Acquisition of Female Apparel in Oklahoma's Indian Territory, 1850–1910

Abstract

During the 19th century, the United States government mandated the migration of American Indians to reserved lands located in what would eventually become the state of Oklahoma. However, in 1889, the government also began opening those same lands to non-Indian settle ment, and the population of the territory expanded rapidly. In the late 1930s, under a program sponsored by the federal government, approximately 6,300 of those 19th-century residents were interviewed concerning their memories of life within the Indian Territory. Those interviews, having subsequently been printed, were searched for references to the production, acquisition, and use of clothing. The collected information was compiled into a large computerized data base that was searched for all means by which territorial female residents acquired clothing. The results suggested a gradual transition from the home production of fabrics to a greater reliance on commercial yardgoods, with home sewing remaining important throughout the period. The data also suggested a relationship between the historical environment within which clothing was acquired and the means by which the acquisitions were made. Additionally, the study revealed descriptive information concerning the techniques by which apparel was produced.