GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Texas: TX-24
National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas
1400 John Burgess Drive
P.O. Box 6216
Fort Worth, TX 76140
Phone: 817-551-2051
Email: ftworth.archives@nara.gov
Hours: See website
Access: No restrictions
Copying facilities: Yes
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1832-1964
Volume: Approximately 30 cubic feet
Description: Within 4 record groups.
/1 “Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior”
Inclusive dates: 1849-1903
Volume: Less than 1% of 159 reels of microfilm
Description: The Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior managed most government concerns regarding Native Americans up until 1907 when the division was abolished. Letters from Catholic Church leaders are generally filed under miscellaneous within the incoming correspondence. Outgoing correspondence of the Indian Division include materials pertaining to missionary work.
A. “Letters Sent to the Indian Division of the Department of the Interior, M606,” 1849-1903, less than 1% of 127 reels of microfilm; may include a few letters pertaining to Catholic missions among Native Americans
B. “Selected Classes of Letters Received by the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, M825,” 1849-1880, less than 1% of 32 reels of microfilm; may include a few letters pertaining to Catholic missions among Native Americans
/2 “Record Group 49: Records of the Bureau of Land Management,” 1832-1924, less than 1% of 50 cubic feet; The General Land Office preceded the Bureau of Land Management; among its records are registers, surveys, tract books on public land disposal; may include a few letters pertaining to Catholic missions among Native Americans
/3 “Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs”
Inclusive dates: 1870-1987
Volume: Less than 1% of 15,721 cubic feet
Description: Selected surveying indicates that most Catholic-related records are correspondence, quarterly school reports, and school contracts, which typically comprise between .04 and .2% of the records from Bureau of Indian Affairs Agencies, e.g. Menominee Agency, Wisconsin, between .1 to .2% of ca. 100 cubic feet and Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota, .04% of approximately 500 cubic feet. Major correspondents include the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, superiors of Catholic missions and schools [e.g. Benedictines], Indian agents or superintendents, and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Primary subjects include financial matters and the transfer of students to and from mission schools.
A. “Records of the Anadarko Area Office/Kiowa Agency,” 1881-1962, less than 1% of several cubic feet
B. “Records of the Cheyenne and Arapaho (Concho) Agency,” 1891-1952, less than 1% of several cubic feet
C. “Records of the Chilocco Indian School,” 1884-1960, less than 1% of several cubic feet
D. “Records of the Miami Agency,” 1871-1952, less than 1% of several cubic feet Description: The Quapaw Agency was established in 1871 to supervise the Cayuga, Illinois [Peoria and Kaskaskia, Miami [Piankashaw and Wea], Modoc, Nez Perce, Ottawa, Quapaw, Seneca, Shawnee, and Wyandot Indians settled in northwestern Oklahoma. In 1947, the agency was renamed the Miami Agency. Noted in the records is St. Mary's School, which was established in 1893 and served many Quapaw Indian students on a contract basis until 1926.
E. “Records of the Muskogee Area Office/Five Civilized Tribes Agency,” 1899-1960, less than 1% of several cubic feet
F. “Records of the Osage Agency,” 1870-1961, less than 1% of approximately 420 cubic feet Description: In 1824, an Indian agent was assigned to the Osage in Kansas, which eventually became the Osage Subagency. In 1851, it was combined with the Neosho Agency and in 1874 after the Osage removal to Oklahoma, it was renamed the Osage Agency. Included is .5 cubic foot of correspondence and quarterly school reports, re: St. John School, St. John School, Gray Horse/ Hominy Creek, Osage Reservation, Oklahoma, 19051913, and St. Louis School, Pawhuska, Osage Reservation, Oklahoma, 19051947. Microfilm 7RA-165 includes the St. John’s records but the St. Louis records are not noted.
G. “Records of the Pawnee Agency,” 1871-1964, less than 1% of several cubic feet
H. “Records of the Shawnee Agency,” 1890-1952,:less than 1% of several cubic feet
I. “Records of the Santa Fe Indian School, M1473,” 1890-1918, less than 1% of 38 reels of microfilm
J. “Correspondence and Accounting Records of the Puget Sound District Agency and the Tulalip Agency, P2011”1854-1886, less than 1% of 3 reels of microfilm
K. “Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, M234,” 1824-1881, less than 1% of 962 reels of microfilm
L. “Letters Received by the Office of the Secretary of War Relating to Indian Affairs, M271,” 1800-1823, less than 1% of 4 reels of microfilm
M. “Letters Received by the Superintendent of Indian Trade, T58,” 1806-1824, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm
N. “Letters Sent by the Office of Indian Affairs, M21,” 1824-1881, less than 1% of 166 reels of microfilm
O. “Letters Sent by the Secretary of War Relating to Indian Affairs, M15,” 1800-1824, less than 1% of 6 reels of microfilm
P. “Letters Sent by the Superintendent of Indian Trade, M16,” 1807-1823, less than 1% of 6 reels of microfilm
Q. “Miscellaneous Letters Sent by the Pueblo Indian Agency, M941,” 1874-1891, less than 1% of 10 reels of microfilm
R. “Records by Bureau of Indian Affairs Field Agencies Having Jurisdiction over the Pueblo Records, M1304,” 1874-1900, less than 1% of 32 reels of microfilm
S. “Records of the Central Superintendency of Indian Affairs, M856,” 1813-1878, less than 1% of 15 reels of microfilm Description: Rolls 1-15 only.
T. “Records of the Michigan Superintendency of Indian Affairs, M1,” 1814-1851, less than 1% of 71 reels of microfilm
U. “Records of the New Mexico Superintendency of Indian Affairs, T21,” 1814-1880, less than 1% of 30 reels of microfilm
V. “Records of the Oregon Superintendency of Indian Affairs, M2,” 1848-1873, less than 1% of 29 reels of microfilm
W. “Records of the Southern Superintendency of Indian Affairs, M640,” 1832-1870, less than 1% of 22 reels of microfilm
X. “Records of the Washington Superintendency of Indian Affairs, M5,” 1853-1874, less than 1% of 26 reels of microfilm
Y. “Register of Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, M18,” 1824-1880, less than 1% of 126 reels of microfilm
Z. “Registers of Letters Received by the Office of the Secretary of War, Main Series, M22,” 1800-1870, less than 1% of 134 reels of microfilm
AA. “Report Books of the Office of Indian Affairs, M348,”1838-1885, less than 1% of 53 reels of microfilm
BB. “Reports of Inspections of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, M1070,” 1873-1900, less than 1% of 25 reels of microfilm Description: Rolls 1, 3-4, 6, 20-21, 25, 27, 29-30, 33-35, 37-42, 44-46, 48, 53, 55 only.
CC. “Special Files of the Office of Indian Affairs, M574,” 1807-1904, less than 1% of 85 reels of microfilm
DD. “Blackfeet Indian Agency Correspondence and Records, I16,” 1875-1951, less than 1% of several reels of microfilm
EE. “Office of Indian Affairs, Correspondence and Records of Robert H. Milroy, Puyallup Agency, Z52,” 1877-1878, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm
FF. “Office of Indian Affairs, Correspondence and Records of the Yakima Indian Agency, Z49,” 1870-1910, less than 1% of 3 reels of microfilm
GG. “Chemawa Indian School: Index to Descriptive Statements of Students, 1890-1914, and Graduating Class Rolls,” 1885-1921, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm
HH. “Chemawa Indian School: Register of Students Admitted, 1880-1928; Descriptive Statements of Students and Graduating Class Rolls, P2008,” 1885-1921, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm
II. “Enrollment Registers Chilocco Indian School, P2126,” 1884-1908, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm
JJ. “Publications of the Chilocco Indian School, P2151,” unknown-1926, less than 1% of 11 reels of microfilm
KK. “Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon: Nineteenth Century Indian Education History, I26,” 1855-1899, less than 1% of several reels of microfilm
LL. “Letterbook of the Natchitoches-Sulphur Fork Factory, T1029,” 1809-1821, less than 1% of 1 reel of microfilm Description: Include correspondence, re: a land conflict with “the Roman Catholic Mission,” presumably Sacred Heart Church, Nacogdoches, Texas
/4 “Record Group 393: Records of U.S. Army Continental Commands”
Inclusive dates: 1846-1851
Volume: Less than 1% of 7 reels of microfilm
Description: “Records of the Tenth Military Department, M210” include letters describing Indian attitudes toward Catholic missions.
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.
new2006/rev2018
