Nelson Chigley was born in Mississippi near Memphis, Tennessee in 1834 or 1835. He married Julia Push-Shuk-ka (Indian for Thomas) and moved to Indian Territory near what became Davis, Oklahoma around 1861. They had several children who grew up and lived in and around the area including Wyatt who studied law, ran a local hardware store and also served in the Chickasaw Legislature.

Mr. Chigley then began farming and broke the ground with a ox and hand-made plow. Mr. Chigley was a very prominent Chickasaw Indian serving as a Senator in their legislature for a few years and once even serving as acting Governor of the entire Chickasaw Nation for a brief period.

There are many stories about the Chigley Mansion, most probably here-say, but they are better the longer they are told! Guns, war, untimely demises, oil, and many more mysterious tales can be told about Nelson Chigley, his family and the old mansion where they all lived at one time or another.

Lots of people took pictures of the Chigley Mansion, most not knowing anything at all about the history or even the unofficial name of the only house in town that was oriented in a true North-South direction. The remainder of the town was laid out parallel or perpendicular to the Santa Fe Railroad tracks that dissected the town running in a Northwesterly to Southeasterly direction, just a few degrees off true north.

More information can be found in the This and That Newsletter at OklahomaHistory.net.