Oklahoma History

Want to learn more about Oklahoma history? Here’s a reading list of books and online resources that offer information about the south-central Washita Valley and the Chickasaw Nation in old Indian Territory.

• Conover, George W. and Frank W. Beach. Sixty years in Southwest Oklahoma; or, The autobiography of George W. Conover, with some thrilling incidents of Indian life in Oklahoma and Texas. Anadarko, OK: NT Plummer, 1927. – This book is no longer in print and is available only at a library. The Nash Library at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) at Chickasha, OK, has a reference copy that can be viewed but cannot be removed from the facility.
• Cox, James. Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas and Adjacent Territory. St. Louis, MO: Woodward and Tierman Printing Co., 1895. This book is available online through the Hathi Digital Library. Check your local library to determine if they provide free access to this digital collection. Ebook and paperback versions are also available at Amazon.
• Gateway to Oklahoma History – An online repository of Oklahoma history, brought to you by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Search and view thousands of historic newspapers, photographs, maps, and documents.
• Gideon, DC. Indian territory, descriptive, biographical and genealogical, including the landed estates, county seats, etc., etc., with a general history of the territory. New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Co., 1901. This book is freely available from the Internet Archive.
• Glisan, Rodney. Journal of Army Life. San Francisco, CA: AL Bancroft and Co., 1874. This book is freely available from the Internet Archive.
• Handbook of Texas Online – Like it or not, the history of Indian Territory was often intertwined with the history of Texas. The Handbook of Texas is a digital state encyclopedia consisting of overview, general and biographical entries focused on the entire history of Texas. 
• Hill, Luther B. A History of the State of Oklahoma, Chicago, IL: Lewis Publishing Co., 1909. – Volume 1 and Volume 2 are both freely available from the Internet Archive.
• Lindsay, Anita. From Pioneers to Progress. Lindsay, OK: Cable Printing Co., 1957. The most comprehensive history of Erin Springs ever written, this book is available for purchase only at the Murray-Lindsay mansion at Erin Springs.
• Marcy, Randolph. Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana, In the Year 1852. Washington, DC: A.O.P. Nicholson, Public Printer, 1854. This book is freely available from the Internet Archive.
• Methvin, Reverend J.J. In the Limelight: Or History of Anadarko (Caddo County) and Vicinity from the Earliest Days. Oklahoma City, OK: Walker-Wilson-Tyler, 1933. This book is out print. It is available for reference only at the Nash Library at USAO.
• Muncrief, Dennis. A History of Ft. Arbuckle, It’s [sic] People and Times. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2004. – Muncrief reported correctly that he wrote this book because no other in-depth history of Fort Arbuckle existed. Despite its rough structure, this book is a must-read for those interested in the Fort Arbuckle era. It’s available in paperback from Amazon.
• Nye, Col. Wilbur S. Carbine and Lance: The Story of Old Fort Sill. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1937. – Another must-read, this book is considered the ultimate authority on Fort Arbuckle, Fort Cobb and Fort Sill. It’s available for purchase in all versions at Amazon.
• O’Beirne, HF. Leaders and leading men of the Indian territory: with interesting biographical sketches. Chicago, IL: American Publishers Association, 1891. This book is is freely available from the Internet Archive.
• Prairie Lore journal. Lawton, OK: Southwestern Oklahoma Historical Society. This magazine about the day date replica history of Southwestern Oklahoma has been published since 1964. The index is available online here. A full set of these journals can be found at the Oklahoma Historical Society. A large number are available at the Stephens County Historical Society in Duncan, OK, and at the Nash Library at USAO.
• Pratt, Richard Henry and Robert M. Utley. Battlefield and Classroom: Four Decades with the American Indian, 1867-1904. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003. This book is available online through EBSCOhost. Your local library may offer access to this database. A reference copy is available at Nash Library at USAO. The physical book can also be purchased from Amazon.
• Ragland, Hobart D. History of Rush Springs. Rush Springs, OK: Gazette Publishing Co., 1952. Another must-read for area history buffs, this remarkably accurate book is out of print and very difficult to locate. A copy is this website reportedly held by the Hampton House Museum in Rush Springs but this has not been verified. Send a message to the author of Stories from the Road on the front page of this website to request a loan of a PDF of the book.
• Rathmell, William. Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days. Robert K. DeArment, editor. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press, 2008. This book is available from the Bizzell Library at the University of Oklahoma at Norman and at the Duncan Library in Duncan, OK. All versions of the book, including an ebook, can be purchased from Amazon.
• Rochette, Patricia Adkins. Bourland in North Texas and Indian Territory during the Civil War.” Broken Arrow, OK: self-published, 2005. This book is out of print. It is available at the Public Library and the Grady County Historical Society in Chickasha, OK.
• Shirley, Glenn. Law West of Fort Smith: A History of Frontier Justice in The Indian Territory 1834-1896. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co., 1957. This book is freely available from the Internet Archive.
• The Portal to Texas History – The gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas.
• The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – This online resource offers overview, general and biographical entries about Oklahoma.
• Thoburn, Joseph B. A Standard History of Oklahoma, Vols. 1-5. Chicago, IL: American Historical Society, 1916. All volumes of this book are available from the Internet Archive as follows: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5.