Oklahoma Resources
Study the State
Is your research project about Oklahoma?
Learn about the J. W. Martin Library’s collections of Oklahoma history, and also see the Oklahoma-related websites and publications.
Oklahoma Databases & Archives
- Archive-It
Archive-It is an archiving service from the Internet Archive, preserving digital records of the Oklahoma state government.
- Data.ok.gov
- Why search here? Data.ok.gov is the online catalog of government-generated datasets for the State of Oklahoma, ranging from state employee payrolls to groundwater assessments.
- What’s included? All publicly available datasets from the Oklahoma State Government are included, as required by law.
- Oklahoma Digital Prairie
- Why search here? The Digital Prairie is an online resource managed by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. It includes a digital archives and a research service. The archives is a vital resource for studying the history of Oklahoma.
- What’s included? The research service on the Digital Prairie features databases from EBSCO that are less exhaustive than the resources available at NWOSU. The digital archives, however, contains several unique collections on Oklahoman history.
Journals & Magazines
- Chronicles of Oklahoma
A publication of the Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University. Print copies of the Chronicles of Oklahoma are available in the journal collection of the Alva campus library of NWOSU. (Not peer reviewed.)
- Oklahoma Humanities Magazine
Oklahoma Humanities magazine fosters conversation and new perspectives through articles, interviews, and beautiful color images. From public policy issues to cultural heritage, you’ll find an engaging forum for new ideas and productive civil discourse.
(Not peer reviewed.) - Oklahoma Politics
An archive of the peer-reviewed journal of the Oklahoma Political Science Association, Oklahoma Politics explores the broad context of politics affecting Oklahoma and the surrounding region.
- Oklahoma Today
This award-winning magazine explores the people, places, history, and culture of Oklahoma. (Not peer reviewed.)
- Outdoor Oklahoma
Official publication of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. (Not peer reviewed.)
Oklahoma History Books
Local History
Northwestern Oklahoma State University: A Centennial History by Call Number: 378.766 L245nISBN: 9780913507735Publication Date:A history of the university from its founding as a normal school in through .
Alva, Oklahoma : The first 100 years, by Call Number: 976.621 Se32a (Archives)Publication Date:[First] 265 pages are dedicated to the history of Alva and its churches, businesses, and organizations. [Second] 266 pages are family histories. Alva is located in Wood County, Oklahoma.
Early Woods County by Call Number: 976.621 K627e (Archives)ISBN: 9780738583105Publication Date:Woods County, Oklahoma, is showcased in images dating from to statehood in . This time span covers the period of early settlement and the hardships of pioneers in a new territory.
Statewide History
- The Culture of Oklahoma by Call Number: 976.6 C899ISBN: 9780806125459Publication Date:
Why do Oklahomans have such a strong sense of identity as Oklahomans, and how did they come by it? This book describes how Oklahomans perceive themselves and how others outside the state view them. In delineating the boundaries and content of what is distinctively Oklahoman, this book establishes Oklahoma as a bona fide cultural state of mind.
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma by Call Number: 976.6 En196ISBN: 0403098378Publication Date:The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma contains detailed information on the state.
The Indians in Oklahoma by Call Number: 976.600497 St853iISBN: 9780806116754Publication Date:The Indians in Oklahoma, a survey of the sixty-seven tribes residing in the state, explains the colonizing process that populated Indian Territory (the future Oklahoma) with American Indians from all parts of the United States during the nineteenth century and interprets the striking cultural diversity of the Indian communities thus formed.
Oklahoma: A Bicentennial History by Call Number: 976.6 M822oISBN: 0393056422Publication Date:Oklahoma’s rich heritage, outstanding men and women, and contributions to America’s history and culture are given due notice.
Oklahoma: A History by Call Number: 976.6 B164oISBN: 9780806139104Publication Date:The product of two of Oklahoma’s foremost authorities on the history of the 46th state, Oklahoma: A History is the first comprehensive narrative to bring the story of the Sooner State to the threshold of its centennial.
Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries by Call Number: 976.6 G357o2ISBN: 0806117583Publication Date:The drama and excitement of the Oklahoma story unfold in this comprehensive history covering prehistory, Spanish and French exploration, the removal of Indian tribes to what the federal government called Indian Territory, and the modern period of state politics and economic development.
An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History by Call Number: 976.6 Ok4jISBN: 0806125993Publication Date:Davis D. Joyce presents fourteen essays that interpret Oklahoma's unique populist past and address current political and social issues ranging from gender, race, and religion to popular music, the energy industry, and economics.
Oklahoma II by Call Number: 779.99766 F5762oISBN: 9781558681989Publication Date:From the rugged Black Mesa area in Oklahoma’s panhandle to the southeastern corner of the state, a rich kaleidoscope of landscapes from the country’s heartland unfolds.
Women of Oklahoma, – by Call Number: 976.6052 R259wISBN: 9780806129990Publication Date:Settlement on the Oklahoma frontier, which began as abruptly as a pistol shot on a starting line, produced a collision of cultures. Women of Oklahoma, –, uses primary sources, particularly diaries and letters, to tell the stories of white, black, and Native American women who crossed racial and cultural barriers to work together, first in domestic concerns and later in community and national affairs.
Oklahoma Websites & Museums
- The Gateway to Oklahoma History
The Gateway is an online repository of Oklahoma history, brought to you by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Visitors can search and view thousands of historic newspapers, photographs, maps, and documents.
- Oklahoma Historical Society
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
- Oklahoma Native American Tribes
ODL has gathered these resources to present information on tribal government and other sites related to the rich history of the Oklahoma Native American tribes for those interested in the geographic origins of the tribes who were removed to Oklahoma.
- Westerners International
Westerners International is committed to fun and scholarship in and about the American West. Add great company, exciting programs and publications, fellowship opportunities for young people, and the still wide-open Western landscape, and you’ll know what we’re about.
Local Museums
- Cherokee Strip Museum
Alva, Oklahoma: Collects, preserves, maintains, and displays historically significant articles and artifacts which relate to the geographic region of Northwest Oklahoma known as the Cherokee Outlet.
- Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
Enid, Oklahoma:
The Heritage Center celebrates the spirit of the Cherokee Strip pioneers through engaging exhibits and living history events.
- Plains Indians & Pioneers Museum
Woodward, Oklahoma:
The mission of the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Northwest Oklahoma for 50 miles surrounding Woodward, Oklahoma, and to educate the public about the past and its importance to the present and the future.
- Sod House Museum
Aline, Oklahoma:
The Sod House Museum seeks to preserve Oklahoma’s only remaining sod house and interprets the early-day lifestyles of a pioneer, from the establishment of the Cherokee Outlet in to .
- Standing Bear Park
Ponca City, Oklahoma:
The Standing Bear Museum and Education Center features tribal displays, traveling exhibits, artwork, and other educational material.