Kingfisher County, Oklahoma

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: oklahoma
Surnames/tags: us_history oklahoma

Welcome to the Kingfisher County Page

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Trail of Tears by Robert Lindeux Courtesy of Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

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• The current leader of this project is Robert Branham
• The coordinator for this county is Angelique Chamberlain.

Contents 1 Formed From 2 Adjacent Counties 3 History/Timeline 4 Vital Records 4.1 Government Offices 4.2 Geography 4.3 Local Resources 4.4 Demographics 4.5 Cities 4.5.1 Towns 4.5.2 Unincorporated Communities 4.5.3 Economics 4.6 Events/Festivals 4.7 National Register of Historic Places[1] 4.8 Schools 4.8.1 Colleges/Universities 4.8.2 Public Schools 4.8.3 Private Schools 4.9 Cemeteries 4.10 Notables 4.11 Wikitree Profiles 4.12 County Resources 4.13 Sources

Formed From

The area was given to the Creek Nation by the federal government after their forced removal from Georgia. At the end of the American Civil War, the Creeks were forced to cede the land back to the federal government for siding with the Confederacy. It was called County 5, when the Organic Act of May 2, 1890 created Oklahoma Territory.

Adjacent Counties

Northwest Major County		North Garfield County	Northeast
West Blaine County		Kingfisher County, Oklahoma		East Logan County
Southwest		South Canadian County	Southeast Oklahoma County

History/Timeline

Limited archaeological surveys may have discovered evidence of pre-contact peoples, including Paleo-Indian and Archaic (6000 BC - 1 AD) groups that used the area for hunting and foraging. The historic Osage, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes traversed the prairie grasslands of this area.

Before the county's creation, The Chisholm Trail's many routes crossed the area. A stage road which paralleled the trail had important stops at Dover Station, King Fisher Station and Baker Station.

It became part of the Unassigned Lands, and the area was opened to non-Indian settlement in the land run on April 22, 1889. Several towns, including Kingfisher, Oklahoma developed soon after the land run.

At an August 5, 1890 election, the voters of County 5 overwhelmingly voted for the name "Kingfisher" over "Hennessey" and "Harrison". The origin of the name is unclear. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture mentions three different possibilities. The first is that the name memorialized a local rancher, David King Fisher. The second version is that King and Fisher were two different settlers, whose names were combined for the county and town. The third explanation was that the name was for a rancher named John Fisher and for whom Uncle Johns Creek was named.

Vital Records

Oklahoma State Vital Records Index
(https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/)
Managed and maintained by the State of Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics; Birth and Death searchable databases. Some records go back earlier that statehood.
Search Birth Records: (https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/BirthSearch)
Search Death Records:( https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/DeathSearch)

"United States, Native American Birth and Death Records, 1885-1940." Database. FamilySearch. (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2765178) : 14 August 2023. Citing NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.

Other places to find vital record info:
Newspaper announcements; be sure to check nearby county newspapers, Bible Records, Church Records and Church Newspapers. Still other primary sources include Military Service Records, Cemetery Records (Sexton's Records) and Funeral Home Records (Funeral homes are usually private businesses that may be willing to help you but as a private business they don't have to.).

Government Offices

• Kingfisher County Health Department, 124 E Sheridan Ave #101, Kingfisher
• Kingfisher County Courthouse , 101 S Main St, Kingfisher
• Kingfisher County Sheriff Department, 119 S Main St, Kingfisher

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 906 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 898 square miles (2,330 km2) is land and 7.9 square miles (20 km2) (0.9%) is water.[5] The principal waterway is the Cimarron River, which runs from northwest to east through the county.

Airports

• Kingfisher Airport, Kingfisher

Hospitals

• Mercy Hospital Kingfisher
• Kingfisher Regional Hospital

Lakes

• Lake Elmer

Major Highways

• US Highway 81
• SH-3
• SH-33
• SH-51
• SH-132

Local Resources

Agriculture Top crops are wheat, rye and soybeans; top livestock is cattle. Minerals Oil and gas

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,926 people, 5,247 households, and 3,893 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.09% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 3.02% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.34% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races. 6.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,247 households out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,676, and the median income for a family was $43,242. Males had a median income of $30,918 versus $19,819 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,167. About 8.50% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.30% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

• Kingfisher (county seat)

Towns

• Cashion
• Dover
• Hennessey
• Loyal
• Okarche

Unincorporated Communities

• Alpha
• Omega

Economics

Agriculture has been the mainstay of the county since the area was opened for settlement in 1899. Wheat and rye have been the most important crops. Oil and gas exploration became important to the county economy during the 1920s, especially in that part of the county around Hennessey, Cashion and Dover. Roxana was a boomtown during that period, but quickly declined. Its population peaked at one thousand people. It is now considered a ghost town.

Events/Festivals

• 89er Barbecue
• Crazy Days!
• Kool Kars in Kingfisher
• Kingfisher in Lights

National Register of Historic Places^[1]

• Burrus Mills Elevator C, Kingfisher (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86510141)
• Dow Grain Company Elevator, Okarche (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86510137)
• Farmers and Merchants National Bank, Hennessey (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511309)
• Farmers Co-op Elevator, Hennessey (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86510135)
• Kiel-Dover Farmers Elevator, Dover (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86510139)
• Kingfisher Armory, Kingfisher (BUILDING https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511305)
• Kingfisher College, Kingfisher (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511313)
• Kingfisher Memorial Hall (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511315)
• Kingfisher Post Office, Kingfisher (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511311)
• Seay Mansion, Kingfisher (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/86511307)

Schools

Rockin Schoolhouse

Colleges/Universities

• Chisholm Trail Technology Center, Omega

Public Schools

• Cashion School District
• Dover School District
• Hennessey School District
• Kingfisher School District
• Lomega School District
• Okarche School District

Private Schools

• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Okarche
• Saint John's Lutheran School, Okarche
• Saints Peter and Paul School, Kingfisher

Cemeteries

• Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery, Okarche
• Cashion Cemetery, Cashion
• Omega Cemetery, Omega
• Mercy Cemetery, Cashion
• Okarche Cemetery, Okarche
• Oakvale or Rigdon Cemetery, Columbia ^[2]
• Oakview Cemetery, Hennessey
• Calvery Cemetery, Hennessey
• Maple Grove Cemetery, Hennessey
• Muslim Graveyard, Cashion

Notables

• Don Blanding, poet
• Sol Butler, pioneering black Olympian and 1920s NFL player
• Curtis Lofton, NFL linebacker for the Oakland Raiders
• Joe Redington, founder of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race
• James "Bud" Walton, co-founder of Wal-Mart
• Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
• Raymond A. Young, one of three co-founders of T G &Y Stores.

Wikitree Profiles

County Resources

Kingfisher County Oklahoma Newspapers at the Gateway to Oklahoma History (https://gateway.okhistory.org/)

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm
2. ↑ Kingfisher County, Oklahoma : cemetery records and land ownership map (Oakvale or Rigdon Cemetery) Repository: Mesa Arizona FamilySearch Library; digitized: FamilySearch International

• Trail of Tears citing Oklahoma Historical Society (https://www.okhistory.org), Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
• Creek County, Oklahoma at WikiPedia.
• The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture at the Oklahoma Historical Society has entries on many historic events, locations, people and a variety of other topics.