Jerri, This is a great tip. My family has been searching for years for a marriage record of my Irish gggrandparents who married about 1856 someplace between New Mexico and the eastern states, specifically Cincinnati or Philadelphia. Since my Irish born gggrandfather, Matthew GREEN, b. 1825 County Meath, Ire., served in the Army (enlisted Albany NY 23 Mar 1851) in New Mexico Territory as a career soldier stationed at Fort Fillmore, NM Terr., I felt that he met his wife and married her someplace such as these "white" places that Jerri brought up. My ggrandmother, Jenny GREEN, b. 31 Aug 1859, said she was born out West someplace and thought it was Oklahoma, *BUT* it was actually New Mexico Territory. She thought she was born in Oklahoma because she *did* live in or near Ft. Smith, Arkansas during the early years of the Civil War, between mid 1861 and about 1864 or 1865. Her mother, Jane ARMSTRONG, was b. 1832 Ireland. Her father Matthew GREEN was a 2d Lt. serving under Stand Watie's 1st Cherokee Mounted Volunteers, Company H (1st organization) and Company K (2nd organization). My subscription to this list has brought some rewards from time to time and I hope this is one of those things that lead me to find the marriage records for the 1856 marriage. Tim (Louisville, KY) >>>> Subject: Re: Indian Territory marriages Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 19:52:25 -0500 From: "Jerri (Rogers) Chasteen" <jerri@cherokee.net> To: Indian-Territory-Roots-L@rootsweb.com Marti wrote: "What is this about McAlester IT being the only place whites could marry? I couldn't find the message you apparently wrote her - if you still have it, send it - working on an explanation page for where they can hunt for pre-statehood marriage records." ~~ `Twernt exactly what I said-- but it was close! The Indian tribes would not (normally) issue tribal marriage licenses to non-Indians. The non-Indians (usually) had to go to the nearest U.S. courthouse, because they were U.S. citizens. In this particular case the federal courthouse was located in McAlester. There were also federal courthouses in Muskogee, Vinita and several other places in Indian Territory. Another place to look for "Indian Territory marriages" is in the county seats of adjacent states. Often it was easier/cheaper to climb on a train, go to Dennison, Wichita Falls or Ft Smith, get married and take the next train back than it would be to go to the Federal courthouses in their district. jc ______________________________