“Treasures of the State Archives” program

On Wednesday, July 17, from 1 to 3 p.m., the Oklahoma Historical Society will present “Treasures of the State Archives” with speaker Jan Davis. Davis is head of the Archives and Records Management Division of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL). She will discuss records in the state archives that may be of interest to genealogists and historians. Davis will demonstrate how to access records online through ODL’s Digital Prairie website. The Digital Prairie is constantly growing and includes documents, photographs, reports, pamphlets, posters, maps, and an author database.

Davis will also outline the current projects in the archives, which include digitizing hundreds of court files from Indian Territory near Vinita.

The state archives protects and provides access to the records that tell the story of Oklahoma’s state government. These materials include records of most state agencies and constitutional officers from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The archives include the official papers of many of Oklahoma’s governors, Supreme Court case files, house and senate bill files, and secretary of state articles of incorporation records. Of particular interest to genealogists are licensing records for some professionals, such as physicians and pharmacists; cattle brand books; directories of schools; and the Confederate pension files.

In addition to an overview of the archives, Davis will also provide information on other resources that can be found at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, including an extensive collection of community histories and books about Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse, which includes state publications, and the regional depository library for federal documents, which began receiving publications in 1893.

This program is $5 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $10 for nonmembers. We ask that you register in advance. Please call the Research Center at 405-522-5225 to register. This program will be held in the Clark and Kay Musser Learning Lab, which is located inside the Research Center on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center.