Nuyaka Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Nuyaka Mission, Oklahoma
|
|
 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Okmulgee, Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1882 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001075 |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1972 |
The Nuyaka Mission is a special historic place located in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. It is found on McKeown Road, west of Okmulgee, Oklahoma. This site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important landmark worth protecting. The mission was started in 1882 by Alice Mary Robertson. She began it after the Creek Council asked for a school. The Presbyterian Church helped run the mission.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Story of Nuyaka
The name "Nuyaka" has an interesting history. The Creek principal chief first wanted to name the mission "Robertson Institute." This was to honor William S. Robertson. However, his daughter, Augusta, asked for a different name. She wanted a name from the Creek language.
So, the mission was named after the nearby Creek town of Nuyaka. The name "Nuyaka" might come from the Creek way of saying "New York." This is because President George Washington met with 26 Creek chiefs in New York City. They discussed a treaty and land. The Creeks were very impressed with New York City. They later named one of their towns after it. White settlers then wrote the town's name as Nuyaka.
Life at the Mission School
The Nuyaka Mission had four main buildings. One building was used as a chapel and assembly room. It also had classrooms for students. A second building housed the superintendent's apartment. This building also served as a dormitory for the boys. The other two buildings were cottages. These cottages housed the girls and their teachers.
When it first opened, the mission enrolled seventy boys and girls. There were seven female teachers. One man supervised the boys after school. The first pastor was Rev. Thomas Ward Perryman. He was a Creek man who had studied at Tullahassee Mission. He taught religious classes at Nuyaka.
Who Ran the Mission Over Time?
A granite marker at the site shares the mission's history. It tells us who operated the school over the years.
- From 1884 to 1899, the Presbyterians ran the boarding school.
- After that, the Creek Tribe operated the school for ten years.
- From 1909 to 1921, the Bureau of Indian Affairs took over.
- Finally, from 1921 to 1933, the Baptists ran the school.
Saving the Nuyaka Mission Site
The mission buildings were removed in 1936. A person named E.E. Mount bought the site. He wanted to prevent its destruction. In 1937, his daughter, Oakla, and her husband, Bill Spears, bought the site. They lived in the old Dormitory Superintendent's home for 54 years.
Oakla and Bill Spears were very interested in the site's history. They talked to former students and children of past superintendents. Their hard work helped save the property. In 1992, they donated the site to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
A Marker of History
A marker from the Oklahoma Historical Society is on SH-56. It shares more facts about the mission. It says the Presbyterian Board and the Creek Nation founded the mission in 1882. This was thanks to the efforts of Alice Robertson. She later became the first woman from Oklahoma elected to Congress. Augusta Robertson Moore was the first superintendent of the mission school.
The marker also mentions the nearby Nuyaka Town. This town was important during the "Green Peach War." It was the base for the "Loyal Creek" group. This group was led by Isparhecher, who later became the Chief of the Creek Nation.
In May 2003, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a resolution. This resolution transferred ownership of the site. It went from the Oklahoma Historical Society to the Nuyaka Homecoming Association and Historical Society, Inc.
