Oklahoma Census

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Microfilm images
1860. The "Indian Lands" (Oklahoma) non-Indian population schedules are at the very end of Family History Library film 803054 (M653 roll 52) after Yell County, Arkansas. This census and a published index are available at the National Archives — Southwest Region, the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the Family History Library.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Oklahoma, click here

Microfilm images
1890. The Civil War Union veterans and their widows schedules are on Family History Library film 338235 (M123 roll 76).

1890 territorial census. The First Territorial Census of Oklahoma, 1890 is on Family History Library film 227,282 (M1811, roll 1).

1880. The Cherokee Nation 1880 census covering the Canadian, Cooweescoowee, Delaware, Flint, Going Snake, Illinois, Saline, Sequoyah and Tahlequah districts is for Indians only. Also includes census rolls of various years of Delaware Indians holding citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. FHL film 989204. Indexed on the Internet.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Oklahoma, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses

 * 1890 territorial census. A card index is available at the Oklahoma State Historical Society. A helpful source for locating families in this census is Smith's First Directory of Oklahoma Territory: For the Year Commencing August 1st, 1890 (see the “Directories” section of this Oklahoma Wiki article)


 * 1880 The Cherokee Nation 1880 Indian census is indexed on the Internet at www.accessgenealogy.com/native/cherokeecensus.php This index does not include census images.

Historical Background
Many special censuses were taken in Oklahoma, especially censuses of Indians. For more information about these, see the State, territorial, and colonial censuses section above. For information on censuses of specific Indian Tribes, see Indians of Oklahoma.

In 1819 Arkansas Territory (including most of what is now Oklahoma) was created from the southern part of the Missouri Territory.

1820. Some general white settlememt had started in what is now the far southeast corner of Oklahoma. They were counted on the census of Miller County, Arkansas, which included parts of what is now Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. But these population schedules are lost.

In 1828 the western boundary of Arkansas was established, separating the Indian Territory (to become Oklahoma) from what had been Arkansas Territory and including part of the southern edge of what had been Missouri Territory.

At first, some white settlers departed when the area was set aside for the Indians. After Indian government proved effective, more whites began to settle in Indian Territory.

1830-1850. No other federal censuses were taken in present-day Oklahoma in 1830, 1840, or 1850.

1860. The non-Indians of what is now Oklahoma were counted in 1860 in what were called the Indian Lands of Arkansas Territory. This census does not list Indians, but lists free and slave inhabitants in the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole nations. The slave schedules provide the names of slave owners, but not the names of slaves.

1870. No census available.

1880. All non-Indian and most Indian schedules are lost. Only the Cherokee Indian schedules survive.

1890. The population schedules were destroyed. The special census of Civil War Union veterans and widows survives for both the Oklahoma and Indian Territories.

In addition to the federal censuses, a separate census was taken in 1890 of the Oklahoma Territory. Censuses exist for Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian, Kingfisher, Payne and Beaver counties. This includes information on the entire household but is incomplete for some areas.

1900. Oklahoma was split between Indian Territory to the southeast, and Oklahoma Territory to the northwest on the 1900 census. The following map shows modern county boundaries and the division between Indian and Oklahoma territories.

In 1907 Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory combined to become the state of Oklahoma.

'''1910, 1920, and 1930. '''Federal censuses of Oklahoma are available, and have been indexed for each of these years.

Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing Oklahoma censuses, click here.

Why use a census?
A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

More about censuses
Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:


 * index searching tips
 * analyzing and using what you find
 * census accuracy
 * historical background
 * contents of various census years and types