Questions? Call our Genealogy Department at Muskogee Public Library!
ASK A GENEALOGIST
SPECIAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
Special Library Collections
The Muskogee Public Library offers a specialized genealogy and local history collection. Published items include:
- Dawes enrollment cards and packets (1896-1914) for the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole Tribes. Tribal records of the Five Civilized Tribes
- Most early census and payrolls for the Five Civilized Tribes
- Guion Miller (Cherokee) enrollment applications (1906-1909)
- Indexes, soundex, microfilm or online access to all surviving United States census 1790-1940, including Oklahoma Indian Territory Census (1900-1940)
- Oklahoma Territory Census 1890
- Indian Pioneer Papers
- Muskogee County Newspapers, 1875-present
- Muskogee City Directories from 1903-present
- Muskogee County School Census, 1912-1936
- Muskogee County Court Records, including marriage, probate and guardianship, criminal and civil case files
- Muskogee funeral home and interment records
- Allotment maps and indexes for them for the Five Civilized Tribes
- Indexes available for obituaries published in the Muskogee Phoenix, early marriages, newspaper stories, and other sources.
GENEALOGY CLASSES
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Local History
Muskogee County Genealogical Society – Genealogy and family history research for Muskogee County and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Historical Society Research Library – Search census, marriage, divorce, prison, and death records.
Oklahoma State Archives – Collection of Oklahoma Confederate Pension applications including the form and correspondence.
Oklahoma Digital Prairie – Unique digital content spanning more than 100 years of rich, vibrant history from our State. Includes documents, photographs, newspapers, posters, maps and more.
Oklahoma Indian Pioneer Papers – Oral interviews conducted by the WPA with pioneers from all ethnic groups across Oklahoma. Headed by Grant Foreman of Muskogee and headquartered in Muskogee. Also available on microfilm at the Muskogee Library.
Chronicles of Oklahoma – The publication of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Also available at the Muskogee Library.
Muskogee Greenhill Cemetery – Established in the early 1900s, earlier graves were also moved to this location from the original city cemetery.
Explore local history books online
The Formation of the State of Oklahoma 1803-1906 (1917) by Roy Gittinger
Oklahoma: A Guide to the Sooner State (1941) from the WPA
Oklahoma Red Book Volume I (1912) compiled by W.B. Richards
Oklahoma Red Book Volume II (1912) compiled by W.B. Richards
Oklahoma Illustrated (1894) by O.C. Seely
A History of Oklahoma (1908) by Joseph B. Thoburn and Isaac Mason Holcomb
Check out these great websites to discover family connections as well as the stories of Green Country’s people, places and events.
General Resources
Chronicling America – Select digital access to American newspapers 1880-1910 including 27 newspapers from Oklahoma.
Find A Grave – Directory of the locations of graves for over 2.5 million memorials. Browse by name and locations. Includes photographs of many of the graves.
American Indian
Oklahoma Historical Society: American Indian Ancestry – Includes Dawes Rolls and allotment records and allotment maps for Muscogee Creek.
American Indian Records @ National Archives – Documents created by Federal agencies in the course of their daily business.
Bureau of Indian Affairs: Guide to Tracing American Indian Ancestry
Military
Oklahoma War Memorial Collection – Covers World War I to the Korean War
Veterans Nationwide Gravesite Locator – Search for burial locations of veterans in VA National and state cemeteries. Fort Gibson National Cemetery is located in Muskogee County and was the only National Cemetery in Oklahoma for many years. Fort Sill National Cemetery is now located near Lawton.
National Archives Military Records – Search for records pertaining to all US wars and branches of service.
Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System – Information on over 6 million soldiers, who served on both sides during the Civil War. Also includes information on battles, regiments, prisoners, and medals of honor.
Genealogy & Local History
Preserving the Heritage of the Community
Covering six counties, we have a lot of local knowledge to share.
Dig deeper into your past by exploring the databases and websites recommended below for a wealth of information.
Genealogy Databases
These databases are of special interest to genealogists. Normally available with a subscription, they may be used for free with your library card.
Ancestry Library Edition
With 7 billion genealogical records from across the globe and millions of family trees, this is the world’s largest online family history resource.
This resource can only be accessed in the library.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch has over a billion unique profiles in our tree, and growing. See what others have contributed about your ancestors. FamilySearch offers free access to digital images and indexes of genealogical records.
Fold3
Provides access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Heritage Quest
Revolutionary War, Civil War, and US Congressional Serial Set, US Census reports, birth, death, and marriage records.
HistoryGeo.com
Covers 21 states and over 9 million records, including original landowners, antique maps and atlases. This resource can only be accessed in the library.
NewspaperArchive
A collection of digitized newspapers from Oklahoma, the United States, and countries around the world, dating from 1607 to the present. At home? Log in here with your library card number and create your free account.
Oklahoma Digital Prairie
More than 100 years of history, including documents, photographs, newspapers, reports, pamphlets, posters, maps, high school yearbooks up to the 90s, and audio/visual content.
ProQuest Black Freedom Struggle in the United States
Website offers historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.
Proquest History Vault
Digitized letters, papers, photographs, scrapbooks, diaries and more primary sources. At home? Log in here with your library card number.
The Gateway to Oklahoma History
The Oklahoma Historical Society has created a video full of tips and tricks to search for photographs, newspapers, maps, documents, books, and other resources on The Gateway. You can view the video here.
Voices of Oklahoma
Dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Oklahoma, voices and stories of famous Oklahomans and ordinary citizens are captured forever in their own words in these far-ranging interviews.
Digital Local Newspapers
Access World News
This comprehensive news collection is ideal for exploring a specific event or wide variety of topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people.
Fort Gibson Times
Searchable archives of Fort Gibson Times from 2009 to 2014, when the newspaper was discontinued by its parent company, the Muskogee Phoenix.
Grove Sun
Searchable archives of The Grove Sun from 2008 to present. The Grove Sun is a bi-weekly newspaper, publishing on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Muskogee Phoenix
Searchable archives of Muskogee Phoenix and Times-Democrat from 2004 to present.
NewspaperArchive
A collection of digitized newspapers from Oklahoma, the United States, and countries around the world, dating from 1607 to the present. At home? Log in here with your library card number and create your free account.
Oklahoman Archives
Archives of articles from the Daily Oklahoman (1981 to present)
Proquest Historic Newspapers
Historical archives of the Chicago Defender, Nashville Tennessean and The New York Times.
Tahlequah Daily Press
Searchable archives of the Tahlequah Daily Press from 2005 to present.
Tulsa World
Searchable archives of the Tulsa World newspaper from 1989 to present. Use it to explore a specific event or a wide variety of topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people.