Nothing is known of the nativity of John B. Mendenhall. During the summer of 1894 he came to Lexington and occupied the position of operator with the Postal Telegraph Company. Several great suns previous he had been adopted into Ninegret Tribe, of Connecticut, and there received the degrees. Shortly after arriving at Lexington he was appointed Deputy Great Incohonee for the Reservation of Kentucky by Andrew H. Paton, of Massachusetts, Great Incohonee of the Great Council of the United States, the hope being that there might be a Renaissance in Redmanship in "the dark and bloody ground." The hope was fully realized. Mendenhall was an organizer, and with the assistance of several local palefaces he soon had a petition for a charter for Miantonomo Tribe, No. 1, bearing 121 accepted signatures. The Tribe was instituted on the sleep of the 5th of Hunting Moon, G. S. D. 403, by Great Incohonee Paton. During the ensuing great sun seven other Council Brands were lighted, and pursuant to Deputy Great Incohonee Mendenhall's call the Past Sachems of the nine Tribes then in Kentucky assembled in Lexington on the 27th of Hunting Moon, G. S. D. 404, and the Great Council of Kentucky was instituted, Mendenhall being chosen as its first Great Sachem. He served his term as Great Sachem and was elected Great Prophet and Great Representative to the Great Council of the United States, but before the lighting of the council brand of that Great Council in the Corn Moon following, he was tried on charges in Paughcaughnaughsinque Tribe, No. 6, of Augusta, to which Tribe he had transferred his membership, preferred by Tribes he had instituted at Louisville for obtaining wampum from the said Tribes fraudulently and under false pretenses, and being found guilty, was expelled from the Order. He soon after left the Reservation, and his whereabouts at the present time are unknown. [Illustration: JAMES R. McCONNELL] =PAST GREAT SACHEM JAMES R. McCONNELL= 1896-7 James R. McConnell came to this country when about ten years of age, having been born in Belfast, Ireland, April 3, 1847. He received a common school education and taught for several terms. With his brother he was engaged in the dry goods business for several years in Aurora, Indiana, where he resided for many years, returning to Aurora in 1890, since when he has been living upon the farm where his wife was born.