Volume 10 , Issue 4

The Press of Indian Territory

The press of the Indian Territory began to develop during the period of the railway, telegraph lines, steamboats on the Arkansas River, and the Indian International Fair Association Exposition at Muskogee in the autumn of each year for a dozen years. During the latter half of the period an annual fair was held at Vinita.

The Cherokee Advocate, which had been re-established in 1870, was burned out in 1876 and equipped with a new plant a few months later, again starting with a new volume and number. As before, it was printed partly in English and partly in Cherokee, and was the official organ of the Cherokee Nation.

The Indian Journal was established at Muskogee in 1876. A number of years later it was moved to Eufaula, where it was still published and, since discontinuance of the Cherokee Advocate with the advent of statehood, it had been the oldest journal in the state.

Other periodicals established during this period were: The Indian Chieftain, at Vinita; The Indian Champion, at Atoka; The Telephone, at Tahlequah; The Indian Arrow, at Fort Gibson; Our Brother in Red (Methodist), at Muskogee; The Indian Missionary (Baptist), at Atoka; The Enterprise, at Pauls Valley; The Indian Citizen, at Atoka; the Register, at Purcell, and The Courier, at Ardmore.

The newspapers published in the Indian Territory during this period carried columns of advertising from ranchmen who made known their respective cattle brands. The news items contained in the local columns reflected faithfully the life of the period.

Editorially, they were outspoken and frank without exception, especially in the denunciation of policies and practices which did not meet with their approval in the conduct of national and tribal affairs. The lack of a spirit of fraternity between the editors of the papers then published in the territory was also strikingly apparent, sarcasm being cultivated, seemingly, as a fine art, while in some instances at least a propensity for resorting to the use of epithet was freely indulged.

Argumentative correspondents were numerous, usually contributing their communications over a nom-d-lume, though, instead of "Veritas," "Pro Bono Publico" and Vox Populi," the pen names adopted were such as "Red Bird," "Raven," "Black Fox," "Woodpecker," "Sapsucker," " Sleeping Rabbit," etc.

In the western part of the territory, at different times during the course of this period, there were newspapers published at no less than three places, namely, Darlington, Beaver and Mangum.

The Cheyenne Transporter was originally established at the agency at Darlington as a school paper, but in time it became independent of the agency school and was published for a number of years as a general newspaper and organ of the range cattle interests.

The newspapers at Beaver and Mangum were the organs respectively of two of the unique "sooner" settlements of Oklahoma, namely, No Mans Land and the Greer County Country.

The Oklahoma War Chief was also published at Rock Falls, in the Cherokee Outlet, for a few weeks in the summer of 1884, but lacked a permanent circulation within the limits of the territory as well as a permanent place of publication. -- A Standard History of Oklahoma, Vol. 2, pp. 628 & 629, by Joseph B. Thoburn.
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