Laban J. Miles (March 10, 1844– April 12, 1931) was an American

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of ...

at the

Osage Agency The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe in the United States, is the source of most other terms containing the word "osage". Osage can also refer to: * Osage language, a Dhaegin language traditionally spoken by the Osage Nation * Osage (Unicode b ...

for the

Osage Nation The Osage Nation ( ) ( Osage: 𐓁𐒻 𐓂𐒼𐒰𐓇𐒼𐒰͘ ('), "People of the Middle Waters") is a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains. The tribe developed in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys around 700 BC alo ...

and

Kaw people The Kaw Nation (or Kanza or Kansa) is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma and parts of Kansas. It comes from the central Midwestern United States. It has also been called the "People of the South wind",

Early life and family

Major Laban J. Miles was born at

Ludlow Falls, Ohio Ludlow Falls is a village in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 175 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ludlow Falls is named after surveyor Israel Ludlow. Geography Ludlow Falls is loc ...

, March 10, 1844, to Benjamin and Prudence (Jones) Miles. He was raised a Quaker and on April 27, 1870, in West Branch, Cedar County, Iowa he married Agnes Randall Minthorn and together they had six children, Maude, Harriet, Theodore, Blanche, Oakley and Laura. In 1882, Laban Miles' nephew

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, holding o ...

came to stay for a year with his family at the Osage Agency. Laban's wife, Agnes Randall (Minthorn) Miles was a sister of Huldah Randall (Minthorn) Hoover.
Laban's parents went to work at the Osage Agency for three years in 1873, Benjamin as Superintendent and Prudence as Matron of the Government School there. In 1878, they returned to their positions at the Osage Agency for another five years. In January 1883, Benjamin Miles established a Government Indian School at West Branch, Cedar county, Iowa. A year later he moved the school to Lee County, Iowa and transferred the school to the Trustees of White's Manual labor Institute.

Indian agent

On June 24, 1878, Major Laban J. Miles was appointed by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...

as an

Indian Agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of ...

for the

Osage The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe in the United States, is the source of most other terms containing the word "osage". Osage can also refer to: * Osage language, a Dhaegin language traditionally spoken by the Osage Nation * Osage (Unicode ...

and Kaw Tribes replacing Cyrus Beede. Major Laban J. Miles resigned on May 20, 1885, but on April 19, 1889, Miles was reappointed Superintendent of the Osage Agency and held that office until July 4, 1893.The Washington critic., April 19, 1889, pg 1

Death

Laban J. Miles died at his home in

Pawhuska, Oklahoma Pawhuska ( osa, 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘 / hpahúska, ''meaning: "White Hair"'', iow, Paháhga) is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named after the 19th-century Osage chief, ''Paw-Hiu-Skah'', wh ...

, on April 12, 1931.

Notes

"Wah'kon-tah: The Osage and the White Man's Road" by John Joseph Mathews, University of Oklahoma Press, 1932 was written using Major Laban J. Miles' journal as reference.
National Historic Site Laban Miles House

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Laban People from Miami County, Ohio 1844 births 1931 deaths United States Indian agents Osage Nation