Chickasaw Male Manual Labor Academy Marker
Knowledge For Future Generations
Chickasaw Manual Labor Academy 1851-1885

This site was the 1851-1885 location of the Chickasaw Manual Labor Academy, the first boarding school for tribal youth established in the Chickasaw Nation. After removal from east of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory in 1837-38, the Chickasaw people settled in a large area of south-central Oklahoma known as the Chickasaw District.

Educating young people has always been an important part of Chickasaw life. After settlement, there was a need to establish a school system to help Chickasaw students learn about the changing world before them. The Chickasaw Manual Labor Academy was formed to advance their knowledge and skills. The Academy, a boarding school for boys of all ages, opened in 1851 under the direction of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was funded almost entirely by the Chickasaw legislature. Located 12 miles northwest of Fort Washita, the two-story building was situated on a 200-acre, self-sustaining farm. At first only 60 pupils were registered, but eventually the numbers grew to a total of 140 by 1857. The basic courses included agriculture and mechanical arts, domestic arts, Latin, logic, music and sacred studies.

A number of graduates of the Academy went on to become tribal leaders, distinguished citizens of the State of Oklahoma and the nation at large. In 1885, the Academy was moved to a new location north of Tishomingo.