Lenox Mission

Lenox Mission. Dedication to Education. , The Choctaw Indians placed a high priority on education. Boarding schools and small neighborhood schools existed as early as 1832 in Indian Territory. Although tribal funds supported the schools, missionaries were often responsible for establishing and maintaining them. , In 1858, missionaries Dr. Simon L. Hobbs and his wife established the Lenox Mission in the Kiamichi Valley below. Perhaps feeling homesick, Mrs. Hobbs named the mission after her hometown in Massachusetts. , Serving more than one purpose, the mission was a church on Sundays and on weekdays, students of all ages attended the mission school. , Like many missionaries, Dr. Hobbs was a medical doctor as well as a minister. When yellow fever struck the community, Dr. Hobbs and his wife were among the victims. The mission closed after their deaths in 1884. , Caption: , Lenox Mission was a small log structure and may have looked much like the Dwight Mission pictured here. Photo courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.