Quick Tips for Marriage Records Original Marriage Records To obtain original marriage documents, contact ARRIAGE ECORDS the county clerk’s office of the county in which M R the marriage took place. RESEARCH GUIDE

Other Sources for Marriage Information • Newspaper announcements • County and family histories • Military records • Federal census records • Dawes Roll census card and application packet (Five Tribes only)

Search the Online Catalog Search the Oklahoma Historical Society’s online Oklahoma History Center catalog to locate marriage information for 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive a specific county or town. Visit us online at Oklahoma City, OK 73105 okhistory.org/research. An Introduction to Researching Marriages Contact the Research Center in the Oklahoma Historical Society 405-522-5225 [email protected] Research Center

www.okhistory.org/research Marriage of Tribal Citizens Those who married in had Nation. The court seats were Ardmore, Prior to statehood in 1907, if a bride or groom multiple options. Ranking officers at nearby Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ryan, and Chickasha. was a citizen of an American Indian tribe, their forts and ministers at early Christian missions marriage records may be included in the Five were licensed to perform marriages. There were Marriages in Oklahoma Territory and After Civilized Tribes National Records or the multiple non-Indian towns located in Indian Statehood Agency Records for the Plains and Woodland Territory and many had a church. In all of these Prior to statehood, Oklahoma was divided into Tribes. These records vary according to the tribes, instances, the license was given to the couple and two territories. Oklahoma Territory included districts, and counties. it was up to them to take it a courthouse outside seven counties: Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, of Indian Territory to be recorded. Canadian, Kingfisher, Payne, and Beaver. After OHS Agency Records Holdings the land runs, marriages performed in Oklahoma • National Records Prior to 1890 there was no place within Indian Territory were recorded in the county clerk’s • Chickasaw National Records Territory to record marriages. From about 1890 office of the respective counties. • Choctaw National Records until statehood, marriages of white and African • Creek National Records American citizens in Indian Territory were County Marriage Books in the Research Center • Seminole National Records recorded in the various Recording Districts of the • Cherokee County marriages, from statehood • Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency Records United States Federal Courts. • Cotton County marriages, 1912–1933 • Kiowa Agency Records • Oklahoma County marriages, 1890–1949 • Osage Agency Records In 1890 three Judicial Districts were established • Pottawatomie County marriages, 1892–1898 • Pawnee Agency Records in Indian Territory. Non-Indians needed to travel • Quapaw Agency Records to one of these districts to record a marriage. District Court Marriage Holdings • Sac and Fox Agency Records • First District included the Cherokee and • US District Court - South McAlester Creek Nations. The court seat was Muskogee. Choctaw Nation, Pittsburg County, Other American Indian Resources • Second District covered the Choctaw 1890–1907 • Cherokee intermarriages, 1865–1887 Nation. The court seat was South McAlester. • US District Court - Ardmore • Third District • Cherokee Goingsnake District marriages, included Seminole and Chickasaw Nation, Carter County, 1895– 1860–1910 Chickasaw Nations. The court seat was 1907 • Cherokee Guion Miller Roll, 1800s–1909 Ardmore. • US District Court - Ardmore • Choctaw marriages Skullyville, 1876–1902 Chickasaw Nation, Purcell–McClain County, • Creek marriages, 1903–1907 In 1895 the Judicial Districts were divided further. 1895–1908 • Osage marriages, 1820–1886 Marriages in Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri may • US District Court - Vinita have also utilized these courts. , Craig County, 1902–1907 Non-Citizens in Indian Territory • Northern District included the area of Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee Nations. The Prior to 1907, Indian Territory was officially open court seats were Vinita, Miami, Tahlequah, to only American Indians, but there were some and Muskogee. non-Indians living in the territory. • Central District included Choctaw Nation. The court seats were South McAlester, Atoka, Depending on a couple's circumstances and Antlers, and Cameron (moved to Poteau). the time frame, they may have traveled to a • Southern District included Chickasaw neighboring state or back home to marry.