What were the areas of Oklahoma Territory when T.B. Ferguson was governor of the Territory?  As in previous articles, T. B. and Elva Ferguson participated in two land runs: 1889 in Central Oklahoma https://fergusonhomemuseum.org/fergusons-and-the-land-run-of-1889/and 1893 in the Cherokee Outlet/Strip https://fergusonhomemuseum.org/fergusons-and-the-1893-land-run/.  However, they lived in Watonga, beginning in Oct. 1892, in the Land run area of the Cheyenne-Arapaho opening https://fergusonhomemuseum.org/land-run-of-1892/.  The second land run in 1891 had opened land in Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties Sac and Fox opening.  However, before T.B. and Elva were called to Guthrie, three more areas of land were added to Oklahoma Territory.

The Fifth Run Kickapoo Opening

The fifth land run, known as the Kickapoo Opening of May 1895, was the smallest with 183,440 acres. The area was between the North Canadian and Deep Fork Rivers.  The Kickapoo Allotment Act of 1893 provided for 283 tribal members to each receive 80-acre allotments.  The Kickapoo people strongly opposed the allotment and sale of their land; many traditionalists refused to participate.  After these five land runs and the addition of the Panhandle in 1889, the government used different methods of distributing land.  Kickapoo Opening Encycloped OK History.

Lottery for Wichita-Caddo and Comanche, Kiowa and Apache land

In Aug. of 1901, 2,080,000 acres in the Wichita-Caddo and Comanche, Kiowa and Apache lands opened after tribal members received allotments.  This opening was by lottery.  Nearly 170,000 people registered at El Reno and Fort Sill land offices between July 9 and July 28.  The 6500 names first drawn between July 2 and August 5 were the winners of claims.  Kiowa, Caddo, and Comanche Counties were added to Oklahoma Territory Land rushes Western Heritage Museum/.

This was Oklahoma Territory during Ferguson’s Governorship

This was Oklahoma Territory when T.B. and Elva Ferguson served as the governor/first lady of Oklahoma Territory November 1901 -January 1906.   

Big Pasture bids started December 1906

There was one other land area that was added after T.B. and Elva finished their tour as governor in 1906.  This was the “Big Pasture” area on the Red River.  Sealed bids for this half-million-acre area started on Dec. 17.  Interestingly, Dr. Theresa Tyler of Watonga had land in both Hobart (Kiowa County) and the Big Pasture near Grandfield, OK (Petticoats, Politics, and Pirouettes by Gland Carlile). 

Legislation, proclamations, land rushes, land lottery and land auction

“Legislation, proclamations, land rushes, a land lottery and a land auction were all factors leading to statehood” in 1907  Land rushes Western Heritage Museum, a long dream of T.B. Ferguson.