Oklahoma has a famously violent past and equally famous lawmen who brought peace and order to this once lawless land. Thanks to Oklahoma’s relative youth the exploits of many of these lawmen were caught on camera. Historic Photos of Oklahoma Lawmen presents the many faces and phases of law enforcement in Oklahoma throughout its early history up through the 1950s.

Inside are images of the Five Civilized Tribes’ brave Light Horsemen, the scouts and Dog Soldiers of the West, and the federal marshals who ranged Indian Territory in service to the court of Fort Smith’s "hangin’ judge” Isaac Parker. Here, too, are the state’s earliest municipal policemen and county sheriffs who arrived to protect and defend the state’s cities and boom towns.