Grant County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,169. Its county seat is Medford. Originally designated as part of the Cherokee Outlet, it was named County L in Oklahoma Territory at the time of its opening to non-Indian settlement. A county election renamed it for U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

History

thumb|right|[[Pond Creek Masonic Lodge No. 125]]

Grant County was part of the Cherokee Nation's Cherokee Outlet until it was opened to non-Indian settlers in response to public demand on September 16, 1893. Settlers named the county after President Ulysses S. Grant in a general election held November 6, 1894. Congress originally designated this area as County L in Oklahoma Territory, with the county seat at Pond Creek. Medford became the county seat through an election held on May 27, 1908.

The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) built a railroad from northern Kansas through Grant County in 1889 and 1890. In 1897, the Gulf Railroad (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, AT&SF) linked Manchester, Wakita, Medford, and Deer Creek. At the start of the 20th century, the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railroad (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) passed through Lamont. Still later, the Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad (later the AT&SF) reached Nash (Nashville).

Florence was the site of a post office in Grant Co. that existed prior to 1908 but ceased to exist circa 1920, after the post office closed, per information acquired in researching an ancestor, Isaac Arnold, who was postmaster in Florence from August 1908 to 1920.

In October 2024, four of the sheriff's department deputies resigned at the same time. This left the sheriff's office with one deputy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. Most of the county is drained by the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River and its tributaries (Pond, Deer, Osage, and Crooked creeks). The Chikaskia River flows southeast from Kansas into the county's northeastern corner, then crosses east into Kay County.

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| 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 4,169. Of the residents, 23.5% were under the age of 18 and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.8% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 1.8% from some other race, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.

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! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 416

| align = center | 14.59%

|-

|

| Republican

| align = center | 2,120

| align = center | 74.36%

|-

|

| Others

| align = center | 315

| align = center | 11.05%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 2,851

! align = center | 100%

|}

Political culture

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Economy

The county economy has largely been based on agriculture since before statehood. At statehood the principal crops included wheat, corn, oats, alfalfa, and forage sorghum with estimated value of $3.5 million. Farmers and ranchers had more than fourteen thousand each of hogs and cattle as well as almost thirteen thousand horses.

  • Billings Public Schools
  • Deer Creek-Lamont Schools
  • Kremlin-Hillsdale Schools
  • Medford Public Schools
  • Pond Creek-Hunter Schools
  • Timberlake Public Schools

Former school districts:

  • Wakita Public Schools - Merged into Medford Public Schools in 2011.

NRHP sites

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

  • Bank of Nashville, Nash
  • Dayton School, Lamont
  • Deer Creek General Merchandise Store, Deer Creek
  • Grant County Courthouse, Medford
  • Medford Bathhouse and Swimming Pool, Medford

References

Further reading

  • Shirk, George H. Oklahoma Place Names. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1987.
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Grant County
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory