Great Nemaha Indian Agency (Kansas)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Iowa, Sauk and Fox of the Missouri, Kickapoo, Potawatomi

History
The Great Nemaha Agency was the successor to the Ioway Subagency, which was created in 1825. By treaty of 17 Sep. 1836, the Iowa and Sauk and Fox of the Missouri agreed to move to reserves along the Great Nemaha River in southeastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas. By 1842, the agency headquarters was located on the Sauk and Fox land, about 5 miles south of Iowa Point, in present-day Kansas.

The Great Nemaha Agency became a full agency in 1851, and the Kickapoo formerly assigned to the Fort Leavenworth Agency were moved to Great Nemaha. A separate Kickapoo Agency was established in 1855 for the Kickapoo Indians and some Potawatomi who lived with the Kickapoo.

Between 1854 and 1861, the Iowa Tribe and the Sauk and Fox of the Missouri gave up lands except small reserves on the Kansas-Nebraska border. In 1858, a new agency headquarters was built on the Iowa Reserve, just east of Great Nemaha River and north of the Kansas-Nebraska line.

In 1882, the Great Nemaha Agency was consolidated with the Potawatomi Agency and became the Potawatomi abd Great Nemaha Agency. In 1903, that agency was divided into the Potawatomi Agency and the Kickapoo Agency.

Records
Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Great Nemaha Agency, 1837-1876, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 307-314. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their microfilm roll numbers 1661037 thru 1661044).

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 Great Nemaha Agency, 1873-1874, are on roll 18 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 roll number 1617691).