Quapaw Indian Agency (Oklahoma)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Quapaw, Cayuga, Miami, Ottawa, Peoria, Seneca, Eastern Shawnee, Wyandot, Modoc, and for a very short time, Chief Joseph's Band of Nez Perce

History
The Quapaw Agency was established in 1871 for Indians in northeastern Oklahoma living of reserves east of the Neosho River. These and the Osage Indians of southern Kansas had previously been assigned to the Neosho Agency. A special agent who reported to the Neosho Agency had been appointed in 1865 for the Indians in the Neosho River area so the agent at Neosho could concentrate on the Osage Indians.

This agency was responsible for Indians from a number of tribes. The original groups were the Quapaw, Seneca and Shawnee. Under a treaty of 23 February 1867, members of the Eastern Shawnee, Ottawa, Confederated Peoria and Miami (Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Pianashaw, Miami, and remnants of other tribes of the Osage River Agency in Kansas), and the Wyandot Indians of the Delaware Agency of Kansas were moved to Indian Territory and were assigned to the Quapaw Agency.

In 1873, after the Modoc War in Oregon and California, Captain Jack's band of the Modoc were moved to the Quapaw Agency. And in 1878 and 1879, Chief Joseph's Band of Nez Perce was assigned to the Quapaw Agency before they moved on to the Ponca Agency.

From about 1900 to 1921, the duties of the agent were assigned to the Seneca School, although the agency was usually called by its former name. A separate Quapaw Agency was reestablished 13 October 1920. In January of 1922, the agency was again assigned the responsibility of Seneca School and continued to operate under the Quapaw Agency until 1947, when the name was changed to the Miami Agency.

Agents and Appointment Dates

George W. Mitchel 1864, George W. Mitchell 1871, Hiram W. Jones 1871, Hiram W. Jones 1872, James M. Haworth 1879, Amos T.S. Kist 1879, Daniel B. Dyer 1880

Records
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by the agencies.

Many records of the Quapaw Agency are in the National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth), including:


 * Census records --


 * Eastern Shawnee, 1882-1940
 * Miami, 1888-1940
 * Modoc, 1885-1890
 * Nez Perce, n.d.
 * Ottawa, 1883-1888
 * Peoria, 1883-1959
 * Quapaw, 1885-1933, with updates to 1955
 * Seneca, 1877-1940
 * Wyandot, 1871-1956


 * Death rolls, 1931-1935
 * Birth rolls, 1931-1935
 * Miami applications and rejected applications, 1972-1973
 * Land and property records, 1873-1959
 * School records, 1882-1940
 * And many other administrative files and correspondence

Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Quapaw Agency, 1871-1880, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 703-713. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library and its family history centers on their.

Reports of Inspection of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1873-1900 have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of Microcopy Number M1070. The reports for Quapaw Agency, 1874-1898, are on rolls 41-42 of that Microcopy set. Copies are available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ).

Microfilm copies of ...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the Quapaw Agency, 1921-1938, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, Rolls 111-112, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, beginning with their.

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1885-1900 and 1922 thru 1939. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 411-416. Copies of these records are also available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com's subscription web site.

Records Available through the Family History Library

 * Birth and Death records 1924-1932. FHL film 581408 (This film is part of the above census collection - supplement)


 * Quapaw Agency Records 1872-1948 (school, census, vital, allotment, and annuity), film: 1204600 first film of a collection.