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Oklahoma Genealogy

Oklahoma Genealogy Facts

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado first explored the region for Spain in 1541. The U.S. acquired most of Oklahoma in 1803 in the Louisiana Purchase from France; the Western Panhandle region became U.S. territory with the annexation of Texas in 1845.

  • Oklahoma was organized as Indian Territory in 1834, the region was divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory on May 2, 1890.
  • Oklahoma entered the union as the 46th state on November 16, 1907 .
  • Oklahoma has 77 Counties
  • Oklahoma’s capital is Oklahoma City and the official state website is www.ok.gov/.
  • Oklahoma is bordered by Arkansas (west), Colorado (northwest), Kansas (north), Missouri (northeast), New Mexico (northwest), Texas (west, south).
  • Oklahoma has a land area of 69,903 square miles making it the 20th largest state.
  • Oklahoma’s 2010 population was 3,751,351 .
  • Oklahoma  largest cities (2010) are Oklahoma City (Capital), 579,999; Tulsa, 391,906; Norman, 110,925; Lawton, 96,867; Broken Arrow, 98,850; Edmond , 81,405; Moore, 55,081; Midwest City, 54,371; Enid, 49,379; Stillwater, 45,688.
  • Oklahoma’s name is from the Choctaw Indian words “okla” meaning people and “humma” meaning red.
  • Oklahoma’s nickname is ” Sooner State ” which references the first day homesteading was permitted (April 22, 1889), 50,000 people swarmed into the area. Those who tried to beat the noon starting gun were called “Sooners,” hence the state’s nickname.
  • Oklahoma State Motto is ” Labor omnia vincit ” which means Labor Conquers All Things.

Oklahoma County Genealogy

Oklahoma deeds, probates, and civil court records are located at the county clerk’s or clerk of the courts office. Marriage records before statewide recording may be found at the county clerk as well, but records of births and deaths are not available until statewide recording began. Official certificates come from the State Department of Health. The largest percentage of Oklahoma’s extant public records were generated in the twentieth century and are generally intact. Send inquiries to the county official at the courthouse address for the appropriate county.

Select a County Below

COUNTY PAGES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Oklahoma has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Day County Formed in 1892 from Cheyenne & Arapaho lands. Abolished in 1907; now Ellis County area. Day County in Oklahoma Territory, was abolished at statehood, comprising the northern portion of Roger Mills County and the southern portion of Ellis County. Named for William R. Day
  • A County “A County” was the original designation for Lincoln County, Oklahoma Territory. It included some of the former Absentee Shawnee, Iowa, Kickapoo, and Sac & Fox Lands administered by the Sac & Fox Agency.
  • B County “B County” was the original designation for Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma Territory. It included some of the former Absentee Shawnee, Kickapoo, and Pottawatomie Lands administered by the Sac & Fox Agency.
  • C County “C County” was the original designation for Blaine County, Oklahoma Territory
  • D County “D County” was the original designation for Dewey County, Oklahoma Territory
  • E County “E County” was the original designation for Day County, Oklahoma Territory
  • F County “F County” was the original designation for Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • G County “G County” was the original designation for Custer County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • H County “H County” was the original designation for Washita County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • I County “I County” was the original designation for Caddo County, Oklahoma Territory
  • K County “K County” was the original designation for Kay County, Oklahoma Territory
  • L County “L County” was the original designation for Grant County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • M County “M County” was the original designation for Woods County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • N County “N County” was the original designation for Woodward County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • O County “O County” was the original designation for Garfield County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • P County “P County” was the original designation for Noble County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • Q County “Q County” was the original designation for Pawnee County, Oklahoma Territory.

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Oklahoma Genealogy Links

See Oklahoma County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

Oklahoma State History

Oklahoma, state in the western area of the south central United States. It is bordered by Colorado and Kansas on the north and Missouri and Arkansas on the east. South and west of Oklahoma is Texas, and on the western edge of Oklahoma’s Panhandle lies New Mexico.

Part of the state’s area had been originally put aside for settlement of Native Americans and was known as Indian Territory. The other section of the state, Oklahoma Territory, was gradually opened for white settlement toward the end of the 19th century. Oklahoma earned its nickname, the Sooner State, from the fact that some land-hungry settlers, known as the Sooners, jumped the starting gun that was to open one section of the territory to settlers and rushed in to take land before they were legally entitled to do so.

Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, as the 46th state. Resulting from the combination of Indian and Oklahoma territories, the state retains marked features of its Native American heritage in the makeup of its population and the Indian place-names in the state. Oklahoma City is the state’s capital and largest city.

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