Muskogee County, Oklahoma

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.

History

According to archaeological studies, prehistoric people lived in this area as long ago as the Paleo-Indian period (before 6,000 B. C.). However, archaeologists have made more extensive studies of those people known as the Mound Builders who lived here during the Caddoan Stage (A.D. 300 – 1200).

After the Civil War, the Five Civilized Tribes, which included the Creeks, agreed to new treaties with the federal government. Among other provisions, they ceded their western lands back to the government and allowed rights of way to railroads. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (also called MKT or Katy) built a line into Indian Territory, near the Three Forks. Although railroad officials intended to build a depot at the site of Fort Davis, the terrain proved unsuitable, so they relocated the depot, which they named Muscogee, farther south. They also began the town of Oktaha farther south, in the same year.

The western part of the county is prairie grassland, while the eastern part rises into the Cookson Hills, on the western edge of the Ozark Mountains. The Arkansas, Verdigris and Grand rivers all converge in the county, causing that area to be called "Three Forks."

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 66,339. Of the residents, 23.0% were under the age of 18 and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.3 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 54.0% White, 10.0% Black or African American, 18.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 3.2% from some other race, and 13.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.8% of the population.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 69,451 people, 26,458 households, and 18,467 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 29,575 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.73% White, 13.16% Black or African American, 14.88% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.19% other races, and 6.43% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26,458 households, of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals; 12.30% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51, and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution of the population was 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.

The median income of households in the county was $28,438, and the median income per family was $34,793. Males had a median income of $28,670 versus $20,457 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,828. About 14.10% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.00% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton 62%-33% in 2016, which was a sharp right-turn from the competitive totals from Barack Obama's efforts in the prior two elections. Trump went on to beat Joe Biden by an even greater margin in 2020.

In February 2022, Republicans held a plurality of registered voters in Muskogee County for the first time in recent history.

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

| Republican

| align = center | 16,781

| align = center | 45.70%

| Democratic

| align = center | 13,723

| align = center | 37.38%

| Libertarian

| align = center | 273

| align = center | 0.74%

| Unaffiliated

| align = center | 5,939

| align = center | 16.18%

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 36,716

! align = center | 100%

Economy

At statehood, the economy was based primarily on agriculture and ranching. The main crops in the county were corn, cotton, and wheat. Agricultural service industries consisted mainly of cotton gins, grain mills, and stockyards. Cotton production declined dramatically during the Great Depression and was replaced by soybeans, wheat, feed grains, and grasses. Truck farming became important during and after World War II, leading to the development of a canning and food-processing industry.

Braggs Public Schools
Checotah Public Schools
Fort Gibson Public Schools
Gore Public Schools
Haskell Public Schools
Hilldale Public Schools
Midway Public Schools
Muskogee Public Schools
Oktaha Public Schools
Porum Public Schools
Wainwright Public School - Elementary school only
Warner Public Schools
Webbers Falls Public Schools

State-operated schools in this county:

Oklahoma School for the Blind (Muskogee)

Communities

Cities

Haskell
Muskogee (county seat)

Towns

Boynton
Braggs
Council Hill
Fort Gibson
Oktaha
Porum
Summit
Taft
Wainwright
Warner
Webbers Falls

Census-designated places

Briartown
Keefton
Norwood (mostly in Cherokee County)
River Bottom
Sand Hill
Simms
Sour John

Other unincorporated place

Pumpkin Center

Notable people

Tom Coburn (1948–2020), lived in Muskogee; served in U. S. House of Representatives (1995–2001); served as U.S. Senator from Oklahoma (1995–2014);
Drew Edmondson (b. 1946), was elected attorney general for Oklahoma (1995–2011); ran unsuccessfully for governor of Oklahoma in 2010 and 2018.
Edmond Edmondson (1919–1990), served the Second Congressional District, which includes Muskogee County, from 1953 to 1973.
J. Howard Edmondson (1925–1971), born in Muskogee, served as Oklahoma governor (1959–63) and senator (1963–64).
Charles N. Haskell (1860–1933), settled in Muskogee in 1901 and became a leader at the Sequoyah Convention and Oklahoma's first governor in 1907.
Robert L. Owen (1856–1947), a Cherokee, served as the U.S. agent to the Five Civilized Tribes in Muskogee. In 1907 he became one of Oklahoma's first U.S. senators.
Pleasant Porter (1840–1907), principal chief of the Creek Nation, negotiated the allotment treaty with the Dawes Commission. He served as president of the Sequoyah Convention.
Alexander Posey (1873–1908), a Creek poet and newspaper editor in Muskogee, was secretary of the Sequoyah Convention and is credited with writing most of that constitution.
Alice M. Robertson (1854–1931), the first woman appointed postmaster of a Class A post office in the United States, in 1920 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the second woman in the United States to hold a congressional seat and was the only woman to serve Oklahoma in Congress until Mary Fallin was elected in 2006.
Belle Starr (1848–1899), American outlaw; lived in the Cookson Hills in eastern Muskogee County.
Mike Synar (1950–1996) served in Congress from 1979 to 1995.

NRHP sites

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

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Administration Building - Post Hospital, Fort Gibson
Central Baptist Church, Muskogee
Cherokee National Cemetery, Fort Gibson
Commandant's Quarters, Fort Gibson
V. R. Coss House, Muskogee
Dragoon Commandant's Quarters, Fort Gibson
W.E.B. DuBois School, Summit
Escoe Building, Muskogee
First Baptist Church, Muskogee
F. B. Fite House and Servant's Quarters, Muskogee
Grant Foreman House, Muskogee
Fort Davis, Muskogee
Fort Gibson, Fort Gibson
1876 Indian Administration Building, Muskogee
Manhattan Building, Muskogee
Manual Training High School for Negroes, Muskogee
George A. Murphy House, Muskogee
Muskogee County Courthouse, Muskogee
Nancy Taylor No. 1 Oil Well Site, Haskell
Nash-Swindler House, Fort Gibson

Officer's Quarters, Fort Gibson
Oktaha School, Oktaha
A. W. Patterson House, Muskogee
Post Adjutant's Office, Fort Gibson
Post Blacksmith Shop, Fort Gibson
Pre-Statehood Commercial District, Muskogee
Railway Exchange Building, Muskogee
Andrew W. Robb House, Muskogee
Seawell-Ross-Isom House, Fort Gibson
Severs Hotel, Muskogee
Sheltered Shelter District, Warner
St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church, Summit
Surety Building, Muskogee
Taft City Hall, Taft
A. C. Trumbo House, Muskogee
Union Agency, Muskogee
United States Post Office and Courthouse, Muskogee
Ward Chapel AME Church, Muskogee
J. C. Welch House, Muskogee