Individual Details

KETCHUM, Louis or Lewis -- Louis Ketchum was born 1808 near Sandusky, Ohio. (1862 census and tombstone data from James Tyler and Alice T. Timmons, Our People and Where They Rest n.p., 1969), p. 54 covering the Ketchum Cemetery) According to the 1875 Kansas State Census, Wyandotte County Quindaro Township, Family No. 224 , he was born in Indiana. His name is also used and cited as Lewis. He died on 28 March 1904 and was buried in the privately-owned Ketchum Cemetery that he established in Craig County, Indian Territory (SE-NE-NE of Section 10, Township 24, Range 20). His father was George Ketchum, Lenape name Kakeewha. His mother was Nancy, family name not known.


Photograph of Lewis/Louis Ketchum from the Vinita (Oklahoma) Indian Chieftain, 1 April 1904. We obtained this image from the Craig County, Oklahoma Genealogical Society, which had made a copy of the photo from a microfiche from the Vinita, Oklahoma Public Library.

Solomon Ketch, had this to say about his father, Lewis Ketchum, in a 9 June 1937 at Vinita, Oklahoma by Field Worker J. R. Carselowy:


My father was born in 1808 on the Delaware Reservation in Ohio, near Sandusky. While my father was growing up, he lived near Sandusky, Ohio; from there to White River, near Springfield, Missouri; and from there to Wyandotte [County]. Kansas. My father lived to be 98 [?] years old, and died on his allotment ten miles southeast of Vinita, Craig County, in 1904.

My father, a three-quarter blood Delaware Indian, could talk very little English in his younger days, and talked brokenly up to the time of his death. I believe that he was the greatest hunter and trapper that the United States has ever produced. He was very venturesome in his young days and started out selling furs to the famous Choteau brothers at St. Louis when he was a mere boy. He began learning the use of traps and guns early in the nineteenth century, and made it his life's study. His most valuable fur was the beaver, and he made a specialty of trapping beavers.

The Chateaus later established a trading post at West Port, Missouri, about six miles south of the present site of Salina, Oklahoma, where a stone marker was recently placed commemorating the establishment of the first trading post in the Indian Territory

Nothing could suit my father more than the exploring of new territory. and all alone he followed the trading posts down into Indian Territory long before he came here to settle years afterward. Mustering a herd of five pack ponies at Salina, he set out to the southwest, exploring all the small rivers and streams, and finally winding up at Fort Worth, Texas, but finding very few beaver. He had just about made up his mind that he was too far south for this kind of game when the unexpected happened.

It was about 1848 and General Winfield Scott with a large army of government soldiers. was marching from the north, down the "Old Military Trail" into Mexico, where the United States was at war with Mexico. They captured my father and against his protest made a government scout of him and sent him on ahead of the army as one of the government scouts. He remained with them five days. bit on the night of the fifth day out he slipped away and came back to where the Grand River empties into the Arkansas. It was here he decoded to find out where the big river went, and he set out to the northwest, following the Arkansas River, and trapping as he went.

On his trip to the northwest, my father encountered many wild tribes of Indians. He tried to evade them. They would take after him in great droves but being armed with a good rifle my y father said they quit chasing him after he had shot one or two of them, as they were armed with only bows and arrows.

Others of the tribes tried to be friendly. but were very treacherous and mean. He stayed among them for nearly two years, and learned to talk some of their languages. One tribe offered to bet him a pony that he could not throw their champion wrestler, whom they called "the devil.:" He bet them and threw the devil, and won their pony. They then wanted to bet him three ponies that he could not out-run their champion foot racer. "How far?" asked Father. "Three miles," replied the Indians. "Horses can't run that far. I run two hundred yards - five horses," my father told them, and bet them, and [they] lost their five ponies

This made they so mad that they tried to slip up on him, that night and kill him, but he saw they and slipped away, and went to a government post several miles away and reported the loss of his guns, traps, and furs. The soldiers went with him the next day and got his things, and told him that he had better get out of there as those were bad Indians and would kill anyone, not a member of their tribe. They sent soldiers to accompany my father out of the danger zone. He went back to Wyandotte, Kansas, where he organized a company of went Delawares and went back to where he had been, thinking with twenty men armed with rifles, the whole Indian tribe could be whipped.

The Indians seemed to be friendly when they got back and my father and his party trapped for some time and entered into all kinds of jests with the Indian tribes. They measured their great men by acts of bravery, and it was possibly this that brought on more trouble with the Indians. To beat them at their own game my father slipped up on a buffalo while it was asleep, and cut the buffalo's tail off. He showed the Indians the tail as evidence that he had performed the feat. They seemed to be very jealous of this feat. and that night they attacked my father's camp and bushwhacked and killed every man in his party. He escaped by crawling on his stomach until he was out of their reach and the next day made his way back to West Port, Kansas, where the Choteau's were still located, and retired to a farm in Wyandotte, Kansas, where he lived until 1880.

In 1880, he went before the National Council at Talequah and paid $287.00 per head for an equal right with the Cherokees, and the following year, in 1881, he settled on a farm ten miles southeast of Vinita, near the town of Ketchum, where two of his brothers were living. They were James and George Ketchum, and it was from these three brothers that the town of Ketchum received its name.

When my father was hunting and trapping in the west he kept three buffalo robes with him, with which he made his bed at night, and he said that no matter how cold the weather, he could keep warm.

When he settled in Craig County, then Delaware District, Indian Territory, there was plenty of game, and he kept right on hunting. His principal meat while hunting in the west was buffalo, but since moving to the Territory he had to content himself with deer, turkey, prairie chicken and the smaller game. However, he said that he had tasted every kind of meat there was, but the worst meat he ever tried was wolf. As amusement for his old days he got himself a pack of fox hounds and chased deer,, fox, and wolves. He loved the music that a pack of dogs made and usually kept one small dog with a fine voice that he said was his "tenor" singer.

To catch a deer quickly, he got himself two big wolf hounds (greyhounds). These two dogs would catch the deer on short run, until the old hunter and his fox hounds caught up, when the deer would either be shot or the dogs would kill him.

My father had an old mule, that he rode during his last hunting days, that could swim any stream and if the deer plunged into the river and swam across, his dogs and the old mule with its rider would plunger right after him. Like the hounds, he would clean out of country to get a deer and carry the deer back behind his saddle

On the day he died, he made a date with Dr. B. F. Fortner, of Vinita, to go squirrel hunting with him as soon as he got well. He is now sleeping in the happy hunting ground where there is no wild tribe to disturb him. He is buried on the old homestead where he settled in 1881, ten miles southeast of Vinita. My father lived to be 96 years old.... in 1904. (The interview was a part of the Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma.)

According to an affidavit on 27 January 1900 at Vinita, Oklahoma by Sarah Ann MacCamish of Vinita, Indian Territory, age 58 [born ca.1842], Lewis married first Lucy French [an Indian] about 1837. She died about 1855 near White Church [present Kansas City], Wyandotte County, Kansas and was buried in the White Church Cemetery at that place. She states further that their children were Samuel Ketchum, John Ketchum, and Charles Ketchum:
1. Samuel Ketchum [died Sep. 1870 and was buried in the White Church Cemetery in present Kansas City, Kansas].
2. John Ketchum [was born 1843, died 1892, and was buried in Little Rock, Arkansas].
3. Charles W. Ketchum [was born 1845 and died 1868].Charles had been in Co. E, 15th Regiment of the Kansas Calvary.
Sol Ketchum and O. D. Neville witnessed the affidavit.

Louis Ketchum's married second Elizabeth Zeigler, daughter of Phillip Zeigler and Elizabeth (Betsy) Taylor. (See Taylor, Elizabeth (Betsey/Betsy). Elizabeth Zeigler Ketchum was born in November 1834, died in 1913, and was buried in the same cemetery as Lewis, in Craig County, Oklahoma. Both Lewis and Betsy and their children appear in the Census of the Delaware Tribe of Indians within the Delaware Agency (present Kansas) on 15 February 1862 and on the List of Delaware Indians Who Elected to Dissolve Their Tribal Relations and Become Citizens of the United States Under Treaty of July 4, 1866 with the following 15 December 1862 Allotment Numbers. The first age cited is that under the 1862 Census and the second age cited is that of in the 1866 listing of Delaware Who Elected to Remain in Kansas: Lewis Ketchum is shown as #349/1862 Allotment #155, age 50/52; 1898 Dawes Roll #32529, Cherokee 1904 Census #10429 and his wife Elizabeth Ziegler as #350/156 age 28/31; 1898 Dawes Roll #32530, Census #10849:
1. John W. Ketchum #351/47, age 19/24) [Note that John is actually the son of Lewis Ketchum and Lucy French in Lewis Ketchum's first marriage.]
2. Mary L. Ketchum #352/157, age 14/20
3. Jane Ketchum #353/158, age 12/17
4. Barbara Ketchum #354/159 age 10/16
5. Simon Ketchum #355/160, age 8/12
6. Silas Ketchum #356/161, age 6/10
7. Lucinda Ketchum #357/162, age 4/8
8. Solomon Ketchum #358/163, age 2/5.
Two of the children survived him at his death in 1904. Lewis and Elizabeth were married until his death. Whereupon Elizabeth claimed his Indian allotment. They were both buried at the private cemetery (the Ketchum Cemetery) at their allotment.

A Family Group Record for Lewis Ketchum and Elizabeth Zeigler , gives the following as their children:
1. #157 Mary Louise Ketchum, born 1846-1848, in Kansas [1875 Kansas State Census, Wyandotte County, Quindaro Township, Family 224], died 1 April 1928, married Joseph Thatcher, daughter Sarah Elizabeth Ketchum.
2. #158 Jane Ketchum, born 1849-1850 [although William Connelley's 1903 copy of White Church tombstone inscriptions, in the Kansas State Historical Society Archives, gives the birth as 21 June 1844)] in Kansas. [Ibid.]. She married 18 Oct. 1877 at her father's house, Robert O. Donnell (Marriage Record, p. 427, Probate Court, Wyandotte County, Kansas Court House). He was born 1830 and died 1909. She died 8 September 1881, two children-Louis O'Donnell and Mary Ellen O'Donnell. Mary Ellen married an unknown Busey whose son Delmar Lloyd Busey married Virginia Arnett.
3. #354 Barbara E. Ketchum, born 1850-1852, in Kansas. [1875 Kansas Census). She married 29 March 1872 at her father's house, John K. Evans. [Marriage records, Vol. 2, p. 410), Probate Court, Wyandotte Co., Court House, Kansas City, KS]. Barbara died January 1894. They had two children: Elizabeth Evans and John K. Evans, Jr.
4. #355 Simon W. Ketchum, born [27 February] 1855 in Kansas. [187 Kansas Census] He died 2 March 1894. Simon married 5 October 1879 Emmaline Turner (born 26 November 1858, died 13 December 1948), five children: Louis E. Ketchum, Prudence Ketchum, Maude Ketchum, Samuel Ketchum, and Olive Elizabeth Ketchum.
5. #161 Silas Ketchum, born 1 Dec. 1857, in Kansas [1875 Kansas Census], died 2 December 1901. [Tyler and Timmons, Our People and Where They Rest. p. 54], married Katie Long. [Marriage Records, vol. 2, p. 480, Probate Court, Wyandotte County] His birth date also appears as 12 January 1857. He died 2 December 1901, married Cora Neville, four children: Myrtle Ketchum, George Ketchum, Samuel Ketchum, and Frank Ketchum.
6. Lucinda M. Ketchum, born Jan. 1859 in Kansas [1875 Kansas Census], died 3 August 1877 [Probate Court Cases, Vol. A, Case No. 697, Probate Court, Wyandotte County. She apparently was unmarried with no children.
7. #163 Solomon Ketchum, born 1860-1862, in Kansas [1875 Kansas Census]. He is also reported as having been born 27 Jan. 1861. Solomon died 2 December 1901, married Cora Neville, four children: Myrtle Ketchum, George Ketchum, Samuel Ketchum, and Frank Ketchum.
8. John W. Ketchum, born 1843 [Tombstone Marker at White Church Christian Church Cemetery, Kansas City Kansas]. But here again, John is actually the son of Lewis Ketchum and his first wife, Lucy French.]
9. [Missing] born April 1868, died 14 July 1869. [Ibid.]

In another listing of the children of Lewis and Elizabeth , they had the following children:
1. Mary Louise Ketchum was born about 1846/1847, died 1 April 1928, and was buried in the Carselowery Cemetery. 1862 Allotment #157.
2. Jane O. Ketchum was born about 1849/1850 and died 2 March 1894. [1862 Allotment #158]
3. Barbara Ketchum was born about 1850/1852, lived in Marion, Kansas. and died 1894. 1862 Allotment #160.
4. Simon W. Ketchum was born 27 Feb. 1855 and died 2 Decmber 1901.
5. Silas Ketchum was born 12 Jan. 1857, died 2 December 1901, and was buried in the Ketchum Private Cemetery near Vinita, Oklahoma. 1862 Allotment #161. [According to one source (not known at the present), a daughter was Katy Long. Another source (not specified at the present time) says that she was the daughter of Isaac Journeycake. Does anyone have further information on her? Editor]
6. Lucinda Ketchum was born about 1858 and died 2 December 1876. 1862 Allotment #162.
7. Solomon or Solomon C. Ketchum was born 27 Jan. 1861, died 1945, and was buried in The Private Ketchum Cemetery near Vinita, Oklahoma. 1862 Allotment #163. He was a noted boxer in Kansas City and was declared to be the Champion Indian Fighter of the World. Solomon was one of the Delaware who remained in Kansas, but later moved to Indian Territory and became a member of the Eastern Delaware Tribe.
8. Hatty Ann Ketchum was born 1868, died 1869, and was buried in the Ketchum Private Cemetery near Vinita, OK.

He said that his mother was Elizabeth Zeigles [Zeigler].

Lewis Ketchum was on the list of Delaware Indians who decided to remain in Kansas. In 1870 he was in the U. S., Kansas, Wyandotte Co., Quindaro census at age 55, a harnesser, real estate worth $18,900, personal property worth $700, born in Indiana. In the 1880 Census for Quindaro, Wyandotte County, Kansas (LDS Family Search Census/Index 2001, LDS Family History Library Film 1254400, National Archives Film T9-0400, p. 305D), Lewis Ketchum is listed as a farmer, age 44, born Indiana with and parents born Ohio. His wife, Elizabeth Ketchum is keeping house at age 44. She was born in Kansas, her father was born in Pennsylvania, and her mother was born in New York. Their children listed were Silas Ketchum age 21, Mary Ketchum age 33, and Solomon Ketchum age 19, all born in Kansas, were helping on the farm. A Thomas Campbell, farm laborer, age 14 born Missouri, father born Indiana, and mother born in Kansas was living in their household. Their Son Simon Ketchum is listed in the same census (p. 425C) in his own household in Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte Co., Kansas as a farmer, age 25, with this wife Emma Ketchum, keeping house, age 21. She is listed as having been born in North Carolina and her parents in South Carolina. Sometime later, the Lewis Ketchum Family moved to Indian Territory (present Oklahoma) and became members of the Eastern Delaware Tribe of Indians. He settled near Ketchum, southeast of Vinita, in 1882. Lewis Ketchum had Cherokee Enrollment #36 in the Delaware District. He was on the Dawes Commission 1898 Roll as #32529 and in the 1904 Cherokee Census as #10429. He died in Indian Territory (present Oklahoma) on 28 March 1904 and was buried in the Sol Ketchum Cemetery (private), in Craig County, Oklahoma. [Tyler and Timmons, Our People and Where They Rest, p. 54.] Lewis had Dawes Commission 1898 Roll as #32529 and on the 1904 Cherokee Census as #10429. Lewis Ketchum's Delaware citizenship status was made official in 1951 when, the Delaware Tribe of Indians added him and four other persons who had remained in Kansas to their 1906 roll.

Much of the data above on the Ketchum Family was provided by Sol Ketchum's granddaughter and Lewis Ketchum's great-granddaughter. Researchers: Vickie Wilkins and Thomas F. Hahn


Johns first wife (Unknown), as Elizabeth is his second wife

2. Lewis Ketchum, born 1808, died 1904, married 1. _________, married 2. Elizabeth Zeigles
3. John W. Ketchum, born 1843, died 1899
3. Charles Ketchum, born 1845, died 1868
3. Samuel Ketchum, died September 1870
3. Mary L. Ketchum, born 1847, died 1881
3. Jane O. Ketchum, born 1850, died 1881
3. Barbara Ketchum, born 1852, died1894
3. Simon W. Ketchum, born 1855, died 1894
3. Lucinda Ketchum, born 1858, died 1876
3. Solomon C. Ketchum, born 1860
3. Hatty Ann Ketchum, born 1868, died 1869

http://lenapedelawarehistory.net/mirror/bioh-l.htm (23 of 44)11/9/2006 11:51:34 PM Bio H-L

Birth	Oct 1808	Sandusky, Sandusky County, Ohio, United States
Marriage	1837	Lucy French
1862 Allotment	1862	155. Lewis Ketchum, age 50, E/2 SW/4, 32-10-24, 80 acres - Wyandotte County Kansas
Residence	1870	Kansas, United States
Residence	1880	Quindaro, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States
Burial	1904	KETCHUM PRIVATE CEMETERY, Ketchum, Craig, Oklahoma, United States
Death	28 Mar 1904	Craig, Oklahoma, United States
Marriage		Elizabeth Zeigler
Alt name
FIND-A-GRAVE		https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31680041/lewis-ketchum
Wikitree		https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ketchum-268

Spouse	Elizabeth Zeigler (1834 - 1913)
Child	Jane Ketchum (1844 - 1881)
Child	Mary Louise Ketchum (1847 - 1928)
Child	Barbara E. Ketchum (1852 - 1894)
Child	Simon W. Ketchum (1855 - 1894)
Child	Lucinda M. Ketchum (1859 - 1877)
Child	Solomon C. Ketchum (1861 - 1943)
Child	Harriet Ann "Hatty" Ketchum (1868 - 1869)

Spouse	Lucy French ( - 1855)
Child	Rev. John Ketchum (1843 - 1892)
Child	Samuel Ketchum (1870 - )

Father	George Ketchum (1787 - 1831)
Mother	Lucy Ketchum (1790 - 1811)
Sibling	Ketchum ( - )
Sibling	Elizabeth Ketchum (1810 - 1866)
Sibling	Rev. Charles Ketchum (1811 - 1860)
Sibling	Mary Ketchum (1814 - 1872)
Sibling	Rev. Jacob Ketchum (1816 - 1866)

Notes