Craig County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,107. Its county seat is Vinita. The county was organized in 1907, shortly before statehood, and named for Granville Craig, a prominent Cherokee farmer who lived in the Bluejacket area.

History

In the early 1800s, this area was part of the hunting grounds of the Osage nation and other Plains tribes, some of whom had migrated west from other areas. Members of the Cherokee Nation began moving into the area during the 1830s, particularly after Indian Removal by the US government, which forced them on the "Trail of Tears" to west of the Mississippi River, when they were given land by the United States in exchange for their territory in the Southeast. The area was sparsely populated until after the Civil War. The Texas Road and the East Shawnee Cattle Trail, used for cattle drives from Texas, ran through the eastern part of the present-day Craig County. The county lies in the Osage Plains, on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau, and drains into several tributaries of the Neosho River.

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 14,107. Of the residents, 21.5% were under the age of 18 and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.8 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 60.8% White, 2.7% Black or African American, 20.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 1.1% from some other race, and 14.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.

|-

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 2,743

| align = center | 33.36%

|-

|

| Republican

| align = center | 4,416

| align = center | 53.71%

|-

|

| Others

| align = center | 1,063

| align = center | 12.93%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 8,222

! align = center | 100%

|}

<!-- PresRow should be -->

Communities

Cities

  • Vinita (county seat)

Towns

  • Big Cabin
  • Bluejacket
  • Ketchum
  • Welch
  • Langley

Census-designated place

  • White Oak

Unincorporated communities

  • Centralia

Education

Unified school districts include:

  • Afton Public Schools
  • Bluejacket Public Schools
  • Chelsea Public Schools
  • Ketchum Public Schools
  • Vinita Public Schools
  • Welch Public Schools
  • White Oak Public Schools (has separate zones for K-8 only and for 9-12, and it only operates K-8 in-house)

There is one elementary school district, Cleora Public School.

NRHP sites

The following sites in Craig County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

  • Craig County Courthouse, Vinita
  • First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Vinita
  • Hotel Vinita, Vinita
  • McDougal Filling Station, Vinita
  • Randall Tire Company, Vinita
  • Spraker Service Station, Vinita

Notable people

  • Shella Bowlin, Cherokee government official and business executive

References

Further reading

  • "Craig County," Vertical File, Research Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City.
  • The Heritage of Craig County and Cooweescoowee and Delaware Districts, Indian Territory, Vol. 3 (Vinita, Okla.: Craig County Genealogical Society, 2000).
  • The Story of Craig County: Its People and Places, 2 vols. (Vinita, Okla.: Craig County Heritage Association, 1984–1991).
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Craig County
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory