Harriet Patrick Gilstrap

Harriet Patrick Gilstrap (February 1, 1870 – after 1970) was an American educator who played a role in the development of Native American education in Oklahoma Territory. She taught at several agencies, including the Sac and Fox Agency, and participated in the Land Run of 1891, securing a homestead and later becoming a figure in Oklahoma's educational and civic communities.

Early life

Harriet Patrick was born on February 1, 1870, on a farm near Centropolis, Kansas. Her family moved to Ottawa, when she was three years old. Gilstrap's father, Samuel Lee Patrick, was served in various capacities before becoming an Indian Agent in the Oklahoma Territory. He had previously lived on Sac and Fox lands in Illinois and Kansas and served as a captain during the American Civil War, where he sustained injuries and fought in battles such as Battle of Shiloh. Gilstrap graduated from high school in 1888 and attended Ottawa Baptist University for a year before her father was appointed as a U.S. Indian Agent by U.S. president Benjamin Harrison in 1889. The family initially settled in Oklahoma City before relocating to the Sac and Fox Agency, a facility established to oversee the Sac and Fox, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Iowa, and Kickapoo tribes.

Career

Gilstrap's first role at the Sac and Fox Agency was as a postal clerk at chief Moses Keokuk's store, which served as the government-authorized post office for the agency. She recalled interactions with members of the Dalton Gang, who frequented the store, and later began her teaching career at the Shawnee School, where she taught all grades.