The value of examining records is clearly understood by all who are researching family history, community history and the largers national history. For those of us with ties to Oklahoma Freedmen, the Dawes Commission Records both before and after statehood are extremly valuable.
Dawes cards, Application Jackets, and Land Allotment records are the launching pad from which many families can open doors to the past. However, it is always a joy to find more records, that have been awaiting "discovery". These are not records that have been hidden or kept from view, but because the Freedmen research community is a small one, and three of the five tribes make no mention of Freedmen presence, it is understood why so little is known about other resources to assist those who come from these communities.
However, while diving deeper into the holdings at the Oklahoma Historical Society, I came upon several records that are seldom mentioned in genealogical circles--if they are mentioned at all.
These consist of records created between 1889 and 1915 - both before and after statehood.
