Upper Platte Indian Agency

United States American Indian Research Indians of Colorado Indians of Kansas Indians of Nebraska Indians of Wyoming Bureau of Indian Affairs Upper Platte Indian Agency

History

The Upper Platte Agency was created in 1846 and originally had jurisdiction over large portions of what became the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska. In 1855, the Upper Arkansas Agency was created, taking responsibility for the area which is now eastern Colorado and western Kansas.

The agency headquarters moved several times, but the primary locations of the agent for the years below were:

1846-1857 -- at or near Fort Laramie

1857-1861 -- on Deer Creek about 110 miles west of Fort Laramie

1861-1863 -- near Fort Laramie

1863-1867 -- on the North Platte River about 24 miles east of Fort Laramie

1867-1868 -- North Platte, Nebraska

In December, 1868 the Upper Platte Agency was moved to the mouth of Whetstone Creek on the Missouri River, 18 miles from Fort Randall in Dakota Territory. It was renamed the Whetstone Agency in June 1869.

Also in June of 1869, the Cheyenne River Agency and the Grand River Agency were established. In 1871, the Red Cloud Agency was also established near Fort Laramie and by then, the name "Upper Platte Agency" was discontinued.

Records

Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Upper Platte Agency, 1846-1870, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 889-896. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their microfilm roll numbers 1661619 thru 1661626).

By the end of 1870, the Office of Indian Affairs no longer used the "Upper Platte" designation for records, as the agency had been split up by then and records were filed under the names of the successor agencies.

References

• ''American Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications''. Washington DC: National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and Records Administration, 1998 FHL book 970.1 A3a At various libraries (WorldCat).
  
• Hill, Edward E. (comp.). Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1981 FHL book 970.1 H551g At various libraries (WorldCat).
  
• Hill, Edward E. The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches. New York, New York: Clearwater Publishing Company, Inc., 1974 FHL book 970.1 H551o At various libraries (WorldCat).
  
• Historical Sketches for Jurisdictional and Subject Headings Used for the Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880. National Archives Microcopy T1105 FHL film 1695747 .
• Marquette University. Guide to Catholic-Related Records in the Midwest about Native Americans.
• Preliminary Inventory No. 163: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Services. Available online