Oklahoma Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Oklahoma]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Archives and Libraries'''

Many archives and libraries have resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about Oklahoma. They may have collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere in the state.  

The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful to Oklahoma genealogical researchers.

=== '''National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth)'''  ===

Subject specialties include censuses, westward expansion into the Southwest and settlement of Native Americans (especially Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Seminoles), slavery, bankruptcy court, ethnology, genealogy, military service records, pension and bounty land warrant applications, passenger lists and Dawes census cards and enrollment jackets for the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma.<ref>William Dollarhide and Ronald A. Bremer. ''America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers'' (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998), 130-31. {{WorldCat|39493985|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. {{FHL|728550|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J54d}}.</ref>  

{{See|National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth)}}<br>  

=== State Archives, Libraries and Societies  ===

'''Oklahoma Historical Society'''<br>800 Nazih Zudhi Drive<br>Oklahoma City, OK 73105<br>Telephone: 405-522-5225<br>Fax: 405-521-2492<br>Internet: [http://www.ok-history.mus.ok.us www.okhistory].org/research

Excellent collections for Native Americans and Anglo settlers of Oklahoma. This is a good starting place for research of Oklahoma ancestors.<ref name="DB91" />  

A guide to family histories at the society is:

Huffman, Mary, comp. Family History: ''A Bibliography of the Collection in the Oklahoma Historical Society''. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: The Society, 1992. {{FHL|600229|title-id|disp=(Family History Library book 976.6 A3hm.)}}

'''Oklahoma Department of Libraries'''<br>200 N.E. 18th Street<br>Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3298<br>Telephone: 405-521-2502, 800-522-8116<br>Fax: 405-525-7804<br>Internet: [http://www.odl.state.ok.us www.odl.state.ok.us]

'''Lawton Public Library'''<br>110 S.W. 4th Street <br>Lawton, OK 73105-3298 <br>Telephone: 405-581-3450<br>Internet: [http://www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/library/genealogy.htm http://www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/library/genealogy.htm]<br><br> The largest book collection of Oklahoma genealogies together with periodicals, maps, biographies, family folders, and a statewide index to all Oklahoma Territory tract books (public land buyers).<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Bancroft Library'''<br>University of California, Berkeley<br>Berkeley, CA 94720<br>Telephone: 415-642-3781<br><br>This library in ''California&nbsp;'' includes documents about ''Oklahoma&nbsp;'' early settlers, early trails, stagecoaches, miners, and histories.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''University of Oklahoma'''<br>Western History Collection<br>630 Parrington Oval, Room 452<br>Norman, OK 73019<br>Telephone: 405-325-3641<br>Fax: 405-325-2943<br>Internet: [http://libraries.ou.edu/locations/?id=22 http://libraries.ou.edu/locations/?id=22]

The following lists manuscripts in their collection:&nbsp;

*Southwell, Kristine L., comp. Guide to Manuscripts in the Western History<br>Collections of the University of Oklahoma. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002. {{FHL|1062430|title-id|disp=(Family History Library book 976.6 J53s.}})

An important part of the Western History Collection is titled The Indian-Pioneer Papers which is a collection of interviews done during the Depression. Biographical information is given for Indians as well as persons of all ethnic groups. Those interviewed may have been residents of either the Oklahoma Territory or the Indian Territory. There are about 80,000 entries in 112 volumes in the collection with free online access to both an index and the digitized transcripts of the interviews. Read the biographies and other topics found in the [http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/WHC/pioneer/ Indian-Pioneer Papers].<br>  

Their collection also includes original historical manuscripts, county records, Spanish, Indian, military, Civil War, newspapers, cattle trails, ranching, mining, and oil production records.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Pickens Memorial Library'''  

'''Oklahoma Territorial Museum Library'''

'''Tulsa Genealogical Society Library'''  

'''Museum of the Western Prarie Library'''  

'''Miami Public Library'''  

'''Oklahoma Genealogical Society'''<br>P.O. Box 12986<br>Oklahoma City, OK 73157<br>Internet: [http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgs www.rootsweb.com/~okgs]  

'''Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art<br>'''1400 North Gilcrease Museum Road<br>Tulsa, OK 74127-2100<br>Telephone: 918-596-2700<br>Fax: 918-596-2700<br>Internet: [http://www.gilcrease.org www.gilcrease.org]  

'''Museum of the Great Plains'''<br>601 Ferris<br>Lawton, OK 73507<br>Telephone: 580-581-3460<br>Fax: 580-581-3458<br>Internet: [http://www.museumgreatplains.org www.museumgreatplains.org]

A useful guide to Oklahoma records is:  

Koplowitz, Bradford. ''Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma''. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1997. {{FHL|528530|title-id|disp=(Family History Library book 976.6 A3kb 1997}}.)&nbsp; It contains a survey of records kept in counties and cities through 1920.  

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Oklahoma counties, use the eleven inventories of county archives published by the

Historical Records Survey around 1940. The Family History Library has inventories for: Atoka, Beckham, Cherokee, Cimarron, Haskell, Lincoln, McIntosh, Mayes, Muskogee, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha counties.  

'''Family History Library Catalog'''  

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Oklahoma counties, use the inventories of the county archives published around 1940 by the Historical Records Survey. The Family History Library has copies of most of these. These inventories can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:  

=== Oklahoma Online Records ===

=== Web Sites ===

You can find computerized research tips and information about ancestors from Oklahoma in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. Much of the information is available at little or no cost. Addresses on the Internet change frequently. The following sites are important gateways to additional sites:<br>

Howells, Cyndi. "U.S.- Oklahoma-OK." ''In Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet.'' Puyallup, Washington: Cyndi Howells, 6 October 1999 [cited 7 October 1999]. Available at [http://www.cyndislist.com/il.htm Cyndislist.com]. This list has more links to other Oklahoma genealogical sites and describes more resources than any other site on the Internet.

Oklahoma USGenWeb ''In The USGenWeb Project [Internet site].'' N.p., 1999 [accesssed 18 May 2011]. This is a cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet, for each county, state, and country.  

Most Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch™. Many centers have access to online services, networks, or bulletin boards. You&nbsp;may also use these services at mostpublic libraries, college libraries, and private locations.  

[[Category:Oklahoma|Archives]] [[Category:United_States_Repositories]]