THE RECORD, Moore, Oklahoma, March 6, 1903  

* Pre-Statehood - territorial publication

This is actually a "territorial" newspaper, as Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, one of only 3 of the contiguous 48 to join the union in the 20th century (New Mexico & Arizona the other two).

This newspaper apparently only lasted a year, with no institutional holdings outside of Oklahoma.

The front page has the text of a Proclamation signed in type by: Theodore Roosevelt. Many illustrations within.

A small folio-size newspaper of 12 pages with local & national news, and a page 2 column headed: "Territory Topics". Good condition.

Background: The 1903 publication of The Record in Moore, Oklahoma, serves as a primary artifact of the "Late Frontier" era, capturing the delicate transition from Oklahoma Territory toward statehood. At a time when the federal government held absolute authority over the region’s development, the presence of a Theodore Roosevelt proclamation on the front page underscores the era's aggressive federal expansion and land management policies. This period was defined by the legal and social integration of the "Twin Territories"—Oklahoma and Indian Territory—as they navigated the complexities of the 1906 Enabling Act. Because this specific newspaper lasted only a year and lacks institutional records outside of local archives, it provides a rare, unvarnished look at the localized boosterism and national political alignment that characterized the three final contiguous territories—Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona—before they completed the map of the 48 states in the early 20th century.