Proclamation 459—Establishment of the Wichita Forest Reserve, Oklahoma

Whereas it is provided by section twenty-four of the act of Congress, approved March 3rd, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes," "That the President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and reserve, in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations, and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof."

And whereas the public lands in the Territory of Oklahoma, within the limits hereinafter described, are in part covered with timber, and it appears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reserving said lands as a public reservation;

Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section twenty-four of the aforesaid act of Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is hereby reserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservation all those certain tracts, pieces or parcels of land lying and being situate in the Territory of Oklahoma and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the southeast corner of township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west, Indian Meridian, Territory of Oklahoma; thence north along the township line to the northeast corner of section twenty-four (24), township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section thirteen (13), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence north along the range line between ranges twelve (12) and thirteen (13) west, to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section twelve (12), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence west to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section twelve (12), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence north to the southwest corner of section one (1), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence west along the section line between sections two (2) and eleven (11), to the southwest corner of section two (2), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence north along the section line between sections two (2) and three (3) to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section three (3), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence west along the center line of sections three (3), four (4), five (5), and six (6), to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section six (6), township three (3) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence north along the range line between ranges thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) west to the northeast corner of section one (1), township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence west along the township line between townships three (3) and four (4) north to the northwest corner of section two (2), township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence north to the northeast corner of section thirty-four (34), township four (4) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence west to the northwest corner of section thirty-four (34), township four (4) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence north to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section twenty-one (21), township four (4) north, range fourteen west; thence west to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section twenty (20), township four (4) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence north to the northeast corner of section eighteen (18), township four (4) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence west to the northwest corner of section seventeen (17), township four (4) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence south to the southwest corner of section twenty-nine (29), township four (4) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence east to the southeast corner of section twenty-nine (29), township four (4) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence south to the southwest corner of section thirty-three (33), township four (4) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence east to the southeast corner of said section thirty-three (33), township four (4) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence south to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section ten (10), township three (3) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence east to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of said section ten; thence south to the southwest corner of section twenty-six (26), township three (3) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence east to the southeast corner of said section twenty-six (26); thence south to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section thirty-six (36), township three (3) north, range fifteen (15) west; thence east to the center of section thirty-three (33), township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence south to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of said section thirty-three (33); thence east along the township line between townships two (2) and three (3) north to the southeast corner of township three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west, the place of beginning.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to make settlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation.

The reservation hereby established shall be known as the Wichita Forest Reserve.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this 4th day of July, A. D. 1901, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-sixth.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

DAVID J. HILL,

Acting Secretary of State.