McIntosh County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 35°23′N95°40′W / 35.38°N 95.67°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Oklahoma |
Founded | 1907 |
Seat | Eufaula |
Largest city | Checotah |
Area | |
• Total | 712 sq mi (1,840 km2) |
• Land | 618 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
• Water | 94 sq mi (240 km2) 13% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,941 |
• Density | 27/sq mi (10/km2) |
Congressional district | 2nd |
McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,941. [1] Its county seat is Eufaula. [2] The county is named for an influential Muscogee Creek family, whose members led the migration of the Lower Towns to Indian Territory and served as leaders for generations. [3]
It is one of the counties within the jurisdiction of the federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation; a small portion is within the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. [4]
Many archaeological sites in McIntosh County date back to the Archaic period in North America (6000 BC - 1 AD). (Ed. note: the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture defines this period as written here. The definition differs from that shown by the linked Wikipedia article.) Archaeologists have uncovered six sites since 2003 that predate these. These indigenous peoples predated any of Plains Indians, as well as the tribes that settled in the territory in the 1830s following Indian Removal from the American Southeast. Indigenous people may have made petroglyphs at the Handprint Site before the coming of the earliest European explorers. [3]
In 1825, the Creek of the Lower Towns in the territory of present-day Georgia, led by William McIntosh, agreed by the Treaty of Indian Springs with the United States, to exchange their land in Georgia for land in Indian Territory. These Creek were a historic people who had originated in the Southeast and were part of the larger Creek Confederacy for centuries. Much of their new territory was included in what later became McIntosh County. Chief McIntosh was executed in Georgia in 1825 by order of the Creek National Council, which had forbidden such land cessions without agreement by the full council.
His descendants and followers of the Lower Towns migrated to Indian Territory. There the Creek repeatedly battled with the Osage, who had historically occupied a large area including this and up through present-day Missouri. In 1836, the Creek established North Fork Town on the Texas Road, about two miles east of present-day Eufaula, Oklahoma. A post office named Micco operated in North Fork Town from 1853 to 1886. This area became part of the Eufaula District of the Creek Nation. [3]
Albert Pike, representing the Confederate States of America, signed treaties with the Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek nations at the beginning of the Civil War. They allied with the Confederacy in the hopes of gaining an Indian state after the war. The Battle of Honey Springs, the largest battle of the war in what is now Oklahoma, was fought near Rentiesville. The Union Army won and took control of that part of Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River. [3]
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway built a line through this area in 1871–2, generally following the Texas Road. The communities of Checotah and Eufaula were established then. In 1904–5, the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (later merged into the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway) laid a line through the northwestern part of the area, starting the community of Hitchita. [3]
McIntosh County was established at statehood in 1907, when the population was 17,975. Before statehood, the area had been part of the Eufaula District of the Creek Nation. The county gained some land from Hughes County in 1915, but lost some land to Okmulgee County in 1918. [3] The former moved the community of Hanna from Hughes County. The latter moved the towns of Grayson [5] and Hoffman [6] into Okmulgee County. [3]
Between 1907 and 1909, the people of Checotah were involved in a dispute with nearby Eufaula known as the McIntosh County Seat War. After Checotah was designated as the new county seat, the people of Eufaula refused to hand over the county records. Soon after, a group of heavily armed men from Chectotah attempted to seize the records from the courthouse in Eufaula, but were beaten back and forced to surrender during the gunfight that followed. Eufaula was designated as the permanent seat of McIntosh County one year later. [7]
The county is mostly within the jurisdiction of the federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which oversees and represents its members. The far eastern portion of the county is within the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. [4] Native Americans, mostly Muscogee, comprise more than 16% of the county's population.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 712 square miles (1,840 km2), of which 618 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 94 square miles (240 km2) (13%) is water. [8] Much of the water surface is attributable to Eufaula Lake, the largest reservoir entirely within the state. Checotah is the nearest city to Lake Eufaula State Park (formerly Fountainhead State Park). The county is drained by the Deep Fork River, North Canadian River and Canadian River. [3]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 20,961 | — | |
1920 | 26,404 | 26.0% | |
1930 | 24,924 | −5.6% | |
1940 | 24,097 | −3.3% | |
1950 | 17,829 | −26.0% | |
1960 | 12,371 | −30.6% | |
1970 | 12,472 | 0.8% | |
1980 | 15,562 | 24.8% | |
1990 | 16,779 | 7.8% | |
2000 | 19,456 | 16.0% | |
2010 | 20,252 | 4.1% | |
2020 | 18,941 | −6.5% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1790-1960 [10] 1900-1990 [11] 1990-2000 [12] 2010 [13] |
As of the census [14] of 2000, there were 19,456 people, 8,085 households, and 5,683 families residing in the county. The population density was 12/km2 (31/sq mi). There were 12,640 housing units at an average density of 8/km2 (21/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 72.59% White, 4.06% Black or African American, 16.20% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 6.63% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 96.4% spoke English, 1.5% Muskogee and 1.5% Spanish as their first language. As of 2020, its population declined to 18,941. [1]
There were 8,085 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.60% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 22.30% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 21.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,964, and the median income for a family was $31,990. Males had a median income of $27,998 versus $19,030 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,410. About 13.50% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.80% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.
The most common self-identified ancestry groups in McIntosh County are: [15]
Despite a Democratic registration advantage as recently as the late 2010s, the county has not voted that way in presidential elections in the 21st century. Although Republican margins in the county have grown at a slower pace than in many other Oklahoma counties of this size, the party has nonetheless won greater than 60% of the county's vote in every election since 2012. In 2024, Donald Trump won over 75% of the county's vote, the strongest Republican performance in the county's history.
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023 [16] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
Democratic | 4,949 | 40.81% | |||
Republican | 5,512 | 45.45% | |||
Others | 1,666 | 13.74% | |||
Total | 12,127 | 100% |
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 6,387 | 75.68% | 1,937 | 22.95% | 115 | 1.36% |
2020 | 6,172 | 74.05% | 2,031 | 24.37% | 132 | 1.58% |
2016 | 5,505 | 69.13% | 2,123 | 26.66% | 335 | 4.21% |
2012 | 4,509 | 61.87% | 2,779 | 38.13% | 0 | 0.00% |
2008 | 4,903 | 59.63% | 3,320 | 40.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
2004 | 4,692 | 51.11% | 4,488 | 48.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
2000 | 3,444 | 44.26% | 4,206 | 54.05% | 131 | 1.68% |
1996 | 2,400 | 31.21% | 4,219 | 54.86% | 1,072 | 13.94% |
1992 | 2,225 | 28.19% | 4,184 | 53.01% | 1,484 | 18.80% |
1988 | 2,665 | 39.53% | 4,041 | 59.94% | 36 | 0.53% |
1984 | 3,646 | 50.89% | 3,479 | 48.56% | 40 | 0.56% |
1980 | 2,925 | 43.25% | 3,654 | 54.03% | 184 | 2.72% |
1976 | 1,822 | 30.29% | 4,145 | 68.91% | 48 | 0.80% |
1972 | 3,216 | 63.89% | 1,686 | 33.49% | 132 | 2.62% |
1968 | 1,532 | 33.71% | 1,759 | 38.70% | 1,254 | 27.59% |
1964 | 1,428 | 28.99% | 3,497 | 71.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 2,221 | 50.41% | 2,185 | 49.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 2,149 | 44.06% | 2,728 | 55.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 2,295 | 43.29% | 3,007 | 56.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 1,442 | 28.19% | 3,674 | 71.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
1944 | 2,569 | 44.52% | 3,190 | 55.28% | 12 | 0.21% |
1940 | 3,487 | 47.93% | 3,771 | 51.84% | 17 | 0.23% |
1936 | 2,470 | 38.69% | 3,898 | 61.06% | 16 | 0.25% |
1932 | 1,077 | 19.20% | 4,533 | 80.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 2,742 | 56.88% | 2,044 | 42.40% | 35 | 0.73% |
1924 | 1,675 | 37.26% | 2,723 | 60.58% | 97 | 2.16% |
1920 | 2,358 | 44.84% | 2,642 | 50.24% | 259 | 4.92% |
1916 | 898 | 28.04% | 1,743 | 54.43% | 561 | 17.52% |
1912 | 970 | 34.19% | 1,325 | 46.70% | 542 | 19.10% |
The county economy has been based primarily on farming and ranching. Corn was the principal crop until 1900, when cotton superseded it (as measured by acreage) around the middle of the 20th century. Other crops such as sorghum, oats and wheat also became important. However, construction of a dam and the resulting Eufaula Lake inundated much of the best cropland, causing a large-scale decline in agriculture. Cotton farming essentially ceased in the county by the mid-1970s. Cattle ranching has remained important, continuing to rise throughout the century. By 2000, the county reported 55,000 head of cattle. [3]
Completion of Eufaula Lake in 1964 generated revenue from hydroelectric power, stimulated tourism, and produced companion businesses like boat building and general retail. [3]
Mineral resources such as oil, natural gas, limestone, sand and gravel have also been important. While there are ample coal deposits, much of it has a high ash and sulfur content, so little except the low-sulfur type has been mined. [3]
The following sites in McIntosh County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
Sequoyah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,281. The county seat is Sallisaw. Sequoyah County was created in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state. It was named after Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee syllabary and its written language.
Pittsburg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,773. Its county seat is McAlester. The county was formed from part of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory in 1907. County leaders believed that its coal production compared favorably with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the time of statehood.
Pawnee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,553. Its county seat is Pawnee. The county is named after the Pawnee Nation, whose reservation used to encompass the county prior to allotment in 1893.
Okmulgee County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,706. The county seat is Okmulgee. Located within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, the county was created at statehood in 1907. The name Okmulgee is derived from the Hitchita word okimulgi, meaning "boiling waters".
Muskogee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,339. The county seat is Muskogee. The county and city were named for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The official spelling of the name was changed to Muskogee by the post office in 1900. Muskogee County is part of the Muskogee, OK micropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville combined statistical area.
Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,754. Its county seat is Sapulpa.
Stigler is a city in and county seat of Haskell County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,685 at the time of the 2010 census, down from 2,731 recorded in 2000.
Checotah is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named for Samuel Checote, the first chief of the Creek Nation elected after the Civil War. Its population was 3,481 at the 2000 census. According to Census 2010, the population has decreased to 3,335; a 4.19% loss.
Eufaula is a city in and the county seat of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,813 at the 2010 census, an increase of 6.6 percent from 2,639 in 2000. Eufaula is in the southern part of the county, 30 miles (48 km) north of McAlester and 32 miles (51 km) south of Muskogee.
Hitchita is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture says that the town was named for a band of Muskhogean Indians that had been absorbed into the Creek tribe. The population was 88 at the 2010 census, a decline of 22.1 percent from 113 in 2000.
Rentiesville is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. It was founded in 1903 and named for William Rentie, a local landowner. It was one of 50 all-black towns in Oklahoma and one of 13 that still survives. The population was 128 at the 2010 census, an increase of 25.5 percent from 102 in 2000.
Shady Grove is a census-designated place (CDP) in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 199 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 14.4 percent from 229 in 2000. This is not to be confused with the similarly-named Shady Grove in Cherokee County, or the Shady Grove in Pawnee County.
Texanna is a census-designated place (CDP) in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,083 at the 2000 census.
Grayson is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 127 at the 2020 census.
Okmulgee is a city in and the county seat of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area. The name is from the Muskogee word okimulgi, which means "boiling waters". The site was chosen because of the nearby rivers and springs. Okmulgee is 38 miles south of Tulsa and 13 miles north of Henryetta via US-75.
Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.
Tullahassee is a town in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 106 in both the 2010 and the 2000 censuses. It was the location of Tullahassee Mission, an Indian boarding school that burned in 1880. Because their population in the community had declined, the Muscogee Creek gave the school to Creek Freedmen, paying to replace the main building, and relocated with their families to the area of Wealaka Mission.
The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands. They commonly refer to themselves as Este Mvskokvlke. Historically, they were often referred to by European Americans as one of the Five Civilized Tribes of the American Southeast.
The McIntosh County Seat War was a dispute in Oklahoma over the location of the McIntosh County seat. The McIntosh County Seat War took place between 1907 and 1909. Following a pair of elections that resulted in the town of Checotah being designated as the new county seat, the people of Eufaula refused to hand over the county records. As a result, a group of heavily armed men from Checotah attempted to seize the records, but were forced to surrender during the gunbattle that ensued. One year later, after another close election, Eufaula became the permanent county seat.