The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of the former United States Congress mandated Indian Territory, which had by its own law passed assigned the lands to the Creek and Seminole peoples. The land area that was opened to the 1889 mass settlement included all or part of Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties of the present-day United States state of Oklahoma.^[8]

The land run began right at high noon on April 22, 1889. An estimated 50,000 people both United States citizens and those of foreign countries were all lined up at the starting point heading off in both lateral directions, with each person seeking to gain their piece of the available two million acres (8,100 km²).^[9]

The federally legally termed 'Unassigned Lands' were considered some of the best 'unoccupied' public land in what was then the United States. The Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 was passed by the United States Congress and quickly signed into law with an amendment by Representative William McKendree Springer (Republican from Illinios) authorizing then President Benjamin Harrison to open up the two million acres (8,100 km²) for 'ownership-settlement' by the public. President Abraham Lincoln had earlier signed the Homestead Act Law of 1862, which allowed settlers to claim 'land lots' of up to 160 acres (0.65 km²), provided only that they lived on the land and 'improved' it.^[10]