Military Posts

To control the Plains tribes after the Civil War, the government established a chain of forts from the Dakotas to Texas. In the Indian Territory the new western outposts were Fort Sill, Fort Reno, and Camp Supply. From these bases of operation, troops tacked and battled elusive Indians, chased and arrested horse thieves, and found and drove out the persistent armies of boomers led by David L. Payne and William Couch. In 1889 troops from Fort Reno supervised the land run.

General Allotment

The General Allotment Act, passed by Congress in 1887, was the beginning of the end for tribal sovereignty and reservations in the Indian Territory. After the government reached agreements with a tribe, heads of families received 160 acres of land, while single individuals under 18 received 80 acres. Allottees were able to choose which land they wanted. After the allotment was completed, surplus lands were purchased from the tribes and made a part of the public domain, thus paving the way for the numerous land openings. As each parcel was opened, it was added to Oklahoma Territory, important steps in the state-making process.

CATTLE TRAILS ACROSS OKLAHOMA

Longhorn cattle trails from Texas to Kansas railheads spanned the era from 1866 to 1889. Four primary trails cut through the Indian Territory: the East Shawnee Trail, the West Shawnee Trail, the Chisholm Trail, and the Great Western or Dodge City Trail.

Oklahoma Populated Before 1889

The land called the Indian Territory was not a wilderness in 1889. To the east of the Unassigned Lands were the Five Civilized Tribes, the Osages, and other tribes moved from previous frontiers. To the west were reservations for the Plains Tribes. In both directions were towns, railroads, newspapers, stagecoach routes, schools, and even telephone lines. It was a land with a rich legacy, a blend of many cultures and the dreams of may people. The land run 9f 1889 was only one chapter in the dramatic history of Oklahoma.