Benjamin J. Thomas - Updated April 2012

Benjamin J. Thomas was born in Tennessee in 1849 to Green J. Thomas and Susan Dortch.  On 29 July 1869, he married Lucy A. Wesson in Dallas Co., Arkansas.



Marriage License of Benjamin J. Thomas & Lucy A. Wesson
(Click to enlarge.)

 Of this marriage were born the following children:

James R. Thomas
Born: Dec 1871, Arkansas
Married: Annie Laura Blocker McClure
Issue: Warner Lee, Eddie & Viola Thomas
Died:

Mary Jane "Mollie" Thomas
Born: Oct. 1872, Arkansas
Married:  William R. Burnett (1896), William David Rowe, (29 Dec 1906, Garland Co., Arkansas)
Issue: Charles Edward, John Franklin & Maggie Leticia Burnett.  Jim, Herbert & Van Carroll Rowe. NB: There was also a daughter named Tess who was born 1893,  3 years prior to Mary Jane's marriage to Mr. Burnett. Though Tess used the surname Burnett, I am unsure if he was her biological father. At this present time, I am unaware of any marriage for Mary Jane Thomas before she wed Mr. Burnett. Research is ALWAYS ongoing!
Died: Aft 1940, Arkansas


Edward Green Thomas
Born: 2 December 1874, Arkansas
Married:  Nora Holt, 22 July 1937, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Died: Aft 1937, Arkansas

Benjamin J. Thomas served as a Pvt. in the 12th Arkansas Infantry during the War of Northern Aggression.  His wife, Lucy A. (Wesson) Thomas applied for an Arkansas Confederate Widow's Pension in 1901, Garland Co., Arkansas.

  

He was captured at Port Hudson, Louisiana and taken prisoner in 1863.

Sterling L. Wesson and Family

Sterling L. Wesson was born in Tennessee about the year 1835 to William and Sarah Wesson. 

He married on 22 September 1855 in Shelby County Tennessee, Miss Martha G. Rideout, daughter of John Rideout & Lucy Williams.

Of this marriage was born one daughter:

Lucy A. Wesson
Born: March 1854, Tennessee
Married: 29 July 1869 to Benjamin J. Thomas (son of Green J. Thomas & Susan Dortch.)
Died: Between 1910-1920 Mountain, Garland County, Arkansas.

Sterling L. Wesson served in Company G & H, 21st Arkansas Infantry in the War of Northern Aggression.



Report of his death at the Ft. Pillow Tennessee Uprising.



Bowers Oklahoma

The community of Bowers, Oklahoma was named in honour John DeWitt Bowers, son of John D. Bowers and Mary Majors.

John Dewitt Bowers was born 24 July 1864 in Grainger Co., Tennessee.  For further information regarding him and his family history, I recommend looking at this site.

The following  was copied from the 50th Anniversary Edition of the "Latimer County News Democrat" published 21 August 1947 which was taken from a report written by Mrs. Maxine Wilkinson for a Sociology class at Eastern Oklahoma College. 

All Bowers family mentioned herein were the children of John D. Bowers and Mary Majors.

"Bowers Has Interesting History

County Named for Resident of this Community

Until about 1895, the Bowers Community was settled solely by Indians.  Joshua James, Jackson James, Ellis Wade and Isam Christie were some of the Indians that old time settlers remember.

Near what is now the Wallace Colvard home, the Indians had a church.  This also served as a school house and as the council house.  It was in this building that justice was doled out to the unruly and many knew the use of the shipping post that stood just outside the door.

Early Settlers

Some time in 1895, Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Latimer moved to their home in the community.  They had no white neighbors.  In 1900, (John) DeWitt Bowers moved to a farm six miles west and a mile south of Wilburton.  In 1902 his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. John and Mrs Nancy Helon (Bowers) Estes bought out his farm and he moved to an adjoining farm.

...illegible... goes on to say ... in the Indian subscription school was Miss Carrie Booth.  She boarded in the home of Mrs. E. Wingo and received $1.00 a month in cash for her work.  Mrs. Wingo received as payment for her board whatever was taken in by subscription.

At this time there were no improvements of any kind in the community, but before long the men felt such a need for a school for their children that they, under the direction of Mr. Bowers, built a school on his farm.  This school was destroyed by fire in a few years.

After statehood, Mr. Bowers with the help of his neighbors, built another school.  A school district was formed and because of his great community interest and helpfulness, the persons in the community chose to name the district after him.

Help From State

In 1907 the question of statehood was on everyone's tongue.  When the time came to vote, residents of the Bowers Community met at the three room home of Mr. and Mrs. Estes and voted on the big issue.  The group elected Mr. Latimer to be their delegate for the Constitutional Convention and the county was named for him.

In 1924 the members built a church called the "New Home Baptist Church."  This building is still standing."

Bowers Family, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory

The following is from "Mehahtubbee's Children, Book II" by R. McLellan (c) 2012

Permission for personal usage only. US and International Copyright Law apply.  COPYING said material onto another website or inclusion in any book, journal or other periodical is strictly forbidden without express written consent from this author.

"For the purposes of establishing a timeline for our Bowers relations in the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory, I refer to reader to the 1890 Non Citizen Permits for Sugar Loaf County, Choctaw Nation.   

For each non-Choctaw, a fee had to be paid in order for the individual to work within the Choctaw Nation. The following persons worked for Polk McAlvain in 1890.  D.S. Johnson, Will Bullard, JN. Hardsiak, Walter Hall, W.I. Hatchen, P.E. Potter, W.I. Young, J. Nickle, W.H. Bowerman, Jas. Esoiri, Henry Cate, T. Shiply, T.P. Bowers, Dave Gentry, Sol Rever, JNO. Cretsinger, JNO. Carrel, Seb Edmonson, Seb Long, Peter Rever, JNO. Hall, J.D. Bowers, Bill Cannon, R. Bullard, Logan McGee, G. Bullard.

The J.D. Bowers listed in the 1890 permit roster was John D. Bowers, father of Louisa Matilda Bowers McAlvain.

John Bowers was born in Grainger County, Tennessee in 1837 and his death date is listed as 6 September 1884 in Polk McAlvain's Day Book.  Sadly, the place of his death and burial are not recorded."

The Bowers Sisters

Below is a photograph I recently received from a descendant of Nancy Helon Bowers, sister to Louisa Matilda Bowers McAlvain.

After reviewing the birth dates of these sisters and their children and comparing them to dates of migration, I believe them to be the following individuals.

Back row - L-R: 

Nancy Helon Bowers
Born: 18 December 1860, Grainger Co., Tennessee
Married: ca 1886-1887 to Maud Sharp
Married 2nd: 23 August 1898, Leflore Co., Oklahoma to John T. Estes.
Children: Floyd Burton Sharp (1888-1935), Claude Sharp (1892-?), Velma Eudoxia Estes (1910-1986)
Died: 1946, California

Susan Adaline Bowers
Born: 13 October 1859, Grainger Co, Tennessee
Married: ca 1876, Fulton Co., Arkansas, Simpson Sloan.
Married 2nd:  ca 1892, Louis Andrew Campbell
Children: Helen Arizona Sloan (1880-1954), Charles Murphy Sloan (1885-1958), Bessie Lela Campbell (1893-?), Nellie Edna Campbell (1900-1973).
Died: 3 February 1926, Superior, Pinal Co., Arizona

I believe the infant that Susan Adaline is holding was the above named Charles Murphy Sloan.

Louisa Matilda Bowers
Born: 17 June 1863, Grainger Co., Tennessee
Married: 1881 Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, Albert Choate. 
Married 2nd:  12 July 1886, Sugar Loaf Co., Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, Polk McAlvain
For Children see the entry regarding Polk McAlvain below.
Died: 25 December 1918, McAlester, Pittsburg Co., Oklahoma

Front Row - L-R:

I believe the first little girl to be Helen Arizona Sloan, the baby is possibly Floyd Burton Sharp, and the little boy I believe to be John Walter McAlvain.

Polk McAlvain - Parentage

Above is Polk McAlvain's Dawes Census Card which holds the information he gave the federal government concerning his family and parentage.

Polk McAlvain

Some of the Polk McAlvain Family of Kennedy, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory

NB: The following information is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. 

I suppose there have been as many stories concerning Polk McAlvain and his origins as there are descendants.  While genealogical curiosity is healthy, the stories that emerge from misinformation or conjecture can be a source of extreme frustration when researching an individual as many a family historian can attest.

With the desire to know more about this Choctaw Indian ancestor, I began researching him back in the early 1990's.  The longer I researched, the more questions presented themselves and it soon became clear that no one family member had the same answer to the things I asked.  As that was the case, I felt it best to follow only the documents which I found pertaining to him.  While certainly drawing my own conclusions on many things, without documentation, at best they could only be called supposition. 

The earliest records found to date with Polk's name on it are his Confederate Service Records.  He served in the 1st Choctaw/Chickasaw Mounted Rifles, 1st Brigade, Company K.

The next official recording of Polk was found to be an 1874 Census of Skullyville County, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory.  He was enumerated as "Polk McIvion, 1 Indian Male over 21 and Under 45."  Within his household was 1 Indian Female over 16 years.  No livestock or crops. 

(NB: Disparaging dates of birth seem to plague this family history.)

Looking at the year, I have always assumed the female to have been his first wife, Sinnie (Sinah) Perry with whom he had one daughter recorded by Polk in his day book, named Randy, born 14 February 1874.  Sadly both Sinnie and the little girl died.  There are family stories about them dying in a house fire.

Polk's second wife was Mary Choate.    Together they had

1.  Stonewall Jackson McAlvain

Born: 10 September 1877

Died: Labor Day, 1903

2.  Robert L. McAlvain

Born: 21 January 1879

Died:  1969

3.  Louis Riley McAlvain

Born: 19 April 1881

Died: 1930

Mary Choate's date of death is unknown to me.  However, she had obviously passed away before 1886 when Polk McAlvain married Louisa Bowers, daughter of John Bowers and Polly Majors.

Louisa Bowers was born 17 June 1863 in Grainger County, Tennessee.  Documents indicate that her father, John Bowers worked for Polk McAlvain sharecropping for a time, hence them being allowed to live in the Choctaw Nation.

Together Louisa and Polk had the following children:

1.  John Walter McAlvain

Born: 14 January 1883

2.  Charles McAlvain (died in infancy)

Born: 25 March 1885

3.  William Richard McAlvain

Born: 8 April 1887

4.  Thomas Jay McAlvain

Born: 8 December 1889

5.  Florence Alice McAlvain

Born:  22 March 1892

6.  David Warren McAlvain

Born:  20 August 1894

7.  Martha McAlvain

Born: 2 December 1896 (died in infancy)

8.  Audie Carl McAlvain

Born: 20 February 1898

9.  Lulabelle & Jewell McAlvain (twin girls - died in infancy)

Born: 10 August 1900