Editing Oaks, Oklahoma (section)

==History==
In 1842, the Moravian Brethren began a new mission which they named New Springplace. It was intended to replace their former mission in Georgia, which they had abandoned after the Cherokees had been forced to emigrate to [[Indian Territory]]. The mission operated in its new location until after the outbreak of the American Civil War. In 1862, a group of Union troops and Pin Indians{{efn| Pin Indians were Cherokees who supported the Union in the American Civil War.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>}} killed James Ward, a Cherokee missionary. They abducted Ward's wife and twin infant sons, though they released them about {{convert|20|miles|km}} from the mission. The mission was abandoned for the remainder of the war.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>

The Moravians resumed their mission work in October 1866. After reassessing their activities, the church abandoned its work among the Cherokees, asking Niels Nielsen, a minister of the Evangelical Danish Lutheran Church, to help the New Springplace congregation. Nielsen took over the facilities in 1902 and dropped the Springplace name.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>

George Miller opened a post office named Oaks on July 18, 1881. A plat for the town was filed on December 10, 1906. All of the land was owned by William Israel, subject to allotment by the Cherokees.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>

Rev. Christian Adolphus Vammen, with his family, succeeded Nielsen in 1924 and two years later began a children's home, Oaks Indian Mission.{{efn|Oaks Indian Mission is a not-for-profit corporation related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), an independent, social-service ministry.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>}} The mission still operates at present.<ref name="EOHC-Oaks"/>