Land run facts for kids

A land run or land rush was a special event in the United States where land that was previously off-limits was opened up for people to claim. Settlers could get land on a "first-arrival" basis, meaning whoever got there first could claim a spot. Sometimes, land was also sold through bids, lotteries, or other ways. No matter how they got the land, settlers bought it from the United States Land Office. If the land used to belong to Native American tribes, the money from the sales went to those tribes, as agreed upon earlier. The Land Rush of 1889 in Oklahoma is the most famous land run, and the Land Run of 1893 was the biggest. The last land run in what is now Oklahoma happened in 1895, opening up the former Kickapoo area.

Oklahoma's Great Land Runs

After many years of people trying to settle in the central part of what would become Oklahoma, the U.S. Congress finally decided to open up an area called the Unassigned Lands. These lands were not officially given to any Native American tribe.

There were seven land runs in Oklahoma. The first and most famous was the Land Rush on April 22, 1889. This event led to terms like "Eighty-Niner" for someone who took part in that run, and "Sooner" for someone who entered the land early or illegally. This first run opened up areas that are now Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties in Oklahoma.

Why Was This Land Available?

The nearly two million acres of land opened for settlement were in Indian Territory. This large area once covered much of modern-day Oklahoma. In the 1830s, the Indian Removal Act led to the forced relocation of many Native American tribes from their traditional homes. This sad journey is known as the Trail of Tears. The Creek and Seminole tribes were given the area later known as the Unassigned Lands. By the 1880s, Indian Territory became home to many different tribes, including the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Apache.

More Oklahoma Land Runs

The Land Run on September 22, 1891, opened lands that belonged to the Iowa, Sac and Fox, Potawatomi, and Shawnee tribes. This run made 6,097 plots of 160 acres (about 65 hectares) each available. The very next day, another land run was held to settle Tecumseh. This town was chosen to be the main town, or county seat, for what became Pottawatomie County. A few days later, on September 28, 1891, another run took place to settle Chandler, which became the county seat for Lincoln County.

The Land Run on April 19, 1892, opened up lands that were used by the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.

The Land Run on September 16, 1893, was known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run. This was the biggest land run in U.S. history, opening over 8 million acres (about 3.3 million hectares) for settlement. This land was bought from the Cherokee tribe. It was four times larger than the famous 1889 run. You can learn more about this event at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center museum in Enid, Oklahoma.

The last major land run in Oklahoma was the Land Run of 1895, which opened the Kickapoo lands. After this, the government realized that land runs caused many problems and were not the best way to give out land. So, after 1895, the government started using sealed-bid auctions instead.

There was one small land run in the 20th Century. It happened on August 6, 1901, to select lots in the community of Arcadia.

Remembering the Land Runs

To celebrate Oklahoma's 100th birthday as a state, a sculptor named Paul Moore created the Oklahoma Centennial Land Run Monument. This huge monument features 45 pieces, including horses, riders, wagons, and dogs. It is installed in lower Bricktown, Oklahoma City. When finished, it will cover about 365 feet (111 meters), making it one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world. It helps people remember the excitement and challenges of the land runs.

Land Runs in Stories and Movies

The Oklahoma Land Runs have been shown in many books and films:

• The 1889 and 1893 Oklahoma Land Runs were featured in Edna Ferber's 1929 novel, Cimarron. This book was also made into movies in 1931 and 1960.
• The Land Run of 1893, also known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run, was shown in the films Tumbleweeds (1925) and Far and Away (1992). It was also part of the 1969 novel The Thundering Prairie by M. A. Hancock.