What was our name?

Chico (Last name)

Pronounced: Shee-co

Dear Family,

Here’s another story! Let’s discuss our Grandfather’s mother’s family name, Angie Chico. If you search our family history under this name you will find it is spelled many different ways.

Chico, Shico, Sheco, Sheeco, Sheeko, and additional spellings.

Why all the different spellings, you ask?

Think about it! Think about existing in the early days of this country, when you had people who have never attended school.

They didn’t know how to read or write, let alone, people they were talking with who were writing down important documents having very little education themselves. Certainly, difficult times right? This is why you see their names spelled so many different ways.

But, guess what? I actually asked our Grandfather what his moms last name was. Yes, I asked! Interesting fact about me, I guess you can say I was an “old soul” and destined to record history. I remember asking Frank James Gordon “Gramps”, (as many of his grandchildren called him), what his mother’s last name was. I remember seeing it written down as Chico, which would be Chee-co, (CH, as in Cheetos or chicken), but he quickly corrected my pronunciation and said Shee-co, shhhhheeeco! I got it, and at that point I have been saying it that way ever since that day!

Where did our Great Grandmother Angie and her mother and grandmother get this name?

Unfortunately, the answer is SLAVERY!

As most of you know or should know, we have a slightly different type of story during slavery than many African Americans in this country. We were enslaved by Native Americans. Here’s a VERY brief history lesson on how this occurred. As this country was established and began to expand past the original 13 colonies, the established government started to head south where they encountered several Native Americans tribes which lived in the Southern states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Since the US government wanted this land, they eventually gave the Indians some slaves and other supplies and sent them on their way, and forced them off their land in 1830’s! They made them head further west. The Indian and slaves journey west was known as the Trail of Tears. Indian families were uprooted from their homes, their land and sent west, to areas which are now Oklahoma. It was a tough journey, many died as they walked, and traveled to this area. The journey was brutal. Below are two popular artwork pieces that give an idea of the travel.

Our Great Great Grandmother Betsy Chico was only 2 years old as she made this journey with her mother Peggy

Chico. Here’s her enrollment card which lists on the back, her mother’s name Peggy Chico, (our oldest known relative of the Chico side, at this time). Also, note the 1900 Census shows she was born in Mississippi and at the time of this census she was in Indian Territory. So of course, how did she get to Indian Territory but to have traveled on the Trail of Tears.

Five Indian Tribes crossed the Trail of Tears into the new lands. They were the Cherokee, Seminoles, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw! The tribes began to settle in the new lands and their slaves began to farm, raise crops and new townships for their existence.

Our family settled in areas near Tishomongo, Milburn, Yarnaby, and Kemp City (currently Hendrix), in Indian Territory.

Below you will see Betsy’s interview that was written down when she applied for her land in front of the Dawes Commission. Really listen to our Great Great Grandmothers words… “I am 56, I BELONGED to Charley Chico!” No rights, no freedman, she did what she was told to do by this person that enslaved her! Her next statement is “My children are”….., and she listed their children. Based on this extremely brief interview to the Dawes Commission for her enrollment to get her land, this tells me that her main concern was to take care of her family! She wanted them to realize who her family consisted of, and she wanted to make a way for her family.

One very surprising thing that I recently uncovered is that our Great Great Grandmother Betsy actually had more children than what was written on the interview to the commission. It has been said that many of these interviews were shorten for the benefit of the tribes, and definitely not the benefit of the slave (Freedman). She may have said a lot more than what was actually written down as her testimony.

This is one of my most recent discoveries!

Great Great Grandma Betsy had two more girls that were already married and living on their own. Charlotte and Julia! Charlotte had married Nathaniel Perry and Julia had married Jack Alexander Wolf!

Not only did I discover these two older daughters late last year but I also have met my newest cousin, Athena from this discovery. Athena’s Great Great Grandmother is Charlotte Perry, (our Great Grandmother Angie Chico’s sister). Charlotte had a daughter named Litsy and Litsy had a daughter named Betty, and then there is Athena.

Here’s a photo of Litsy as a child, (Charlotte’s Daughter):

The other extremely interesting thing about finding Athena and her family is they are double related to us because guess what…they are Gordon’s too!! Such a small world and especially where our family was from. The families in the area were very intermixed, because if there

were eligible sisters or brothers in one family, they married single eligible brothers or sisters in the next family.

I will add our new Chico/Perry/Gordon relative, Athena, to our James Kinfolk Page. Everyone say hello to her! We share so much in common as she does family history as well! We talk a lot online and have had phone calls but I can’t wait to meet her and the rest of her family that live in Kansas City.

Hope I have peaked your interest about our incredible family history! Stay tuned to more on the blog!