WILLIAM CREERE PELHAM
PAST GREAT SACHEM WILLIAM CREERE PELHAM
1902-3
Brother Pelham was born December 2, 1846, at New Harmony, Indiana, and was educated at the "Maysville Literary Institute," a preparatory school. His parents died before he was three years of age, and his family moved to Maysville, Ky., where he resided until September, 1893, when he moved to Knoxville, Tenn., where he is now connected with A. Greenwood & Co., an incorporation, as Secretary-Treasurer. Brother Pelham was a civil engineer and surveyor of wide reputation while residing in Maysville. He was a charter member of Wyandotte Tribe, No. 3, and one of its early Sachems, yielding the tomahawk with remarkable dexterity. Bro. Pelham was one of those rare characters that is never "rattled," no matter how aggravating the occasion.
He was admitted to the Great Council of Kentucky at Augusta in 1896. He served as chairman of the Committee on Law and Usage during 1897-8, making many important rulings that have stood as law until this day, and was appointed chairman of the same committee for the year 1898-9, and again for 1899-1900. He was unable to attend the session of the Great Council held at Lexington in 1900, nevertheless he was then elected Great Junior Sagamore, and was raised to his stump in the wigwam of his own Tribe the next day. The following great sun he was elected Great Senior Sagamore, and was elected Great Sachem at Owensboro in 1902. During his administration he made but little effort to institute new Tribes, preferring to bend his energies toward building up those already existing. To this end he appointed an exemplifier, and for three moons kept him on the road, making a tribal visit nearly every sleep, during that time visiting more than forty hunting grounds. The experiment was costly, but exceedingly profitable, and many of the Tribes then visited have been anxiously awaiting its repetition, but in vain. At the close of his term he was elected Great Prophet and Great Representative to the Great Council of the United States for two great suns, but his removal from the Reservation disqualified him from serving more than one year, and the Great Council of Kentucky has been deprived of his wise counsel since. Brother Pelham is still a member of Wyandotte Tribe, No. 3, of Maysville. He says of himself that he is a "Democrat by conviction, a Methodist by choice, and a Red Man by adoption."
CHARLES E. LYDDANE
PAST GREAT SACHEM CHARLES E. LYDDANE
1903
The subject of this sketch was born in Clark County, Kentucky, December 26, 1852, where he has ever lived. He was raised on a farm, and at the age of twenty years began teaching in the country schools, and continued in this work twelve years. He began reportorial work in 1884 on the Winchester Democrat, and has been with that paper ever since, having been editor-in-chief since 1890.
He was twice elected County Superintendent of Schools and served in that capacity eight years; also served eight years more as member of the County Board of Examiners.