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Oklahoma Counties
There are seventy-seven counties in Oklahoma. Oklahoma originally had seven counties when it was first organized as the Oklahoma Territory. These counties were designated numerically, first through seventh. New counties added after this were designated by letters of the alphabet. The first seven counties were later renamed. The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention named all of the counties that were formed when Oklahoma entered statehood in 1907. Only two counties have been formed since thenGrady County, Oklahoma
Grady County Education, Geography, and History
Grady County is a county located in the state of Oklahoma. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 52,431. Its county seat is
Chickasha. It was named for Henry W. Grady, an editor of the Atlanta Constitution and southern orator.
Grady County is part of the Oklahoma City, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Grady County Name
Named for Henry W. Grady of Atlanta, Ga. a distinguished orator and writer.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Grady County History
Grady County was part of the land given to the Choctaw by the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, in exchange for property
in the southeastern United States. In 1837, the Chickasaw joined the Choctaws, and in 1855 a treaty separated the two tribes, and the
Chickasaw acquired an area that included much of Grady County. Most of the present Grady County became a part of Pickens County in the
Chickasaw Nation.
Before the Civil War, Randolph B. Marcy blazed the California Road through this area, reporting a Waco and a Wichita village. In 1858, while
the Comanches were holding a meeting with the Wichita, Choctaw, and Chickasaw, Federal troops attacked a party of Comanches. Although the
commander of Fort Arbuckle had been informed about the meeting, the troops' commander, Major Earl Van Dorn, had not consulted him before the
attack. As a result, the troops killed 60 Comanches and four Wichitas. Fearing a Comanche reprisal, the other tribes fled to safety at Fort
Arbuckle. At the end of the Civil War, the Five Civilized Tribes and the Caddo, Delaware, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and
Osage signed a peace agreement and pledged to stand united against any unjust demands that the federal government made at the war's end. The
agreement was known as the Camp Napoleon Compact.
The first railroad in this area was built to the town of Minco in 1890 by the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway. The company was acquired
by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) during the following year. In 1892, the Rock Island built a track connecting
Chickasha, Ninnekah, and Rush Springs to the Texas border. The same railroad built a line from Chickasha to Magnum in 1900. The Oklahoma City
and Western Railroad (sold to the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway in 1907) constructed tracks from Oklahoma City to Chickasha, which it
extended to the Texas border in the following year. Between 1906 and 1910, the Oklahoma Central Railway (sold to the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway in 1914) built from Lehigh to Chickasha.
The 1898 Curtis Act stripped the Chickasaw Nation of its authority, and communal land was forced into allotment, paving the way for statehood.
When Oklahoma acquired statehood in 1907, the Chickasaw Nation ceased to exist, Grady County was organized and Chickasha was named the county
seat. In 1911, Grady County annexed Washington, Prairie Valley, and the northern section of Dutton townships formerly in Caddo County,
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma History Center
Located in south-central Oklahoma, Grady County incorporates 1,105.30 square miles of land and water. The name
honored Henry W. Grady, an editor of the Atlanta Constitution and a prominent Southern orator. Judge S. W. Hayes,
representative to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention of 1906, selected the name as the county organized prior to
statehood. Canadian County lies to Grady County's north, with McClain and Garvin to the east, Stephens to the south, and
Caddo and Comanche to the west. In 1911 Grady County annexed Washington, Prairie Valley, and the northern section of
Dutton townships in Caddo County. Chickasha serves as the county seat. At the end of the twentieth century other
incorporated towns included Alex, Amber, Bradley, Minco, Ninnekah, Norge, Pocasset, Rush Springs, Tuttle, and Verden....GRADY
COUNTY
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,105 square miles (2,860 km2), of which 1,100 square miles
(2,800 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (0.4%) is water.
The county lies in the Red Bed Plains, and is mostly covered with rolling prairie. The Canadian River forms the northern boundary and the
Washita River runs through the middle.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Canadian County (north)
- McClain County (east)
- Garvin County (southeast)
- Stephens County (south)
- Comanche County (southwest)
- Caddo County (west)
Education
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