and Later Years
When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Eliza Alberty worked hard to get a new state school built in Tahlequah. This type of school was called a normal school. It was a place where teachers were trained.
She was successful in her efforts! To honor her, George Washington Steele, the first governor of Oklahoma, gave her the pen he used to sign the law. This law created the Northeastern Normal School, which is now Northeastern State University.
Eliza Alberty passed away at the age of 80 in Claymore, Oklahoma. Her body was brought back to Tahlequah for burial. She was laid to rest near her older brother, Denis Wolf Bushyhead. He was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1879 to 1888.
