h schools among the Indians at a
very early date. The work among the five civilized tribes was begun many
years before they were transported from the southern states to Indian
Territory. Some of these missionaries migrated with them and continued
both their school and church work in the Territory. Rev. Alfred Wright,
who organized the Presbyterian church at Wheelock in December, 1832, and
died there in 1853, after receiving 570 members into it, began his work
as a missionary to the Choctaws in 1820.

The aim of the government in its educational work among the Indians, as
elsewhere in the public schools of the country, has been mainly to make
them intelligent citizens. The aim of the church, by making the Bible a
daily textbook, is to make them happy and hopeful Christians, as well as
citizens. In the early days there was great need for this educational
work, and in the Presbyterian church it was carried forward by its
foreign mission board, with wisdom, energy and success.

In 1861 the Presbyterian church had established and was maintaining six
boarding schools with 800 pupils and six day schools among the Indians
in the Territory. Two of these schools, Spencer and Wheelock Academies,
were located in the southern part of the Choctaw Nation.

In 1840 the Presbytery of Indian was organized and in 1848 the
Presbytery of the Creek Nation. In 1861 these included an enrollment of
16 churches with a communicant membership of 1,772.

EFFECTS OF THE CIVIL WAR

At the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, all of these schools and
churches were closed, and the next year the Presbyterian church became
divided by the organization of the Southern Presbyterian church, under
the corporate name, "The Presbyterian Church in the United States."

At the close of the war it was left to the Southern branch of the church
to re-establish this school and church work in the Territory. It
undertook to do this and carried parts of it alone for a number of
years. The task however proved to be too great; the men and means were
not available to re-open the boarding schools, and to supply the
churches with ministers. The arrangement was accordingly made for the
foreign mission board of the Presbyterian church, to resume its former
work as fast as workers could be obtained.

In 1879, four ministers returned and opened six churches among the
Choctaws, Creeks and Cherokees.

In 1882 Spencer Academy was re-opened at Nelson, by Rev. Oliver P.
Stark