Library ResourcesRecords TerritorialMarriage Records

Indian Territory Marriage Records

Marriage records of Oklahoma are recorded in the office of Court Clerk located in the various counties of the state. Prior to statehood in 1907, marriages of white citizens in the part of the state known as the Indian Territory were recorded in the various Recording Districts of the United States Federal Court. A number of the court clerk offices contain these records.

The Oklahoma Historical Society's holdings include records for McAlester, Vinita and Ardmore.

The United States Federal Court, embracing most of the Indian Territory, was established at Muskogee in 1889.

  • Northern District, established in 1897, covering the area of the Cherokee Nation and the nations of the Quapaw Agency, with Vinita as court seat.
  • Central District, established in 1890, covering the area of the Creek and Seminole Nations, with McAlester as the court seat.
  • Southern District, established in 1895, covering the area of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, with Ardmore as court seat.
  • Western District, established in 1889, covering the area of the Chickasaw Country, with Muskogee as the court seat.

Indian Territory Marriage Records

Between 1890 and 1907, many marriages occurring in the Indian Territory were recorded in various Recording Districts of the United States Federal Court. A number of present-day court clerk offices have custody of these records. The following table shows a list of the counties where these records were originally kept, the county seat, number of volumes and the period of time covered. Some of these records have been transcribed and published. Some have been microfilmed by either the Research Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society or the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

CountyCounty SeatVolumesPeriod of Time Covered
1 Muskogee Muskogee 28 July 1890 - November 1907
2 Carter Ardmore 12 April 1895 - November 1907
3 PittsburgMcAlester 13 June 1890 - November 1907
4 CraigVinita 10 July 1902 - October 1907
5 AtokaAtoka 3 June 1897 - November 1907
6 Bryan Durant 2 July 1902 - October 1905
7 LatimerWilburton 1 July 1908 - November 1907
8 LeFlorePoteau 3 June 1897 - November 1907
  1. ln the custody of the Muskogee County Court Clerk, Muskogee OK 74401 (Not noted in Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990)
  2. In the custody of the Carter County Court Clerk, Ardmore OK 73401. (Microfilmed by LDS, film available Library Division OHS, complete index by groom and bride compiled by Mary Kinard on shelf in library.)
  3. In the custody of the Archives & Manuscripts Division, OHS. Available on microfilm. Microfilm copies of Volumes 7 - 13 available at the Pittsburg County Genealogical Society, McAlester, OK. (Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990) Several volumes have been published by Ellen Tiffee, McAlester, OK.
  4. In the custody of the Craig County Court Clerk, Vinita, OK 74301. Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990)
  5. In the custody of the Atoka County Court Clerk, Atoka, OK 74525. Volume I (June 1897- Oct 1901) published by Lynda Stout Massey and Clara Massey Nash, Marriages Southern District Oklahoma Indian Territory, Book One 1897-1901 (np:np, 1980) (Not noted in Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990)
  6. In the custody of the Bryan County Court Clerk, Durant, OK 74701. (Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990)
  7. Probably in the custody of the Latimer County Court Clerk, Wilburton, OK 74578. (Not noted in Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma. 1990)
  8. Probably in the custody of the LeFlore County Court Clerk, Poteau, OK 74953. (Not noted in Bradford Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, 1990.) The Poteau Valley Genealogical Society has published at least two volumes of the marriage records.