2017 Fall Newsletter

Mother Baptiste---A Grand Lady Mary Ann Isaacs, early Miami County benefactor was born in 1800 near Buffalo, New York. She was referred to as a Brotherton Indian from a mother of the Mohegan nation and a European white father. At an early age her family moved to Indiana from New York. She was well educated by Christian Missionaries. In 1819, she was married to Christmas(Noel) Dashney(Dagenette), Wea chief, by Isaac McCoy, a Baptist Missionary. They lived in Parke County Indiana and were parents to 10 children of which only half lived to adulthood. All the children were educated at missions until they were forced to move to Kansas Indian Territory in the 1840’s. Upon moving to what was to become Miami County Kan sas, they settled on part of Christmas’s headright land near Coldwater Creek south of present day Louisburg. After only a few years in Kansas, Christmas died (1848) and Mary Ann soon moved to live with other Wea Indians near what would become Paola. Then in 1856 she married Baptiste Peoria who would be come chief of the Confederated Tribes in Miami County. She held great influence with her new husband who had helped form the Town Company of Paola on land he had owned. They gave development lots to County leaders with the purpose of selling them to help fund Paola as the county seat. Later they donated lots and land for the Cath olic Church and Cemetery. Land was also given for a park in the business square, and lots were sold for other churches and schools. She was well educated, but her second husband was un able to read or write. He did have great business ability and was successful in many ventures. They soon disagreed on several matters however and they each filed in court for divorce in 1858. The case was dismissed due to their being Indians and not recognized citizens at this time. They had no children together and soon parted. He then went to Oklahoma with the Miami and Confederated Tribes, while she remained a resident of Paola. She built a new home in Paola and lived there and was very active in Paola social circles until her death. She had vowed not to be moved by the government to Oklahoma Indian Territory. She was far ahead of her time as a woman and American Indian. When she died in 1883, her funeral was held in the Paola Catholic Church. She was buried along side her first husband in the Dagenette ( Wea ) Cemetery near Louis burg. She had selected that site for her first husband on land they had owned. Her influence has had a lasting con tribution on Paola and Miami County. On the right is a photo is of her home she had built in Paola. She lived in it until her death in 1883. (This home is still a Paola residence)

This photo is of Mary Ann Isaacs was newly discov ered and is now owned by the museum. It was taken by an early Paola photographer in 1871.

Mary Ann’s home in Indiana with her first husband Christmas Dagenette

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