Haskell Institute

"The Haskell Indian School was established in 1884 in Lawrence, Kansas as one of the select schools in the Indian school system. Unlike many of the boarding schools in the system, it offered training beyond the standard eight-year program.

Like the other boarding schools of this era, Haskell trained boys for a number of trades, including tailoring, wagon making, blacksmithing, harness making, shoe making, painting, and farming. The girls were trained in cooking, sewing, and homemaking. The school had its own farm which was worked by the students and which provided the school with much of its food.

Initially, the school had 22 students, but the enrollment increased to 400 within one semester. While the school was initially named the United States Indian Industrial Training School, it was renamed the Haskell Institute in 1887 to honor Dudley Haskell, the U.S. Representative responsible for bringing the school to Lawrence.  

By 1894, the school had 606 students from 36 states."
From Native American Netroots.


1900 Federal Census Haskell Instutite, Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas - 19 of the 24 pages have students born in Michigan (only those pages have been included)

Clarke, Joseph, 21
Augusta, Isaac, 27
Dixon, James, 10
Gibson, James, 8
J.....r, Joseph, 21
King, Louis, 18
L....son, Arthur, 14
Lewis, William, 13
Owen, David, 16
Picard, Jay, 14
Rapp, Joseph, 18
Rapp, William, 9
Perry, Theodore, 22
Schoffield, Emma, 17
Spl...ice, Alice, 18
Woods, Effie, 14
Woods, James, 17
Waugon, Benjamin, 20
Waugon, Frank, 18
Wessoo, Lawrence, 8
Williams, Michael, 19
Zawelk, David, 9
Balm..., Marie, 16
Dixon, Myrtle, 10
Dixon, Lydia, 16
Dixon, Cora, 14
Johnson, Jennie, 16
Lewis, Ida, 15
Me....Louisa, 17
Medavis, Anna, 8
Medavis, Mary, 11
Owens, Mollie, 20
Pokagon, Josephine, 14
Pokagon, Mary, 14
Pokagon, Julia, 17
Poole, Alma, 17

Lucy Pequongay, in her Carlisle school records states her sisters Julia Ann and Pearl May went to Kansas. "My sister Pearl May Pequongay she died she taken sick at Haskell, Lawrence, Kansas she was brought home sick." Pearl May died 19 Sep 1906 in Leelanau county.

The Indian Leader - Lawrence, Kansas, 18 Oct 1907 - mentions several Michigan men who were former students of Haskell.

In 1908 the Durant Roll listed nine students as attending Haskell. 

Name / age / Durant roll number

Cadreau, Gabriel age 17 #1103

Johnson, James age 26 #2910

Lasley, Sam or Ed age 23 #3474

Mamagona, Robert age 16 #4311

Miller, Fanny Laura age 23 #4302

Miller, Margaret age 25 #4301

Miller, Silas W. age 16 #4303

Nada, George age 16 #4673

Shaygonaybe, Eunice age 19 #6479

The 1910 Federal Census - Haskell Institute, Lawrence City, Douglas, Kansas also shows nine Michigan students, only not the same nine as on the Durant Roll.

Gadoury, Henry, 21

Mills, James, 14

Mix, L.P., 23

Peters, Chas., 21

Shagonaby, Joshua, 15

Barrett, Leona, 15

Fortier, Angeline, 13

McDonald, Angeline, 15

McDonald, Antoinette, 13

1920 Federal Census - Haskell Institute, Lawrence City, Douglas, Kansas - 16 students from Michigan.

Bird, Ida D., 19

Mays, Carrie E., 15

Emerie, Anna, 16

Ettawa, Leacey T., 19

Redbird, Emery, 19

Smith, Lucy M., 20

Petoskey, Garland W., 19

Pego, Gertrude E., 20

Hatch, Agnes E., 20

Topash, William, 18

Lelsie, Frances M., 19

Asher, Goldie, 20

Anderson, Mary B., 17

Tebo, Clara, 19

Daybird, Agnes, 20

Hatch, Beatrice, 17

Cutler, Christine, 18

The 1930 Federal Census lists staff only.

The 1940 Federal Census for Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas lists two persons born in Michigan as staff members.

Bigjoe, Wesley, 27, was living in rural Leelanau County in 1935, supervisor of transportation

Duffina, Oliver C., 29, was living in rural Cheboygan County in 1935, job printer

Records of the Haskell Institute from 1884 to 1980 are at the National Archives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Copyright (c) 2017 Vicki Wilson