Oklahoma Counties: History and Information

Find a brief history of Oklahoma Counties

When Oklahoma Territory was established in 1890 seven counties were outlined and were designated first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively. Thereafter as other counties were added, when additional lands were thrown upon to settlement, they were designated by the letters of the alphabet. Later on, by vote of the people, county names were adopted.

The first seven counties, designated by numbers, later took the following names: Logan, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Canadian, Kingfisher, Payne and Beaver.

When the Kiowa-Comanche and Wichita-Caddo Reservations were opened to settlement in 1901, the Secretary of the Interior caused the boundaries of the three counties to be defined and their names assigned by executive proclamation.

The Constitutional Convention named all of the counties which were formed from that part of the state of Oklahoma which was included in the Indian Territory together with several new counties which were formed from portions of Oklahoma Territory. Two new counties have been formed and named since the state was admitted to the Union.