Craig County, Oklahoma Genealogical Records Information

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Craig County History and Information

Craig County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Craig County was created on July 16, 1907 from Cherokee lands. The County was named for Granville Craig of Welch, Oklahoma at the instance of W. H. Kornegay, delegate in the Constitutional Convention. The County Seat is Vinita. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Craig County are Labette County, Kansas (north), Cherokee County, Kansas (northeast), Ottawa County (east), Delaware County (southeast), Mayes County (south), Rogers County (southwest), Nowata County (west)

Craig County Cities & Towns Include Big Cabin, Bluejacket, Ketchum, Vinita, Welch

Records at the Craig County Courthouse

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

PLEASE READ!! 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 Craig County Courthouse at Box 397, Vinita, OK 74301-0397; Phone: (918) 256-3564. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Craig County Clerk's Office has Birth Records from 1908, Death Records from 1908 and , Land Records from 1907.
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

Craig County Court Clerk's Office has Probate Records from 1907, Marriage Records from 1902, 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...

Click Here to Search Oklahoma Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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

Craig County Vital 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 Craig County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Craig County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Craig County Tax Assesors Office, Box 397, Vinita, OK 74301-0397; Phone: (918) 256-3564
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.
Craig County, Oklahoma Tax Books at Amazon.com

Craig 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 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 Craig County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Craig County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Local Oklahoma Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
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
Oklahoma Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Oklahoma Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Craig County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Oklahoma Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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 Craig County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Craig 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 Craig County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Craig County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Oklahoma Family Tree Records! - 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 Craig County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Craig County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Oklahoma Pioneer Project - The Oklahoma Pioneer List (CPL) is a list of settlers to Oklahoma who migrated to or were born in Oklahoma prior to 1880 (included in the 1880 Oklahoma Census) and obtained from those sent (e-mailed) directly from individuals doing genealogical research.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Craig County USGenweb Archives
Craig County, Oklahoma Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Craig County is located in the northern part of the state, adjoining Ottawa, County on the west and the State of Kansas on the south. In Territorial days this section of the state was an important part of the Cherokee Nation and many of its officials and prominent citizens still reside here. Upon the abolition of tribal government and the adoption of statehood, these Cherokees quickly adjusted themselves to their new environment and their new political relations, many of them being successful farmers, business men and political leaders.

Craig County has an area of 775 square miles of land, mostly level prairie land, nearly all of it being of first class agricultural soil. During the years gone by, great quantities of prairie hay were cut each year and much of it shipped to northern markets. Some of the largest and most prosperous cattle ranches were formerly located in this section of the state, but when lands were allotted to the Indians and cut up into small farms, a much greater portion of the land was put into cultivation, and, as a result, the immense pastures disappeared and the shipment of prairie hay became a less important industry.

In those pioneer days it was customary for the "cow men" to drive thousands of long horn cattle, each year, from Texas to this section, to be fattened for market on the succulent grasses which grew so abundantly on these broad prairie pastures.
The soil and climate of this section are well adapted to the production of practically all of the varied crops of the temperate zone, but corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa and prairie hay are the staple crops. Some cotton is raised but is neither as sure nor as profitable as in the counties farther south. The climate and soil of this county are well adapted to horticulture, especially to the production of peaches, apples, grapes and berries. Some good orchards are found here, but a more thorough, scientific study of fruit culture would greatly enhance the value of that industry. More attention is being given to diversification of crops and to systematic farming now, than in the days when the cow puncher reigned supreme. In this work the county farm agents and the agricultural schools of the state are rendering valuable assistance.

There are no large towns in this county outside of Vinita, but there are a number of excellent shipping points and good trade centers. Welch, located eighteen miles north of Vinita, on the M. K. & T., has a population of 800; Bluejacket, also on the M. K. & T., is twelve miles north of Vinita, and has a population of nearly six hundred ; Big Cabin is six miles south of Vinita on the M. K. & T. and has a population of something like four hundred; White Oak is located eight miles west of Vinita on the Frisco and has a population of 200; Centralia is an inland town twenty miles northwest of Vinita and has a population of some 300 happy and progressive people. All of these towns are located in fine agricultural sections and furnish the people who make them their trade centers with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life.

Vinita

Vinita, the county seat of Craig County, is located southeast of the center of the county at the intersection of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway with the Frisco.
Mr. D. M. Marrs, an old citizen, and for many years editor of the Vinita Leader gives the following sketch of the origin and growth of the city.

"A generation ago, or to be more explicit, in the fall of 1869, there might have been seen struggling through the rank underbrush, or toiling through the tall prairie grass, a party of men locating a route for a railroad along the line now traversed by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, south of the Kansas line, and headed southward toward Texas and the Gulf. It was a fine autumn day in the early part of October. The green and gold and purple of the leaves of the timber that scantily skirted the streams made a pretty picture in-the soft, hazy sunshine. The party scrambled up the south bank of Cabin Creek and -strolled leisurely out onto the more elevated prairie and struck camp, or rather came up with the wagon outfit which had preceded them, though by a circular route, and had gone into camp earlier in the afternoon. The gang of men were under instructions to locate a station thirty-miles or thereabout from the state line ; and their record of chain lengths told them that they had about reached the place. The circumambient line of timber on the north and east, following the undulation of the stream, and stretching away to the southward, the long line of Indian summer clouds that melted away before the evening sunset, the magnificent adjacent country, all tended to fix the conviction upon those interested that a finer location could not be found for a station and by-and-by a thriving town.

"Such were some of the preliminaries to the birth of Vinita, but the fates deemed it not wise to locate the town on the spot first decided on by the advance agents of a great railroad. The survey of the Atlantic and Pacific by mutual agreement crossed the "Katy" at this point and everything ran along smoothly till the former roadbed was built to within a mile and a half east of this present townsite. Then a very remarkable thing happened and the townsite was removed between two suns, very much to the disgust, and even armed resistance, of the "Katy."

"The elder E. C. Boudinot, Dr. Poison, Johnson Thompson and Col. J. M. Bell arranged with the Atlantic and Pacific people to turn their line abandoning the old survey and cross the "Katy" where the crossing now is. In the meantime Boudinot and his friends fenced something like two miles square with posts and lumber and undertook to `own' the entire townsite and more. The Atlantic and Pacific came with camps and baggage in the night time with the huge iron railroad crossing loaded on a wagon and proceeded to place it across the track of the other line. The `Katy' people, aroused and indignant, came with an armed force and tore up the crossing and stood guard day and night, slowly dragging trains back and forth to prevent the other road from making headway. The courts were finally appealed to and an injunction granted, and the road pushed westward to the crossing of Big Cabin.

"Boudinot's scheme to hold the townsite did not succeed. His fencing was torn down and destroyed, and the Cherokee authorities, through the town commissioners, surveyed and platted the present town site and named it Downingville, but Boudinot had the satisfaction of giving it a name which superseded Downingville, and from the start was the popular one, and had the advantage of the sanction of both railroads. Boudinot named the town Vinita, in honor of Vinnie Ream the sculptress, whom he had known and loved in Washington City, while an exile from his home and people on account of, his premature notions as to allotment of Cherokee lands.

"The town was platted and the first lots sold in February, 1872. Martin Thompson was the first to bid on and purchase a lot in the town. At first, after the coming of the Frisco, the town was built principally of tents and board shanties, occupied for the most part by whisky peddlers and toughs. Brawls and fights were frequent and now and then a man would be killed.

"There were no section lines in the Cherokee country in those days and the town was surveyed parallel with the Katy railroad which runs through the town at an angle of 43 degrees east. That accounts for the streets not running square with the points of the compass.

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