Manuscript for Volume III, Craig Country History Book to be published this year by the Craig County Genealogy Society, P. O. Box 484, Vinita, OK 74301.

Pearl Tecumsah Blue Jacket

Pearl was born on July 30, 1881, son of Stephen S. Blue Jacket and Emily Tiblow in Indian Territory, died on June 11, 1958 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Vinita. His Dawes Roll No. is 23047 and his Card No. is 3458. Stephen (Wa-wa-lath-kah-ka) and Emily (Me-swa-pe-a-se), both Shawnee, had eight children, four boys and four girls. Pearl was next to last and the last boy. Pearl’s great-great-grandfather was the Shawnee principal War Chief, Wa-weya-pier-sen-wa (Whirlpool, but called Blue Jacket by the British), who lead a consortium of Ohio Country tribes against the U. S. Army in battles in Northwest Territory in the early 1790’s. The Reverend Charles Blue Jacket, a founder of the town of Blue Jacket, Indian Territory which was incorporated in 1894, was Pearl’s great uncle.

In an interview by W. T. Holland on August 13, 1937, (Indian Pioneer History, vol. 15), Pearl described his boyhood days as typical of Indian children – hunting, fishing, raising corn for bread and enjoying life. In September of 1893, Pearl and his first cousin, Gertrude Alice Foreman (also called Grass and later called Renfrow [Renfro, Renfrew], the names of other husbands of her mother, Emma Blue Jacket, Stephen S.’s sister) entered Carlisle Industrial School in Carlisle, PA. Pearl was 12 and Gertie 13 then and were lifetime friends as a result of their sojourn to Carlisle together. Both left to return to Indian Territory in the fall of 1896. Gertie started using Garrett’s snuff when she was sixteen, which she called her "herb" and was still a faithful user at her death in 1981 at age 101. Pearl took snuff also, so maybe Gertie started him! She married George Hinshaw, plumbing contractor and long time Justice of the Peace of Vinita.

Vaughn Pedersen of Elgin, IL, one of Pearl’s nephews, acquired some Pearl stories from relatives Doris Ann (Barnard) Blue Jacket of Ketchum, Roy Blue Jacket of Welch and Melvin Blue Jacket of Coffeyville, Kansas.

Pearl was quite athletic and played left tackle for the combined Willie Hallsel College and Vinita town football team in 1899. He played professional baseball for eight years, playing with Jim Thorpe for the old Boston Browns and claimed to have known Babe Ruth. On June 12, 1913, Pearl wrote a letter to Carlisle Industrial School seeking help for work in the "Indian Service". He stated, in part, "I am still a bachelor. I have worked at many jobs since I left Carlisle and I am sorry to report have not accepted one as my profession yet. ---- I am an orphan now and am on the farm with my aged uncle looking after his stock at present." The letter was addressed from Eucha, Okla.

Pearl played Indian all his life. The accompanying photograph shows him in the full regalia of a plains Indian, not the Shawnee that he was. The beadwork on his buckskins was made by Osage women in Pawhuska. A bow maker, Pearl would make bows for his young relatives and entire families would call him "Uncle Pearl", P. T. or "Blue". He would finish bows by rubbing with a piece of glass until the bows were as smooth as glass. He made bows for the archery class of a military academy near Talequah and sold bows for as much as $200. At some time, he collaborated with Princess Jo Esther Bruner on an Indian love ballad called IN THE HILLS OF SPAVINAW. The sheet music apparently was never published but the Indian photo was on the cover page.

Pearl was an excellent Indian dancer and archer and performed at county fairs and other get-togethers. Roy Blue Jacket said "Pearl could split a barrel stave at 100 yards." He was known to shoot from between his legs and over his shoulder using a mirror. Melvin Blue Jacket went places with Pearl as a youngster and once, when Pearl wanted to shoot an apple from Melvin’s head, refused, saying "I didn’t like the look in his eye!"

Pearl was supposedly married to an Indian lady (Elisa?) somewhat older than him who had a child and the union lasted three years.

He was acquainted with Will Rogers, through May McCullogh who went to school with Will at Willie Hallsel, Judge Hinshaw and Pearl’s cousin, Gertrude Hinshaw. A visit by Will to the Hinshaw family home in the summer of 1934 was attended by May, Pearl, Evelyn Laura (Dukes) Hinshaw and her son Gaylord Carlyle Hinshaw. In later years, Pearl made a fine bow for young Hinshaw.

The Blue Jacket Family Genealogy is on file at the Vinita Public Library.