Moses Silverheel Family

Pictured above: Silverheel house

By James Lee
Shawnee Tribal Member and Silverheel Descendant

One of the head men of the Shawnee Tribe in Kansas during their years here was Moses Silverheel. Moses was the grandson of Silver Heel, a well-known brother to Chief Cornstalk and their sister, also a chief, Nonhelema.

Born about 1805 in the Ohio country, Moses, his father, Silver Heel II and sister Mary Silverheel made the 800-mile trek from Ohio to Kansas after being forced to sell their lands in Ohio and move to their new reservation in what would become Kansas.  The Shawnee were given 1.6 million acres of land extending from the Missouri border to west near Topeka. Moses and his family settled on land which is now 47th Street, or County Line Road. 

In the mid 1830’s, Moses and his son John built two fine log homes on this land. John’s home is still standing, although covered in modern siding, hiding the original structure inside.  Moses’ home was still standing until 1989 when an arsonist set the house on fire. The home was being restored by the owner at that time. There were several entities in that area who did not want the old house to be restored in their new South Park neighborhood, so someone took it upon themselves to destroy the home. An exact replica of Moses’ house was on display at the Shawnee Mission for several decades. The replica was built by a local woodworking class in the 1930’s using the actual wood from the house.

Moses was a successful farmer and rancher, and a prominent citizen of the tribe.  Moses’ name is found on several documents relating to the Shawnee Indian Mission.  Several of the Shawnee head men helped to oversee the activities of the mission, and many Shawnee families sent children to the mission to be educated and learn trades that would help them in their future lives.  The Shawnee Mission was not a “boarding school” as characterized by some who are trying to equate it to the government forced boarding schools in the late 1800’s.  This school was entirely voluntarily attended and would be considered a vocational technical school in today’s world.

Moses’ sister, Mary Silverheel and her husband Bill Ellick likely died about 1852 because of a terrible Cholera epidemic that swept through this area.  Moses, and his wife Betsy, raised the Ellick’s orphaned children from that point on. Moses’ daughter, Eliza Silverheel married David Bluejacket, the son of Reverend Charles Bluejacket who were close neighbors and friends.  

Moses is listed on the 1870 census with his family shortly before their move to Indian Territory. Moses is shown as one of the wealthiest individuals in Kansas City at that time.  As in the past, continued white encroachment on Shawnee land forced the government to move the Shawnee into Indian Territory in the late 1860’s.  The Shawnee became wards of the Cherokee Nation, losing their tribal sovereignty until 2000.

Moses died in Indian Territory in 1871, leaving his wife and family to continue their lives near Welch Oklahoma.  Betsy died in 1883, and their son John died in 1885. Two descendants became prima ballerinas, members of the Five Moons, namely Yvonne Chouteau and Moscelyne Larkin. Descendants of Moses and Betsy Silverheel and the Ellick family still live in Oklahoma today.