Volume 9 , Issue 31

State Capital Removal

The location of Oklahoma's capital was a controversial topic throughout the territorial period and during early statehood. The Enabling Act of 1906 made Guthrie the capital of the new state until 1913. Attempts to move the capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City failed because the legislature and Guthrie residents did not approve. The state seal is a marker used to declare the capital location and officiate all state business. In 1910, the seal was "taken in the dead of night" to Oklahoma City. Governor Charles N. Haskell removed his office to Oklahoma City and state officials followed him. The controversy about the "stolen" seal led to legal proceedings involving the Oklahoma Supreme Court until the legislature passed a bill permanently locating the seat of government in Oklahoma City. The U. S. Supreme Court said the bill was valid, but the "stolen" seal remains a topic of interest today. You can research State Senate and House bill files, records from the Office of Governor, and the records of the State capitol Preservation Commission.
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