Timeline

• In 1889, the Indian Territory was set aside for five civilized tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole.

• On May 2, 1890, the Territory of Oklahoma was created.

• On March 1, 1895, the Indian Territory was divided into three districts: Central, Northern and Southern.

• On May 27, 1902, the Western District of the Indian Territory was established.

• On June 16, 1906, President Roosevelt signed the Oklahoma Enabling Act merging the Oklahoma and Indian Territories, thereby forming the State of Oklahoma. Congress organized Oklahoma as two judicial districts, the Eastern and the Western, with one judgeship each, and assigned the districts to the Eighth Circuit. The Act was effective upon admission of Oklahoma as a state on November 16, 1907.

• On February 16, 1925, the Northern District of Oklahoma was established. It transferred the temporary judgeship in the Eastern District to the Northern District and made that position permanent.

• On February 28, 1929, Congress assigned the District of Oklahoma to the newly organized Tenth Circuit.

• On June 22, 1936, one judgeship was authorized to serve all three districts.

• On May 19, 1961, one additional judgeship was authorized to serve all three districts.

• On October 20, 1978, one additional judgeship was authorized for the Northern District.

• On December 1, 1990, one additional judgeship was authorized for the Northern District and one of the two judgeships previously authorized to serve all three districts was assigned exclusively to the Western District.