The Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Agency was one of the most important federal Indian agencies in western Indian Territory and later Oklahoma. Its records document the Southern Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho from their arrival in Indian Territory through the reservation, allotment, and early Oklahoma statehood periods. For genealogists, the agency is especially valuable because the surviving records include extensive census and enrollment records, births, deaths, marriages, payment rolls, allotment and land records, school records, agency correspondence, and individual Indian files.
The foundation for the agency was the Treaty of October 28, 1867, which provided a reservation in what is now Oklahoma for the Southern Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho. In 1869 a temporary agency was established at Camp Supply, Indian Territory, with Brinton Darlington as agent. In May 1870, the agency was moved to a site about five miles northwest of present-day El Reno. The agency became known as the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Agency and served as the principal federal administrative center for the two tribes. The agency was later associated with several subagencies, including Darlington, Cantonment, and Red Moon.
The agency's name and administrative organization changed over time. The National Archives identifies Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency records from 1869-1937, while later records are identified as the Concho (Cheyenne and Arapaho) Indian Agency. The National Archives' Fort Worth holdings identify Concho Agency records from 1873-1987. Therefore, researchers should not treat 1937 as the end of federal records concerning the Cheyenne and Arapaho. After the agency's administrative transition, records continued under the Concho name and through other BIA offices.
The Southern Cheyenne were one of the two principal tribes assigned to the agency. After the 1867 treaty, Southern Cheyenne families were located on the reservation in western Indian Territory. Agency records document their movement from reservation life through allotment and into the Oklahoma statehood period. The records include numerous Cheyenne enrollment and census lists, including separate band lists from the 1870s and continuing census material through the twentieth century.
Researchers should be aware that the agency records also contain references to Northern Cheyenne individuals, particularly in connection with the movement of Cheyenne people into Indian Territory after the 1870s. Those individuals should not automatically be confused with the Southern Cheyenne population that constituted the principal agency population.
The Southern Arapaho were the second principal tribe served by the agency. Arapaho families lived alongside the Southern Cheyenne on the reservation, and federal records frequently treated the two tribes together. Separate Arapaho enrollment lists and censuses can nevertheless be found, including band enrollment records beginning in the 1870s and census records continuing into the twentieth century.
Agency records are particularly useful for tracing Arapaho families through the reservation period, allotment, land ownership, payments, schooling, and later Oklahoma records.
The federal government operated several subagencies and related facilities within the Cheyenne and Arapaho jurisdiction. The National Archives identifies records for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, Concho Agency, Red Moon Agency, Cantonment Agency, and Seger Agency.
The surviving Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency collection is unusually rich. The Oklahoma Historical Society describes records dating from 1869-1933 covering major aspects of federal and tribal relations. The National Archives specifically identifies Cheyenne and Arapaho records involving allotments, land transactions, oil and gas leases, Indian Trust Funds and individual Indian money accounts, tribal censuses, marriage licenses, births, roads, conservation programs, and federal work programs. Records include:
The census collection is one of the most valuable resources for genealogy. The Oklahoma Historical Society's database contains more than 180 listings associated with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency. These include census records, enrollment lists, payment rolls, and related records. The records can contain ages, family relationships, household information, tribal affiliation, enrollment information, and other details useful for connecting generations.
The Oklahoma Historical Society has a specific collection titled "Cheyenne and Arapaho Births: 1875-1933". National Archives records also include a register of births from 1901-1902 and copies of marriage licenses from 1902-1913. Later census collections contain additional birth and death information. These records can be particularly useful when combined with the annual census. A census may establish a family group, while a birth or marriage record can provide the relationship needed to connect one generation to another.
Allotment records are essential for researching Cheyenne and Arapaho families after the opening of the reservation to individual ownership. The National Archives identifies Cheyenne and Arapaho allotment records from 1893 and 1908-1911, as well as land transaction files beginning in the early twentieth century. Land and lease records can help identify where a family lived, establish relationships between heirs, and connect a tribal ancestor with later Oklahoma county records.
The Oklahoma Historical Society has Individual Indian Files associated with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency. These files are especially useful for individuals whose allotments were leased for grazing or mineral purposes. The collection includes files from the Darlington area and a substantial collection from the Cantonment Subagency. The Oklahoma Historical Society cautions that these files are not an exhaustive collection for every tribal member and are more likely to exist for individuals whose allotments were subject to federal restrictions.
Education generated another important group of records. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency collection includes church and school records, while related records include the Cantonment and Seger schools. School records can identify children, parents, residences, ages, attendance, and transfers. They can be particularly useful when a child appears in a census separately from the parents.
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State Coordinator: Linda K. Lewis
Asst State Coordinator: Rebecca Maloney
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