History Briefs

Wyandotte, OK

Before the official plan for the town was recorded in 1896, the community was known as Grand River, established in 1876, and earlier Prairie City in 1872.

A band of 200 Wyandotte’s came from Kansas to the Indian Territory in 1871 and settled under the leadership of Chief Matthew Mudeater. There were two Prairie City post offices - one in the Cherokee Nation, one in the Wyandotte Nation. The latter was, according to records, moved three miles east to the railroad in 1876 and the name was changed to Grand River.

In 1894, the Wyandotte Association was formed when James Walker, Indian agent for the Wyandotte Tribe appointed a committee to purchase 20 acres of land for the new town that was to become Wyandotte, Indian Territory.