More About David Dushane

FROM THIS CORNER
By
Glenna J. Wallace

MORE ABOUT DAVE DUSHANE

In the May 2011 Shooting Star I wrote an article about Dave Dushane, Jr. I have received several
telephone calls, had several conversations about him, and received additional details, so this month’s
article is a hodgepodge of information gleaned since the writing of the first article.

I particularly enjoyed an article sent by Jack Dushane entitled “Rural Ramblings” by Howard Moore that
goes like this: “Old Dave Dushane died yesterday 8:25 a.m. [1954]. He died in the Baptist hospital in
Miami, Okla. Dave, 76, the last of and chief of the Eastern Shawnees lived on his allotment in the Indian
Nation just west of Seneca. ‘Ruptured appendix’ the doctors called it. Dave would have said, ‘I’ve got a
belly ache.”

“There’ll be a bunch of dry-eyed, hardened pioneers at the funeral knowing that that’s going to happen
to them soon. And there’ll be a bunch of tears shed. Dave knew a whole ‘Trail of Them’. Lost Creek’s
going to be out-of-banks tonight and tomorrow.’ Dave said to me three years ago. Some of his kids had
driven him up to my house. All of Dave’s land was bottom. ‘Do you mind if I let my pony and cow spend
the night in your pasture?’

“I wanted to say, ‘Ugh!, it was yours to start with-why do you have to ask now?’ I recalled a picture
show I saw when I was a boy, called ‘Vanishing American’ starring Richard Dix, and the book ‘The Last of
the Mohicans.’ Dave was a good neighbor. He never asked for information about anything. The only
questions he ever asked was for permission.

“Sheriff Jim Alleman of Miami said last night, ‘Dave was a good man.’ He served under the Ottawa
county sheriff in 1947 and 1948 as jailor. Dave also served a term as jailor under the Sheriff George
Payton, 21 years ago….

I personally found the above article fascinating because it confirmed the Dave Dushane I had heard
about. I had to chuckle however when I read the last line of the article which stated, “Dave Dushane
had a boy one time that was Seneca’s ideal—Jimmie. He drowned at the age of 13 years.” Howard
Moore wrote convincingly about Dave Dushane because Dave would have said belly ache, he was a
good man, and Jimmie was Seneca’s ideal; but even the most knowledgeable, the best intentioned can
make a mistake—Jimmie did not drown but rather died as the result of a fall from a bluff while running
his traps.

One piece of information I did not include in the original article about Dave was that according to Jack
Dushane in addition to Dave’s brothers, Dave had a half-sister: Mariah Louisa Dushane Prophet. Jack
states many family members erroneously believed Mariah’s husband Bill Prophet was a half-brother, not
realizing that Bill’s wife was the kin. In a letter Jack writes that “our tribal information has Mary Chick
as David C. Dushane’s first wife.” However Jack sent a copy of the sale of an allotment that shows that
his first wife was Hannah Evans. Jack also included genealogical information requested by Paula Ylarraz,
a Prophet. That genealogy is as follows:

Paula Diane Ylarraz

Daughter of Elizabeth Ann Riley Ylarraz

Granddaughter of Ida Prophet Riley

Great Grandaughter of Mariah Louis Dushane (Eastern Shawnee born 1863 died 2/12/1919) & William Prophet (Cherokee-Shawnee)

Great Great Granddaughter of Hannah Evans & David DuShane, Sr. (CherokeeShawnee)***This is the information Jack is referencing, stating that some sources list Mary Chick, not Hannah Evans as the first wife.

Bill Prophet was not a half-brother to Dave Dushane, but Bill did have some famous relatives as an
article published July 29, 1921 reveals:

“William Prophet died at his home in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, near Seneca, MO on July 22, 1921.
Prophet was almost a full-blooded Shawnee Indian and was about 67 years of age. He was born [1854]
in what is now Johnson County, Kans. and belonged to that band of the Shawnees sometimes known as
the “Kaw River Shawnees” which became affiliated with the Cherokees.

He has resided in this locality for the past forty years, having married Maria Dushane, who was a
member of the band of Eastern Shawnees here. She died about two years ago. Of the large family of
children reared by this worthy couple and yet surviving them are Misses Minnie and Bertha Prophet of
Oklahoma City, Frank K. Prophet of Rosebud Agency, S.D., Mrs. John M. Riley, formerly of Washington,
D.C. but who has resided with and cared for her father since the death of her mother, Elmer Prophet, a
son who spent more than two years over-seas during the World War, and Nannie Prophet, a daughter
who returned home only last week from Jefferson Hospital at Philadelphia, having been called home to
nurse and care for her father during his illness…. John Prophet and William K. Prophet of Ottawa
County, OK are other sons of Prophet, who did service over-seas during the recent war.

Prophet was probably the last direct descendant of his generation, being a great-grandson of the
celebrated Shawnee Prophet, La-lee-wah-see-kah and his more illustrious brother, Tecumseh. The
former died and was buried about the year 1838 near what is now Rosedale, Kans….

Mariah Dushane Prophet and William Bill Prophet

William, or as everyone familiarly called him, ‘Bill Prophet,’ was a good man, a good friend and a good
neighbor; and his ever friendly greeting will be missed by all who have long known him. Many of these,
and others, attended the funeral which took place from the home on the 23rd . Interment was made in
the old Shawnee Cemetery nearby, on what has long been known as the ‘Old Jackson Place.’ Hen-toh”

I also received a copy of a letter written by Nina Dushane in the 1960’s about Stonewall Jackson.
Remember Dave Dushane Jr’s mother was Nancy Jackson or Ke-ne-fe-ase, whose mother traded goods
for this baby. The letter reads:

“Stonewall Jackson: This is a true story of the Jackson family and Shawnee Tribal History as told to me
by my father, Charles Dushane, Sr. It seems in an early day before the various tribes in what is now
Eastern Oklahoma were placed on a reservation for each tribe, were constantly going on raiding parties
fighting and warring with other tribes. At this particular time, possibly 100 years ago, a raiding party
came thru where the Shawnees were camped (It was never clear to me just where they were camped.)
This war party had been off South fighting with other Indians and possibly Mexicans as they had with
them a tiny Mexican baby. Now my Father’s mother was Nancy Jackson, possibly a young girl then. Her
mother was so sorry for this little Mexican baby that she traded a horse and a sack of flour for him.

He grew up among the Shawnees and as a member of my grandmother’s family-the same as my
grandmother’s brother. Time passed and this band of Shawnees was allotted 160 acres of land each.
Stonewall Jackson probably had no English name—so he was given the name of Stonewall Jackson and
given an allotment along with members of the Tribe. Stonewall married a Shawnee girl. They had 2
children. His wife and children also received allotments. They were half Shawnee and half Mexican.
Time passed and Stonewall’s wife and children died.

He fell heir to three 160 acre allotments, giving him 4 allotments all his own. Consequently this poor
little Mexican baby came into a life of his own which came about from the kindness of this band of the
Shawnee Tribe, particularly the Jackson family.”

I met Dave Dushane, Jr. when I was a small girl. I picture him sitting on the front porch of the old house
back in the valley near the creek. Clad in overalls, long sleeved denim shirt, hat on his head, he rocks
gently in his rocking chair. I can’t ever recall hearing him speak. He just rocked, seemingly peaceful in
his meditation. If he were to speak today, he would probably say all this attention makes his belly ache
and he would wish we would just let him rest in peace. Wish granted.