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Chahta Tomaha
The Armstrong Academy
The first classroom buildings and dormitories were built of log from the area. In the late 1850's a brick building replaced the log building. A two story brick building addition was added later. a Trading Post, Blacksmith shop, Church and US Post office were established at this time.
As a school the average attendance of indian pupils was around 65 students though in1859 it had around 100 students.The mission was transferred from the American Indian Mission Association to the Domestic Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.The Baptist Missionary Society of Louisville, Kentucky directed activities until 1855. In that year it was turned over to the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Forein and Domestic Missions who directed it until it closed in 1861at the outbreak of the Civil war. Allen Wright, then a Choctaw Presbyterian missionary, served as principal instructor at the Academy during 1855-1856.Armstrong Academy was located in Blue county, Choctaw Nation until 1886, when the area became part of the newly formed county, Jackson County.
During the Civil War the Academy closed. Part of the building was used as a Confederate Hospital. The Choctaw Council met there in 1863 , and the same year became the county seat on February 18th and the same year the Choctaw Capital.
The United Nations Indian Territory delegates ( Cherikee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole and Caddo } met there with the confederacy to plan war strategies.
Chahta Tamaha remained the Capital of the Choctaw Nation until 1883, when the capital was relocated to Tuskahoma. In that same year the Armstrong Academy again became a school, but only for orphan boy;s because the demand to go there was so desired. This was at the height of the school the local industries were strong the Armstrong was once described as being set in a very picturesque were they kept the tree's around the school white washed up four feet.
The Armstrong Academy was destroyed by fire on January 20th on a Tuesday around 1:30 in the morning by a defective flue in one of the chimneys as reported by P. Cole one of the students . This story was also told to the Rose family by relatives that lived on the property just across the creek, Mr. and Mrs W. F. Hall ( known as pappa Hall ) by the four Rose girls form their grandmothers side.