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Peta Nocona

Comanche chief, husband of Cynthia Parker, father of Quanah Parker (1820–1860)

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 1, 2026
Entity authorityQ4360142 ↗
Source-derived summary

Peta Nocona, also known as Puhtocnocony, or Tah-con-ne-ah-pe-ah (c. 1820 – 1864), the son of Puhihwikwasu'u, or Iron Jacket, was a chief of the Comanche Quahadi (also known as Kwahado, Quahada) band. He married Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been taken as a captive during the Fort Parker massacre in 1836 and was adopted into the tribe by Tabby-nocca's family. Among their three children was Quanah Parker, the last war chief of the Comanche.

Peta Nocona chose his wife from among the members of the Nokoni band. He led his tribe during the extensive Indian Wars in Texas, from the late 1840s until the 1860s, as the United States tried to suppress his people. He was the son of the Quahadi Comanche chief Iron Jacket. He became so renowned that a legend said that "his" band, the Nokoni (or Wanderers, or Travellers) band, were named for him, but the name of the Nokoni people had long antedated him, and, anyway, he was a Kwahadi, having a Nokoni wife. The city of Nocona, Texas is named after him.

Despite Sul Ross's claim that Peta Nocona was killed at Pease River, his son Quanah insisted he was not present at the site of that battle, and died several years later. This claim is supported by contemporary Texas historian John Henry Brown.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Peta Nocona” as comanche chief, husband of Cynthia Parker, father of Quanah Parker (1820–1860). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Peta, Nocona and Comanche.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1820, 1864, 1836—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1820-01-01. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Peta, Nocona and Comanche providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Peta Nocona”, the useful work is to connect “comanche chief, husband of Cynthia Parker, father of Quanah Parker (1820–1860)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4360142. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1820, 1864 and 1836.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

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Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Peta Nocona” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.