The Land Run of 1891 was a set of horse races to settle land acquired by the federal government through the opening of several small Indian reservations in Oklahoma Territory

Oklahoma Territory

The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...

. The race involved approximately 20,000 homesteaders, who gathered to stake their claims on 6097 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) plots of former reservation land.

The settlement that took place in September 1891 included three land run

Land run

Land run usually refers to an historical event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened for homesteading on a first arrival basis. Some newly opened lands were sold first-come, sold by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run...

s. On September 22, 1891, a land run was held to settle Iowa

Iowa tribe

The Iowa , also known as the Báxoje, are a Native American Siouan people. Today they are enrolled in either of two federally recognized tribes, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska....

, Sac and Fox

Sac and Fox Nation

The Sac and Fox Nation is the largest of three federally recognized tribes of Sac and Meskwaki Native Americans. They are located in Oklahoma and are predominantly Sac....

, Potawatomi

Potawatomi

The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...

, and Shawnee lands. A September 23, 1891 land run was held to settle Tecumseh

Tecumseh, Oklahoma

Tecumseh is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Tecumseh is located at ....

, the pre-designated location of the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of County B, later renamed as Pottawatomie County

Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma

Pottawatomie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 65,521 as of the 2000 census. Its county seat is Shawnee...

. Finally, on September, 28, 1891, a land run was held to settle Chandler

Chandler, Oklahoma

Chandler is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.Chandler is located east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on U.S...

, the pre-designated location of the county seat of County A, later renamed as Lincoln County

Lincoln County, Oklahoma

Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2010 was 34,273. It is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.Its county seat is Chandler....

.

These land runs also expanded Payne

Payne County, Oklahoma

Payne County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2010 was 77,350. Its county seat is Stillwater, and the county is named for Capt. David L. Payne...

, Logan

Logan County, Oklahoma

Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2009 was 39,301. Its county seat is Guthrie. Logan County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

Oklahoma County is a county located in the central partof the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 718,633 at the 2010 census. The county seat and principal city is Oklahoma City...

 and Cleveland

Cleveland County, Oklahoma

Cleveland County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 255,755 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Norman. Cleveland County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 counties.

Background

The Indian reservation land was broken up through allotment following a proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison. Members of the tribe each received 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land. Once tribe members had each received an allotment, the remaining land was purchased from those tribes and put on the block for sale to settlers who took part in the land run at $1.25 per acre.

See also

• Land Run of 1889
  Land Run of 1889
  The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands and included all or part of the 2005 modern day Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties of the U.S. state of Oklahoma...
  
  
• Land Run of 1892
  Land Run of 1892
  The Land Run of 1892 was the opening of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation to settlement in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. One of seven in Oklahoma, it occurred on April 19, 1892, and opened up land that would become Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Washita, and Rogers Mills counties...
  
  
• Land Run of 1893
  Land Run of 1893
  The Land Run of 1893, also known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run, marked the opening of the Cherokee Outlet to the public. The run happened on September 16, 1893 at noon with more than 100,000 participants hoping to claim land. The land offices for the run were set up in Perry, Enid, Woodward, and...
  
  
• Land Run of 1895
  Land Run of 1895
  The Land Run of 1895 was the smallest and last land run in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It came about with an agreement between the Kickapoo Indians and the federal government that gave individual Kickapoos . The federal government purchased the remaining and opened them up to settlers.The land run...