Wichita Indian Agency (Oklahoma)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Originally -- Wichita and Kichai (Keechi). A little later -- Caddo, Anadarko, Waco, Tonkawa, Hainai (Ioni), Michai, Tawakoni, Delaware, Shawnee.

History
The Wichita Agency was established in 1857, originally for the Wichita and Kichai Indians in the Leased District in Indian Territory. The Caddo, Anadarko, Waco, Tonkawa, Hainai (Ioni), Kichai, Tawakoni, Delaware, and Shawnee were moved from the Brazos Agency in Texas and the Penateka Comanche were moved from the Comanche Agency in Texas to the Leased District in 1859. Some Pawnee from Nebraska were temporarily at the Wichita Agency from 1873-1875, until they moved onto their new reservation.

There was no permanent headquarters for the Wichita Agency before 1859. The agent normally worked out of Fort Arbuckle in Indian Territory. During this time, the Wichita and Texas Agencies were closely related, when the "Texas" designation was discontinued. The Wichita Agency was located at Fort Cobb in 1859 and remained there until the Confederate Army occupied Indian Territory during the Civil War. It was temporarily located at Towanda in Butler County, Kansas until 1867, when it was returned to the Leased District, and the agency headwuarters were located near Anadarko.

During the years 1869 and 1870, the Wichita Agency was temporarily combined with the Kiowa Agency at Fort Sill, but in 1870 was again re-established as an independent agency. The Wichita Agency was consolidated with the Kiowa Agency on 1 September 1878, and the combined agency was named the Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita Agency.

Agents and Appointment Dates
Alexander H. McKisick 1857, Samuel A. Blain 1858, Mathew Leeper 1860, John J. Humphries 1861, Edwin H. Carruth 1862, Milo Gookins 1864, Henry Shanklin 1866, Luarie Tatum 1869, Jonathan Richards 1870, Andrew C. Williams 1876.

Records
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by the agencies.

Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same.Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by these offices.

Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Wichita Agency, 1857-1878, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 928-930. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ).

Reports of Inspection of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1873-1900 have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of Microcopy Number M1070. The reports for Wichita Agency, 1875, are on roll 58 of that Microcopy set. Copies are available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ).