Land Records

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submitted by Barbara Clayton

Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation Land Opening - 1892

The Kingfisher Free Press
Kingfisher, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Territory
Thursday, April 14, 1892

THE DATE FIXED.

Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation to Be Opened April 19 - Nearly Four Million Acres to Be Opened to Settlement.

WASHINGTON, April 9.--The Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indian Reservation will be opened for white settlement at high noon, Tuesday, April 19.

At that date nearly 4,000,000 acres of land will become subject to pre-emption and settlement.

Secretary NOBLE yesterday afternoon sent a telegram to the special agents of the department in Oklahoma naming the opening of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation on Tuesday, April 19.

Commissioner CARTER, of the general land office, has sent to the land offices at Kingfisher and Oklahoma City letters of instruction which will govern their action under the forthcoming proclamation. The commissioner directs that no person be allowed any advantage over any other person. To this end he directs that no person be directed to make more than one entry on his account and one as agent, if such he shall be. After making these entries the applicants will be required to step out of the line and give place to the next person in order and if he desires to make other filings he shall take his place at the foot of the line and await his proper turn. The commissioner further instructs the officers that the use of mails will not be permitted for filing homestead declaratory statements.

NOBLE NOTIFIES SEAY.

GUTHRIE, OK., April 9.--The following telegram was received by Gov. SEAY last night:

To Hon. A.J. SEAY, Governor, Guthrie, Ok.:
WASHINGTON, April 8.--It will not be possible to open the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation before noon of April 19-Tuesday. The task of getting the lists of lands and the maps showing the exact location of allotments has been very great and all the force I can use will not enable me to get them ready, transported to Oklahoma and distributed, as must be done to avoid confusion and trouble before the day named. Make this known.
John W. NOBLE.

TOWN SITES TO BE PROTECTED.

To A.J. SEAY, Governor, Guthrie, Ok.
WASHINGTON. April 8.--The military has orders to protect county seats; you can advise the officers; you can use the special land agents as you suggest, and the inspectors are already instructed to co-operate with you. County seats are merely reserved by the secretary to be opened under the law and your supervisors. The seats are public domain until made county townsites. The military has the right to be there, therefore, until opened as townsites, and to protect all to answer the purposes of the government. Any man crossing the line before the hour of opening will forfeit rights to anything inside-land or lots; also if he takes advantage, even if he is otherwise authorized to be inside, it must be an even chance for all, for lots as well as homesteads. There is no doubt, in my judgment, but you can keep trespassers off townsites until you have all ready for opening, but it should not be delayed longer than necessary. Get United States marshals and use them in case of difficulty rather than military, but use both if you must to enforce justice. The opening will not take place until the 19th in order to get maps ready.
John W. NOBLE.

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This page was last updated on 06/11/01.