Our Arklahoma Heritage: From Tennesseee to Indian Territory - The journey of "Judge" Franklin Faulkner

A modest cemetery near Akins in Sequoyah County holds the remains of a man whose life bridged cultures, generations, and one of the most painful forced migrations in American history.

Judge Franklin Faulkner, born in Tennessee in 1814, was not Cherokee by blood, yet his journey alongside the Cherokee Nation during the Trail of Tears and his role in shaping early Sequoyah County mark him as a figure of enduring historical significance.

In 1838, Faulkner joined a Cherokee detachment led by Captain J.A. Oldfield and Reverend Stephen Foreman, serving as a teamster and scout. The group departed from Charleston, Tennessee, with 983 Cherokee men, women, and children, enduring a brutal winter migration.

By the time they arrived in Indian Territory on February 27, 1839, only 921 had survived. Faulkner’s presence on this journey was not incidental. Though a white man, he walked beside the Cherokee, sharing in their hardship and witnessing their journey. This experience would shape the rest of his life.

After settling near Akins, Faulkner built a log home and established deep roots in the territory. That home, was later restored and relocated to Sallisaw by the local Chamber of Commerce, preserving its place in the county’s architectural and cultural memory.

Known locally as “Judge,” Faulkner held a position of respect and influence, though it remains unclear whether his title reflected a formal judicial role or an honorary designation bestowed by the community.

Faulkner’s personal life was as expansive as the land he helped settle. Over the course of his life, he married five women and fathered at least fifteen children, many of whom intermarried with Cherokee families or became prominent in their own right.

His first known wife, Aursakie Potts, bore him Lydia and David McNair Faulkner. With Nancy “Nannie” Pettit, he had Mary Elizabeth, John, Buck, Nancy Ann--known as “Nan”--Robert, and Susan.

His union with Nancy Adkins produced another son named John. Later, with Aggie Brewer, he welcomed Emily Jane, often called Emma. His final known marriage to Nancy Choate brought three daughters into the world: Elmyra, Catherine, and Eliza.

These children and their descendants formed a sprawling family network that helped shape the social and cultural fabric of Sequoyah County. Many are buried alongside Faulkner in the family cemetery that bears his name--a quiet, tree-lined resting place nestled in the hills near Akins.

Franklin Faulkner died on March 25, 1885 and was laid to rest in Faulkner Cemetery, his grave marked by a simple headstone.

Franklin Faulkner’s legacy lives on through the land he helped settle, the Cherokee people he walked beside, and the generations of family who continue to call Oklahoma home.