OKMULGEE – Mvskoke citizen Patrick Smith is taking a trip of a lifetime. On Friday, June 12, Smith made the almost 13-hour drive from his home in Rifle, Colorado, to visit the historic Council House in downtown Okmulgee. Smith described visiting the MCN Reservation and Council House for the first time as “comfort”. He explained that it had always been on his bucket list and that the experience was special.
“It was kind of a bucket list item for me to see the Council House and actually be here and feel it. It’s special.”
While discussing his family during his tour, he explained that his great-grandfather was a witness to one of the most significant moments in Mvskoke history. Smith comes from a family that has made notable contributions to the Tribe. Smith’s great-grandfather was Andrew Berryhill, who helped with plumbing work on the Council House. Andrew Berryhill’s brother, Smith’s great uncle, Pleasant Berryhill, was the captain of the Lighthorse Okmulgee District and the last official executioner of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
“The two brothers (Andrew and Pleasant) were separated when they were young. There was a divorce in the family. Andrew went with his mother, and Pleasant went with his father and this was about the time of the Civil War when the Civil War was kicking off. I know Andrew had actually witnessed the Battle of Honey Springs. He writes about that and what he saw,” Smith said.
Andrew Berryhill’s account of the Battle of Honey Springs is detailed in the Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma. The article discusses Andrew Berryhill’s trip to the battle site, where he recalled burial sites and an explosion mid-battle.
According to Andrew Berryhill’s interview, Pleasant Berryhill performed the last execution for the Nation on Friday, May 1, 1896. The last citizen executed was Timmie Jack (Mvskoke/Euchee) for the crime of murder. A granite marker on the spot where Jack was executed stands on the north side of the Council House. The marker details the historical significance of the execution.
From Then to Now
According to Smith, his family left the Reservation in the 1930s to pursue job opportunities on the West Coast in the San Joaquin Valley. Smith was born in Salinas in 1962. He moved to Colorado in 1991 to pursue a job opportunity with Motorola.
Smith is now a technology manager for the Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority in Rifle, Colorado. The department works with first responders to ensure they can communicate swiftly in an emergency. His job ensures the department’s operations are functional, and the technology they use is cutting-edge. Smith is also a woodworker; his pieces come in all shapes and sizes. He got into woodworking when he first built a kitchen buffet piece for his wife.
“I needed a way to take the pieces that I was making and put my mark onto the piece,” Smith said. “Laser engraving is popular, so I bought a small laser engraver. I ended up upsizing and started doing half rounds, plaque-type stuff, different things like that,” Smith said.
Recent work includes plaques made for the Miwok 100k Ultramarathon. The 62-mile race is held annually in California and features a challenging course with steep climbs and often
unpredictable weather. Smith got connected to the event when he learned his niece’s husband had signed up to run in the race. Smith did not accept any compensation for the plaques, other than material costs.
Smith said he hopes to preserve his family’s story for future generations as part of his contribution to the family legacy.
“If I can pull all this documentation together in this family history and get it in family trees and into the hands of my children, that maybe the family legacy will kind of carry on the history. Making sure that information is preserved with my kids,” Smith said.
Smith’s final destination on his trip is Pensacola, Florida. On the way back, Smith planned to go through Horseshoe Bend, the site of the battle that marked the end of the Creek Wars.
