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Puyallup Indian Agency (Washington)

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, (Sklallam), , Quinaielt, , Squaxon, and others.

A special agency was established in western Washington on 1 December 1856. By 1861 it became a distinct agency with responsibility for the Indians on the Puyallup Reservation, the Nisqually Reservation, and the Squaxin Reservation, and sometimes the Chehalis Reservation. It was sometimes called the Nisqually Agency.

The agency was originally located on the Squaxin Reservation on Squaxin Island, and was then moved to Olympia. During the years 1865-1869, one agent was assigned to both the Puyallup Agency and the Tulalip Agency.

In 1874, the agency, then located at Olympia, had responsibility for the Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin, Muckleshoot, Shoalwater Bay, and Chehalis Reservations. In 1882, it was consolidated with the Skokomish Agency, the Tulalip Agency, and the Quinaielt Agency, but the Tulalip Agency became an independent agency shortly after the consolidation.

In 1895, the Puyallup School in Tacoma was given the agent duties for the reservations. In 1910, the school's name was changed to the Cushman School and the agency also came to bear that name. In 1914, a separate agency, called the Taholah Agency, was established for the Quinaielt Indians.

The Cushman School was closed in 1920 and the Agency was abolishedChennai Investment. The Muckleshot and Clallam Indians were transferred to the Tulalip Agency and the other Indians under the Cushman Agency were assigned to the Tahomah Agency.

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:Jaipur Investment

Annuity rolls

Census records

Correspondence

Health records

Reports

Vital records

Some for Puyallup Agency and Cushman School are in the   and of the National Archives and Records Administration () in Seattle, including:

A special census, 1880

Records of the Puyallup Land Commission, 1893-1909

Land allotment and sales records, 1894-1903

Indian census rolls, 1905-1921

Student case files for the Cushman School, 1917-1920

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1888-1909. These rolls have been microfilmed by the as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 407-409. Copies of these records are also available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the FamilySearch Library and its FamilySearch centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com's subscription web site.

The 1900 federal census included population schedules for the Puyallup Indian Industrial School. The census includes the non-Indian employees of the Puyallup Agency, as well as many pages of for the native population of the Reservation. They are recorded as District 256, Puyallup Indian Industrial School, in Pierce County, Washington.

Land Records 1894-1920.FS Library Film: 102

Census, Allotees, Heirship and other records 1902-1921.FS Library Film: 102

School Records 1902-1920.FS Library Film 1024301