San Carlos Apache Indian Agency (Arizona)

The San Carlos Agency is a currently operating agency. Its supervising office in the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the Phoenix Area Office.

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Apache, Mohave, Yuma

History
The San Carlos Agency was established in 1872 for the Apache Indians of the southern part of the White Mountain Reservation. In 1875, the San Carlos Agency was also assigned the northern part of the White Mountain Reservation, previously assigned to the Camp Apache Agency. By 1876, San Carlos had the responsibility for all of the Apache Indians in Arizona. In 1897, the Fort Apache Agency was assigned the northern part of the reservation, and the San Carlos Agency retained the southern part. In 1919, the Rice Station Boarding School was added to the agency.

Some Mohave and Yuma Indians lived on the White Mountain Reservation and were assigned to the San Carlos Agency, as well.

Agents and their Appointment Dates:
George H. Stevens (acting) September 1, 1872, Charles F. Larrabee (special) transferred from Camp Grant January 1873, Major, W. W. Brown (acting) June, 1873, John P. Clum (special) February 26, 1874 and as agent July 13, 1874, Henry L. Hart June 22, 1877, Captain Adna R. Chaffee (acting) began service July 19, 1879, Joseph C. Tiffany April 22, 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.

Some records of the San Carlos Agency are in the Pacific Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Laguna Niguel, California, including some records of interest to family historians. A few administrative records are also in the Rocky Mountain Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Denver.

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 San Carlos Agency, 1882-1900, are on rolls 45-46 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 ).

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1887 thru 1939. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 461-470. 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.

Microfilm copies of...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the San Carlos Agency, 1907-1935, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, rolls 125-126, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and their family history centers (their ).

Records Available through the Family History Library

 * Census Rolls 1932-1943 FHL film 1249980 items 4-5