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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 thenWashita County, Oklahoma
Washita County Education, Geography, and History
Washita County is a county located in the state of Oklahoma. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 11,629. Its county seat is New Cordell. The county seat was formerly located in Cloud Chief. The county was created in 1891.
Etymology - Origin of Washita County Name
The area was settled in 1886, when John M. Seger established a colony along Cobb Creek, and was later named Washita County after the Washita River.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Washita County History
In 1883, John Miles leased 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km2) of Cheyenne and Arapaho land to seven cattlemen. However,
arguments soon developed between the cattlemen and the tribesmen. In 1885, the Federal government terminated all of the leases and ordered the
cattlemen to remove their stock.
The area was settled in 1886, when John M. Seger established a colony along Cobb Creek, and was later named Washita County after the Washita
River. Seger convinced 120 Cheyenne and Arapaho to settle near the old ranch headquarters at Cobb Creek. The intent was that "Seger's Colony"
would teach these tribes how to farm, using modern agricultural methods.
The Cheyenne-Arapaho Opening was a land run held on April 19, 1892, after the government declared the land available for non Indian
settlement.
Washita County is located in that part of western Oklahoma which was included in County H of the Territory of Oklahoma, an organized
incorporated territory of the United States that existed from 2 May 1890, until 16 November 1907, when it was joined with the Indian territory
and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma. The town of Tacola, soon renamed as Cloud Chief, was designated as the county seat.
An election in 1900 designated the town of Cordell as the county seat. It was favored by the majority because it was located in the center of
the county. The election result was contested in court. The Oklahoma Territorial Supreme Court ruled in 1904 that the seat could not be moved
without Federal authorization. The U. S. Congress moved the seat to Cordell in 1906. When the Oklahoma Constitution went into effect at
statehood in 1907, it confirmed Cordell (by then relocated and renamed New Cordell) as the county seat.
Oklahoma History Center
Located in western Oklahoma, Washita County is directly south of
Custer County and north of Kiowa County, with Caddo County on the east
and Beckham County on the west. The Washita River drains most of the
area, but the southwestern corner has tributaries that flow into the
North Fork of the Red River. The county encompasses a total of 1,009.7
square miles of land and water. Located in the Osage Plains, mostly in
the Western Redbed Plains subregion, Washita County's has a landscape of
rolling prairies ideal for farming and ranching. The county has fewer
than six square miles of surface water...WASHITA
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,009 square miles (2,610 km2), of which 1,006 square miles (2,610 km2) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km2) (0.6%) is water. The county lies in the Western Redbeds Plains sub-region of the Osage Plains. The Washita River drains most of the county, except that the southwest corner drains into the North Fork of the Red River
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Custer County - north
- Caddo County - east
- Kiowa County - south
- Beckham County - west
Education
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