Ottawa County History and Information

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

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Ottawa County was created on July 16, 1907 from Cherokee nation. The County was named for the tribal name, corruption of "Adawe," meaning to trade or traffic. The County Seat is Miami. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Ottawa County are Cherokee County, Kansas (north), Newton County, Missouri (east), McDonald County, Missouri (southeast), Delaware County (south), Craig County (west)

Ottawa County Cities & Towns Include Afton, Cardin, Commerce, Dotyville, Fairland, Miami, Narcissa, North Miami, Peoria, Picher, Quapaw, Wyandotte

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Records at the Ottawa County Courthouse

See Also Oklahoma Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Search Oklahoma Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below can be contacted at the Ottawa County Courthouse at 102 E Central Ave, Miami, OK 74354-7072; Phone: (918)542-9408. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Ottawa County Clerk's Office has Birth Records from 1908, Death Records from 1908 and , Land Records from 1895.

The County Clerk's office is responsible for preserving all the legal instruments filed by private citizens and public officials with the County Clerk's office. The office maintains files of all real estate records, plats, judgments, liens, patents, military discharges, school records, county personnel, insurance and retirement records for employees, meeting notices, commissioners' proceedings and other documents. Although county clerks record births and deaths and provide information on request, certificates are available only from the Vital Records Section, State Department of Health

Ottawa County Court Clerk's Office has Probate Records from 1907, Marriage Records from 1907, and Court Records from 1907.

The Court Clerk has the primary responsibility to record, file, and maintain permanent records of the proceedings of the District Court. We collect fines, fees, and forfeitures, and distribute the collected monies as provided by law to the appropriate agencies. There are numerous types of cases filed with the Court Clerk's Office some of which include: Civil, Small Claims, Probate, Guardianship, Adoption, Felony, Misdemeanor, Search Warrants, Licenses and more...

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Search District Court Public Records from Participating Oklahoma District Courts
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • Ottawa County, Oklahoma Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Ottawa County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Oklahoma

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Vital Records Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 Northeast 10th, Oklahoma City, OK 73117;(405) 271-4040, They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: Oklahoma began filing birth and death records in October of 1908. It was not mandatory, however, that these records be filed until 1917. Because birth and death records were not required in years past as they are today for identification or settlement of claims in matters of death, the filing process in many years prior to 1940 are sketchy. It is the responsibility of the hospital, attendant at birth or the funeral director in each matter of birth or death to properly obtain the information needed and file the certificate in a timely manner.
    • Cost: $10.00 per birth certificate & $10.00 per death certificate.
    • Processing Time: 12-14 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Birth or Death Certificate) or 2-5 Days when you order online
  • Marriage and Divorce Certificates: Marriage and Divorce Records are maintained and issued in the County Courthouse of issuance. These records are available from the Clerk of Court in the county where the event occurred. Fees vary.
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • Walk-In Service: Coming to the Vital Records Service, Room 117, Oklahoma State Department Of Health, 1000 Northeast 10th, Oklahoma City, OK, Monday - Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or the Tulsa Health Department, Central Regional Health Center, 315 S. Utica, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-2203, 918-594-4840

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Oklahoma newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Ottawa County, Oklahoma Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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Ottawa County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Oklahoma

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Ottawa County, Oklahoma are 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Oklahoma showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Oklahoma showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Maps. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Oklahoma

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Heavy spring rains with severe flooding in 1902 awakened Oklahoma's citizens to the need for better roads. Territorial laws placed responsibility with townships, and a road overseer was to be elected for each district. General property tax and some funds from liquor licenses collected by counties and townships were used to finance the building of public roads along section lines. A road tax was required, along with the requirement that all males between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five donate four eight-hour days a year to work on highways. Those who did not work or provide a substitute were fined $5 for each absence.

The county treasurer or assessor may have tax or assessment records. Some tax records are stored in museums, historical, and/or genealogical societies' repositories. Published tax records for Oklahoma are almost nonexistent. Some duplicated copies of county tax records are stored in the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, State Archives Division for security purposes, but are not available for research. Koplowitz, Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma, indicates location of county records, including those of tax and assessments.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Ottawa County Tax Assesors Office, 102 E Central Ave, Miami, OK 74354-7072; Phone: (918)542-9408
    The county assessor has the responsibility to appraise and assess the real and personal property within the county for the purpose of ad-valorem taxation. Also, the county assessor is required to compute the ad-valorem taxes due on all the taxable property. By law, the county assessor appraises all the taxable real property according to its fair cash value for which the property is actually being used.
  • Ottawa County, Oklahoma Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Oklahoma Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Ottawa County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1383, Miami 74354
  • The Federation of Oklahoma Genealogical Societies, P.O. Box 2531, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74602
  • Oklahoma Historical Society, 2100 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
  • Oklahoma Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 12986, Oklahoma City 73157-2986
  • Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Division of State Archives and Records, 200 N.E. 18th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 75105
  • National Archives; Southwest Region, 501 West Felix Street, Building 1, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; E-mail: ftworth.archives@nara.gov. Mailing Address: P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-0216
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Oklahoma Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Ottawa County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Oklahoma

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Ottawa County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Ottawa County Tombstone Transcription Project.

There are no centralized repositories dealing with church records in Oklahoma. Scattered records can be found in genealogical publications, the DAR compilations, and on microfilm. The Spanish missions have played a central role in Oklahoma's religious history.

Printed secondary sources of transcribed cemeteries exist for most Oklahoma counties. The Oklahoma State Society of the DAR has collected hundreds of such records. Transcripts are housed both at the national DAR and with some local chapters and libraries.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Ottawa County, located in the northeastern corner of the State of Oklahoma, is one of the most important counties of the state, both from an agricultural and mineral standpoint, and its history is unique and interesting. It has been the home of members of a greater number of Indian tribes than any other county in the United States, and strange to say, it has borne the reputation of having been one of the most peaceful, law-abiding communities, inhabited anywhere by the Indian race.

  Many years ago, the United States Government, by treaties with the Cherokee Nation, obtained permission to locate the remnants of various small Indian tribes in this corner of former Indian Territory, now the State of Oklahoma, granting to each a small reservation of land. The Cherokees seem to have been more generous toward the weaker tribes than most any other Indians and the United States authorities availed themselves of this generosity by locating various small bands of Indians who seemed to be unable to find peaceful homes elsewhere.

Miami, the county seat and principal business center of Ottawa County, is located in the southern part of the county, near the Neosho River. It is a clean, pretty city of about seven thousand population, having all the modern conveniences, including paved , streets, cement sidewalks electric lights natural gas, an abundant, supply of good water, first class hotels, handsome brick business blocks and a live Chamber of Commerce composed of 400 active business men.

Miami was one of the first towns in Indian Territory in which complete titles to lots could be secured. On the third day of March, 1891, a company of men, headed by W. E. Lykius, then mayor of the Town of Columbus, Kans., and designated as the Miami Townsite Co., purchased 557.75 acres of land in the northwest corner of the Ottawa Indian reservation, for $10 an acre, and proceeded to plat it into town lots, streets and alleys. It is claimed that Thomas Richardsville, an influential Indian who was, at that time, Chief of the Miami tribe, was, instrumental in securing the passage of the special act of Congress which was necessary in' order to enable the town site company to secure complete title to the land. The sale of town lots began on May 27, 1891, and Dr. W. L. McWilliams made the first purchase, it being claimed that his deed conveyed the first perfect title granted to a white man anywhere in Indian Territory.

When this town site was purchased the liquor dealers took the position that by the transfer of this tract of land to. white men, the town had ceased to be a part of an Indian reservation, and therefore, the Federal statute prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors on an Indian reservation could not be enforced in Miami. As a result, the saloon business flourished amazingly, the village assuming the appearance and character of a typical wild west town. Within a few short years, however, a Federal Court was located in Miami and the saloons were put out of business. To the credit of the founders of the town it should be noted that they favored the abolition of the liquor traffic.

John S. Cheyne of Melrose, Kans., established the first general store in Miami under the title of the Bigham Mercantile Co. It was located where the Baptist Hospital was afterward built, but was soon moved to the east side of Main Street.

Dr. W. L. McWilliams, who is now a prominent Miami banker, was the first practicing physician and established, the first drug store in the town.

Miami was incorporated in 1895 and Col. Hardy H. Butler was elected mayor at the first election, held on November 4, 1895, at which election 126 votes were cast. Prior to this election there had been no form of town government and no law authorizing the levy of taxes for any purpose.

From this time forward, however, the town began to assume the appearance of a well organized municipality and permanent homes and public improvements became the order of the day. Colonel Butler, the first mayor, became interested in establishing a good school system and served the town as a member of the board of education for many years. Under his direction the town was incorporated as a school district, but as there was no provision of law authorizing the issue of bonds for building schoolhouses, the board of education issued school warrants of the denomination of $100 each and sold them to the residents, using the proceeds to build their first schoolhouse. While these preparations for a public school system were being perfected, Mrs. J. L. Talbott was conducting a little school at her home.

The first post office was established in Miami in 1.893 and as there was no railroad in sight at that time, .the mail was carried across the country to and from Baxter Springs, Kan.

Miami is, surrounded by a good agricultural, country and for a number of years it grew rather slowly, but kept apace with the development of the surrounding towns. Like all other young Indian Territory towns, its development was somewhat retarded, by its inability to raise sufficient funds by taxation to supply all of the needed public improvements.

For nearly twenty years the inhabitants seemed contented with trying to make Miami the center of the agricultural trade of the northeastern part of Indian Territory, apparently unaware of the fact that they were just on the border of one of the greatest and richest deposits of lead and zinc in the United States. To be sure, samples of ore had been found in wells and creek bottoms, and for many years the Indians had molded leaden bullets from such samples, but the wildest imagination could not foresee the wonderful developments that were to become a reality in the near future.

The Miami Of Today

As already indicated, Miami was poorly prepared for the sudden influx of population which immediately followed the announcement of the, discovery of vast deposits of lead and zinc, but with characteristic Western enterprise its citizens got busy and they now boast of having an up-to-date city with all the modern conveniences. They now have, three railroads including an interurban line which connects Miami with the towns and mining camps which have sprung up in the district.
Miami has built twenty miles of paving; a seven story modern hotel at a cost of $200,000, with a number of smaller hotels ; solid brick business blocks from two to five stories in height ; a city water and sewer system costing about four hundred thousand dollars ; a first class public school system including a good high school and three or four ward schools; a State School of Mines valued at $300,000, for which the citizens donated a valuable site; a Carnegie Library; two daily and weekly newspapers'; a good commercial college; eight churches, well maintained; a modern fire department ; a successful County Fair Association ; a Country Club and Club House; the leading secret and fraternal orders and last but not least, a distinctive, intelligent American citizenship.

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