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.  

'''[[Oklahoma Historical Society|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:&nbsp;[http://www.okhistory.org/research/ 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">William Dollarhide and Ronald A. Bremer. ''America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers'' (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998), 91. {{WorldCat|39493985|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. {{FHL|728550|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J54d}}.</ref>  

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]

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries includes two areas of particular interest to genealogists: the Oklahoma Room and the State Archives Division. The Oklahoma Room houses a huge book library with county histories, periodicals, indexes, and reference works.<ref name="DB91">Dollarhide and Bremer, 91.</ref> The State Archives Division maintains Oklahoma government records and other historical documents.

'''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" />  

'''University of Oklahoma'''<br>[[Image:OU Great Reading Room.jpg|right|300px|OU Great Reading Room.jpg]]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<br><br>The following lists manuscripts in their collection:<br><br>  

*Southwell, Kristine L., comp. ''Guide to Manuscripts in the Western History 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" />  

'''Hughes County Historical Society'''<br>124 North Broadway<br>Holdenville, OK 74848<br>Telephone: 405-379-5124<br><br>This collection, originally in the Grace M. Pickens Public Library, holds unique Native American papers relating to the Five Civilized Tribes (and Delawares) removed to Indian Territory. Includes a surprisingly good genealogical research collection.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Oklahoma Territorial Museum Carnegie Library'''<br>406 East Oklahoma Ave. <br>Guthrie, OK 73044 <br>Telephone: 405-282-1889 <br>Internet: [http://www.okterritorialmuseum.org/LIBRARY.html http://www.okterritorialmuseum.org/LIBRARY.html]<br>  

The Oklahoma Territorial period is well covered including Native Americans, Anglos, intruders, Sooners, homesteaders, and land rush people.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Tulsa Genealogical Society Library'''<br>9136 East 31st Street<br>Tulsa, OK 74145<br>Telephone: 918-627-4224<br>Internet: [http://www.tulsagenealogy.org/library/ http://www.tulsagenealogy.org/library/]<br><br>A large library for Oklahoma ancestors including Bibles, cemeteries, obituaries, family folders, city directories, plat maps, and indexes.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Museum of the Western Prairie Library''' <br>1100 Memorial Drive<br>Altus, OK 73521<br>Telephone: 580-482-1044<br>Internet: [http://www.okhistory.org/sites/westernprairie http://www.okhistory.org/sites/westernprairie]<br><br>Records of Oklahoma settlers, obituaries, periodicals, books, histories, biographies, including many from Texas and New Mexico.<ref name="DB91" />  

'''Miami Public Library'''<br>200 N Main St. <br>Miami, OK 74354<br>Telephone: 918-541-2292<br>Internet: [http://www.miamipl.okpls.org/genealogy.shtml http://www.miamipl.okpls.org/genealogy.shtml] <br><br>A good book-library with an emphasis on the Ozark region of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas, including Native Americans.<ref name="DB91" />  

 

*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.

 

 

=== Oklahoma Collections Outside of Oklahoma  ===

Internet for both: http://www.archives.gov/southwest  

Subject specialties include censuses, westward expansion into the Southwest and settlement of [[American Indian Genealogy|Native Americans]] (especially [[Cherokee Indians|Cherokees]], [[Choctaw Indians|Choctaws]], [[Chickasaw Indians|Chickasaws]], [[Creek Indians|Creeks]], and [[Seminole Indians|Seminoles]]), slavery, bankruptcy court, ethnology, genealogy, military service records, pension and bounty land warrant applications, passenger lists and [[Dawes Commission Enrollment Records for Five U.S. Indian Tribes|Dawes census cards and enrollment jackets for the Five Civilized Tribes]] of Oklahoma.<ref>Dollarhide and Bremer, 130-31.</ref>  

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

'''[[Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research]]'''<br>5300 Caroline<br>Houston, TX 77004<br>Telephone: 713-284-1999<br>Internet: http://www2.houstonlibrary.org/clayton/ <br><br>One of America's best genealogical collections. Especially strong for Texas and adjoining states like Oklahoma.<ref name="DB107">Dollarhide and Bremer, 107.</ref>  

'''[[Dallas Public Central Library]]'''<br>1515 Young St.<br>Dallas, TX 75201-9987<br>Telephone: 214-670-1400<br>Internet: http://dallaslibrary2.org/genealogy/index.php <br><br>Outstanding genealogical collection with records for more than Texas, including Oklahoma, the South, Mid-Atlantic, and New England states.<ref name="DB107" />  

=== Oklahoma Online Records  ===