John Solomon Photograph and Margaret Grey-Eyes Solomon Photographs
Margaret Grey-Eyes Solomon, pictured on the right, was born near Owl Creek, which is believed to be in present-day Marion County, Ohio. Her father was Squire Grey-Eyes, a man of British and Indian ancestry. Her family lived on the Grand Reserve, the twelve-by-nineteen square mile reservation in what is now known as Wyandot County. She attended the first school on the reservation, established by missionary John Stewart. With the help of James Finley, Stewart's successor, Mission Church was built in 1824. Soon afterwards, Margaret Grey-Eyes joined the church and her father became deacon of the mission. Margaret married David Young, pictured on the left, an American Indian schoolmate, in early 1833. John became sheriff of the Wyandot tribe in Wyandot County, Ohio prior to the relocation of the tribe to Kansas. Ten years later, the government relocated the 664-member Wyandot tribe to Kansas City, Kansas. They were the last tribe to leave the Ohio Valley. On July 12, 1843, Margaret, David, and their children left Ohio with the tribe. Margaret's family suffered many hardships in Kansas. Two children succumbed to illness and David died of consumption (tuberculosis). In 1860 Margaret married John Solomon, who was sheriff of the Wyandot tribe in Wyandot County, Ohio prior to the relocation to Kansas. Five years later they returned to Upper Sandusky, Ohio with their family. John Solomon died in 1876. Margaret's work in the Wyandot community earned her the nickname "Mother Solomon." She sang at the re-dedication of the Wyandot Mission Church after its restoration in 1889, and she was the only member of the Wyandot tribe who was able to attend the service. She also visited Kansas again more than once before her death in August 1890. Ohio History Connection Images Om360_1004106_002 (right), Om360_1004084_001 (left).
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