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Darlington Agency

Historic district
In El Reno, Oklahoma
2.6 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Darlington Agency is a historic district near El Reno, OK, on the grounds where a U.S. agency for the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation opened in 1870. Later the site held schools, a post office, an early newspaper and a state bird hatchery. It lies about 3 miles off the old road and adds an older chapter of Oklahoma history to a Route 66 drive.

What is Darlington Agency?

The district covers a former Indian agency in present-day Canadian County, named for Brinton Darlington, a Quaker and the first U.S. Indian agent here, who died in 1872. The state wildlife department now uses the land for its chief bird hatchery and a research station.

History of Darlington Agency

The agency opened in 1870, replacing one at Fort Supply that the tribes found hard to reach. A post office came next, then an Indian school led by John Homer Seger, and Chisholm Trail traffic passed through. By 1880 the agency printed the Cheyenne Transporter, the first newspaper in western Indian Territory.

In 1897 the Cheyenne moved to a new agency at Concho, and the Arapaho later joined them. After statehood the land passed to Oklahoma, and the Masons ran a boarding school and a retirement home on the grounds until 1922. The site joined the National Register in 1973.

Visiting Darlington Agency: tips

The site is about 3 miles off the old road and is a working state facility, so keep the visit brief. The Red Cross Canteen and the Southern Hotel in El Reno are a little over 4 miles away.