Researching In Oklahoma Can Be Tricky
Oklahoma became a designated U.S. territory in 1890 and a state in 1907. The names comes from two Choctaw words, “okla,” (people) and “homa” (red), meaning the “land of the red people.”
After the United States acquired the area that is now Oklahoma in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, white settlers soon began arriving. The name for the state came about because the U.S. government in the 1820s began to move all the native tribes living east of the Mississippi River to the designated Indian territory in what would become Arkansas and Oklahoma. For many years, about half of what would become Oklahoma was one big tribal reservation.
The Indian Territories were in eastern Oklahoma; the official territory of Oklahoma was established in the western side of Oklahoma. White settlers heading west had to cross Indian lands which was a reason for constant strife. Eventually some of these white settlers preferred staying on tribal lands, causing a whole set of new problems. During the Civil War, many of the tribes sided with the Confederacy (after all, their ancestors were buried there), and because of their allegiance suffered horribly during the war as their lives and property were destroyed.
After the war, the discovery of oil on tribal lands enlarged the scope of the troubles between the white immigrants and the transplanted native tribes.
If you have ancestry in Oklahoma, then you had better do your homework regarding the geography, history of the state and its peoples before jumping in and writing letters. You need to answer such questions as: What records of whites exist? Of the many tribes? Who exactly lived where? Which censuses should include my ancestors? Where are the vital records? The census records? Where are these records kept?
The place to begin your homework assignment is to visit your local public library and check out a couple of general books on Oklahoma. Read, enjoy and learn the history of this, the 46th state. Some suggested reading would be “Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries,” by Arrell M. Gibson, and “A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma,” by Muriel H. Wright.
Plan a visit to the downtown Spokane library and see what books on Oklahoma and Oklahoma records are housed in the Genealogy Section. (I count about two dozen items in the Holdings Book, a listing of all the books in the Genealogy Section as compiled by the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society.)
The Ancestors Plus (formerly LaDecor) shop at Shadle Center carries the Research Outlines for all states. These are booklet guides to all the resources and records of that state and cost about 50 cents each. These can also be obtained at the Family History Centers.
The guide for Oklahoma is 11 pages and includes a great map showing where the tribes were settled, and dates the areas were opened up for white settlement.
The guide lists names and addresses for the major archives and libraries, lists books on Oklahoma history and biography, explains that the 1870 and 1880 censuses have been lost, gives addresses for the major religious denominations in Oklahoma, tells where to find city directories and lists books on Oklahoma’s peoples. This Research Guide is a dandy place to begin your homework assignment.
The Oklahoma Historical Society is located near the state capitol in Oklahoma. It has 3.5 million documents representing 66 of the 67 tribes that resided in Indian Territory. The newspaper collection contains 28,000 reels of microfilm on state newspapers published from 1844 to the present.
Membership in the Oklahoma Historical Society is $15 annually, and with membership you will receive four issues of “The Chronicles of Oklahoma,” and twelve issues of “Mistletoe Leaves.” Both of these publications carry articles and features on the history, people and places of Oklahoma.
If you would like to request research help by mail, you must first write for the “Biographical Research Request Form.” Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the OHS, Library Resources Division, 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. This completed form must accompany all requests for research. A research fee of $15 will be charged to all out-of-state letter requests that involve research, as opposed to a request that is a simple look up and copy. Photocopies are 20 cents per page, 50 cents for microfilm copies, and $1 for faxed copies. Add $1.50 per request for postage.
The Tulsa Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 585, Tulsa, OK 74101, asks annual dues of $15. With membership comes “Tulsa Annals,” a periodical full of Oklahoma records and information. (The Genealogy Section in the downtown Spokane library has many issues of this periodical.) Members can submit free queries to this publication; a fee of $5 is asked for non-members.
This society has also compiled and made available records of area cemeteries, funeral homes and voter registrations. I do not know if it does any research by mail, but if you write to inquire, don’t forget to include a stamped, selfaddressed envelope.
The Oklahoma Genealogical Society was organized in 1955 and has published material on Oklahoma for 39 years. All back issues, and a subject index to these issues, are available. Annual membership is $10. Send a long SASE for informational brochures to OGS, P.O. Box 12986, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.
The Oklahoma Genealogical Research Group, P.O. Box 171, Stigler, OK 74462, offers all kinds of research help, including a quarterly genealogy society in Oklahoma and the funeral home and cemetery records for their respective counties. For a fee of $14 they will search these records for the surname of your choice. You may request a free copy of their newsletter.
Today’s tip
I have recommended the newsletter, The Irish, At Home and Abroad, compiled by Dwight Radford and Kyle Betit in this column. The latest project of these authors is a 75-page “detailed overview of Irish record sources, written to help the North American be successful in Irish research.” This guide can be ordered for $16.95 to The Irish, P.O. Box 521806, Salt Lake City, UT 84152.
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Donna Potter Phillips The Spokesman-Review