Luther Land Owners

Land Ownership in Territorial Days

Luther Township's 160-Acre Homesteads

Updated 9/17/99

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The first homestead claims were filed as a result of the Run of Sept. 22, 1891. Cancellations, relinquishments, and new claims followed for a number of years. By statehood, the vast majority of homesteaders had their Final Certificates and the map shows that most of the School Land was also in private hands.

Land records thus provide a timeline against which to check other information, like census and burial data. By gathering together all information pertaining to one parcel and tying it to the map, we can identify patterns of the comings & goings of families in the area and often trigger the memories of Ceil's Circle about their relationships.

For the part of the township northwest of Deep Fork, which was in the Iowa Lands, these thumbnail sketches can be fairly extensive. Many homesteaders already had their Final Certificates before the 1900 census and others would soon obtain them. Some had moved to town and rented their farms. Some had died and it's possible to determine who inherited their farms. Overall, enough landowners can be found on the census to determine the route the census-taker followed and often determine exactly where renters lived.

For the part of the township southeast of Deep Fork, which was in the Kickapoo Lands, it's a different story entirely. Most of those tracts were withheld from homesteading, set aside as compensatory School Land. In the beginning, this land was rented rather than sold. Although the 1907 Atlas shows ownership, on the 1900 census these people were still reported as renters. Sometimes it is impossible to tell whether they were renting the same land they were ultimately able to buy. Conjecture plays a prominent role in some of these sketches.

This is a workspace, not a finished product. Each clickable link leads to the narrative pertaining to that quarter section. All have both homestead data and 1907 ownership data. This information, along with a township map, proved the key to deciphering the badly-faded pages of the census. Those with a colored background also include at least some information from the 1900 census. Families who were renters rather than owners are not included at this time unless their presence is integral to the story of the landowner or we have reason to believe that individual later bought that parcel of land. If you find a clue you want to pursue, here's more about the sources. If you can shed light on any of our conjectures, or have another piece to add to the puzzle, please do write to me.

Key to Census Pages

Page 1 - Starting in the SW4 of Section 1, with Dwelling #1, and ending in the NW4 of Section 7, with Dwelling #20.

Page 2 - Starting in the NE4 of Section 7, with Dwelling #21, and ending in the NW4 of Section 10, with Dwelling #40.

Page 3 - Starting in the SE4 of Section 3, with Dwelling #41, and ending in the NW4 of Section 13, with Dwelling #57.

Page 4 -

Page 5 -

Page 6 -

Page 7 -

Page 8 -

Page 9 -

Page 10 -

Page 11 -

Chart of Locations

NW4 of 6	NE4 of 6	NW4 of 5	NE4 of 5	NW4 of 4	NE4 of 4	NW4 of 3	NE4 of 3	NW4 of 2	NE 4 of 2	NW4 of 1	NE4 of 1
SW4 of 6	SE4 of 6	SW4 of 5	SE4 of 5	SW4 of 4	SE4 of 4	SW4 of 3	SE4 of 3	SW4 of 2	SE4 of 2	SW4 of 1	SE4 of 1
NW4 of 7	NE4 of 7	NW4 of 8	NE4 of 8	NW4 of 9	NE4 of 9	NW4 of 10	NE4 of 10	NW4 of 11	NE4 of 11	NW4 of 12	NE4 of 12
SW4 of 7	SE4 of 7	SW4 of 8	SE4 of 8	SW4 of 9	SE4 of 9	SW4 of 10	SE4 of 10	SW4 of 11	SE 4 of 11	SW4 of 12	SE4 of 12
NW4 of 18	NE4 of 18	NW4 of 17	NE4 of 17	NW4 of 16	NE4 of 16	NW4 of 15	NE4 of 15	NW4 of 14	NE4 of 14	NW4 of 13	NE4 of 13
SW4 of 18	SE4 of 18	SW4 of 17	SE4 of 17	SW4 of 16	SE4 of 16	SW4 of 15	SE4 of 15	SW4 of 14	SE 4 of 14	SW4 of 13	SE4 of 13
NW4 of 19	NE4 of 19	NW4 of 20	NE4 of 20	NW4 of 21	NE4 of 21	NW4 of 22	NE4 of 22	NW4 of 23	NE4 of 23	NW4 of 24	NE4 of 24
SW4 of 19	SE4 of 19	SW4 of 20	SE4 of 20	SW4 of 21	SE4 of 21	SW4 of 22	SE4 of 22	SW4 of 23	SE 4 of 23	SW4 of 24	SE4 of 24
NW4 of 30	NE4 of 30	NW4 of 29	NE4 of 29	NW4 of 28	NE4 of 28	NW4 of 27	NE4 of 27	NW4 of 26	NE4 of 26	NW4 of 25	NE4 of 25
SW4 of 30	SE4 of 30	SW4 of 29	SE4 of 29	SW4 of 28	SE4 of 28	SW4 of 27	SE4 of 27	SW4 of 26	SE 4 of 26	SW4 of 25	SE4 of 25
NW4 of 31	NE4 of 31	NW4 of 32	NE4 of 32	NW4 of 33	NE4 of 33	NW4 of 34	NE4 of 34	NW4 of 35	NE4 of 35	NW4 of 36	NE4 of 36
SW4 of 31	SE4 of 31	SW4 of 32	SE4 of 32	SW4 of 33	SE4 of 33	SW4 of 34	SE4 of 34	SW4 of 35	SE 4 of 35	SW4 of 36	SE4 of 36

Sources
This project shows what can be accomplished by comparing and cross-checking information from several sources. I realize, however, that serious researchers want to know where all of this came from and those who think they recognize someone want to be able to look at the original material rather than trust another's transcriptions.
Homestead information came from the Federal Land Tract Books, with some hard-to-decipher names cross-checked against the SWOGS Index Booklet. For information on how to obtain copies, go to the Southwestern Oklahoma Genealogical Society site. SWOGS
The ownership records from 1907 came from the Standard Atlas of Oklahoma County Oklahoma, published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co, and a table that was either a transcription of information on this map or came from a common source, but contained no attribution.
The 1900 Census is self-explanatory.
That leaves Ceil's Circle. Anything that isn't from one of the three above sources came from interviews with old-timers and on-line networking. Clues - no more, no less - but they were instrumental in putting the pieces of this puzzle together and may be just want you need to lead you to the documentation you want.
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