Muskogee County, Oklahoma Genealogical Records Information

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Muskogee County History and Information

Muskogee County Facts

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

Muskogee County was created in 1898 from Creek Lands. The County was named from the city, which in turn was named for the Muskogee or Creek tribe of Indians. The word is a corruption of "Maskoki" said to have been derived from an Algonquin word signifying swamp or marshy land. The County Seat is Muskogee. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Muskogee County are Wagoner County (north), Cherokee County (northeast), Sequoyah County (east), Haskell County (southeast), McIntosh County (southwest), Okmulgee County (west)

Muskogee County Cities & Towns Include Boynton, Braggs, Council Hill, Fort Gibson, Haskell, Muskogee, Oktaha, Porum, River Bottom, Sand Hills, Simms, Sour John, Summit, Taft, Wainwright, Warner, Webbers Falls

Records at the Muskogee 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 Muskogee County Courthouse at 3000 North Street, Muskogee, OK 74403-0000; Phone: (918) 682-9601. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Muskogee County Clerk's Office has Birth Records from 1908, Death Records from 1908 and , Land Records from 1901.
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

Muskogee County Court Clerk's Office has Probate Records from 1908, Marriage Records from 1908, and Court Records from 1908.
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 Muskogee County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Muskogee County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

Muskogee County Tax Assesors Office, 3000 North Street, Muskogee, OK 74403-0000; Phone: (918) 682-9601
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.
Muskogee County, Oklahoma Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Muskogee County Genealogical Society, 801 West Okmulgee, Muskogee 74401
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

Muskogee 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 Muskogee County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Muskogee 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 Muskogee County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Muskogee 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 Muskogee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Muskogee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Muskogee County ] [ Oklahoma ] [ Main Page ]
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Oklahoma Family Group Sheets
Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
Oklahoma Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
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
Muskogee County USGenweb Archives
Muskogee County, Oklahoma Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Early History of Muskogee

During the year 1871 the M., K. & T. Railroad, then called the Missouri Pacific, was built from Parsons, Kansas, to the Arkansas River, three miles north of the present site of Muskogee. Three months' time was consumed by the construction company in building the bridges over the river, and in the meantime quite a colony was formed on the north side of the river—and such a colony ! The bridge builders, and other employees of the railroad company, excursionists, homeseekers, freighters with their teams of oxen, hucksters, boarding-house keepers, gamblers, liquor peddlers, and an array of loafers and outlaws—all living in tents and improvised shacks, waiting to get across the river and anxious to know where the railway company would locate the next town. Finally, on the first day of January, 1872, the bridge was completed and the railroad employees announced that they would locate their next station 11/2 miles south of the river. As rapidly as the cars could be loaded, the tents, shacks, stocks of groceries and household effects were moved to the new location and a still larger colony soon assembled at the new location. A frame depot was erected, streets were opened on the railroad's right-of-way and fully 500 people stopped there, but stores, shops, boarding-houses, gamblers and bootleggers, were still housed in tents.

The new station was christened "Muskogee," in honor of the Muskogee or Creek Tribe of Indians. Mr. E. L. Bracken, the present city weighmaster of Muskogee, is the only resident of the present Muskogee, who came across the river with that outfit. Mr. Bracken, at that time, was in the service of the Overland Transportation Company, whose business was that of hauling provisions, clothing and hardware from St. Louis to the forts and outposts of the Southwest in covered wagons drawn by oxen. These provision trains usually consisted of from 30 to 40 covered wagons, heavily loaded, with three yokes of oxen to each wagon. Upon opening up the restaurants and boarding-houses of the new town, it was noticed that the quality of the bread, meat, coffee and canned goods was much better than had been served on the north side of the river, and upon investigation it was disclosed that great quantities of Government provisions intended for the army forts, had been stolen during the rush and excitement of crossing the river. Deputy marshals from Fort Smith were sent for, to investigate the theft, and with the assistance of Mr. Bracken, it was found that two soldiers from Fort Gibson, who were guarding the provisions, disposed of a large quantity of them to some gamblers for a trifling sum of money. While exploring the new town, the deputies discovered that none of the merchants or restaurant-keepers had, as yet, secured any internal revenue license, and they proceeded to confiscate all the cigars and tobacco in the town, except those of one merchant, who, upon learning Of the raid upon the other stores, piled all of his boxes upon the floor and covered them with sides of bacon. For several days after the deputies left, he had a monopoly of the tobacco business. The deputy marshals arrested a few men for various offenses and on their return trip to Fort Smith, confiscated a wagon, mule team and a barrel of whisky.

Mr. Bracken, who accompanied them as an officer, reports that deputies and prisoners partook freely of the tobacco and liquor, and that the prisoners had such an enjoyable time, that none of them tried to escape.

Atkinson & Robb had the principal general store at this first town.. They will be remembered by old settlers, Mr. Robb later being identified with the Patterson Mercantile Company and known as one of the best and most progressive citizens of the young city of Muskogee. Joshua Ross, one of the pioneers of this country, and Bent Cobb, another old-timer, both of whom are still residents of Muskogee, sold goods there. After retaining its station at that point for about four months, the railroad officials decided that it was not a suitable location for a permanent station, as the road grade .was rather steep and the land sloped in but one . direction, rendering it difficult for trains to stop and start easily. They wanted a spot where the ground was practically level, gently sloping in both directions, and they found it at the present site of the M., K. & T. Station, and on the 12th day of April, 1872, all hands got busy and moved their provisions, tents and household goods 11/2 miles southward and the real Muskogee sprang into existence. The first tenements were tents and cheap shacks adjoining the right-of-way of the railroad on the east and west, all stores and shops facing the railroad. Doctor Cummings, Muskogee's first physician, erected the first store building on the present site of the city. It was located on the west side of the railroad, midway between Broadway and Okmulgee Avenue, and was filled with a stock of drugs. Otto Zufall hauled the lumber for this building from a mill on the Arkansas River, nearly all of it being of good walnut stock. Walnut timber was plentiful in those days along the streams, but the farmers did not appreciate its value. Much of it was converted into fence posts and rails and it was known to be excellent fire-wood.

Atkinson & Robb moved their stock of general merchandise down from the temporary station and located on the southeast corner of Broadway and Main Street. George Elliott was the first postmaster and the first post office was in the rear end of the Atkinson-Robb store. The mail was not heavy and the accommodating postmaster would stand in the doorway and call to each passer-by who happened to be so fortunate as to receive a letter. Joshua Ross moved his general store down and located on the east side of the railroad. For many years it was known as the "Red Front." Other stores which were soon established were those of J. A. Patterson, Parkinson & Kincaid, and W. L. Squires. Parkinson & Kincaid's store was successively purchased by Kincaid & Hogg, A. B. Cass, W. A. Wade & Co., and within a few years became the property of J. L. Turner & Parkinson, who for many years were among the city's leading merchants. Otto Zufall and his brother, George, located the first blacksmith shop on South Main Street and for many months they were probably the busiest men in Muskogee. The first eating-house was owned by John Porter, who established himself on the west side of the railroad, almost in the center of Broadway. The railroad moved its frame depot down to the new town and occupied it until it became necessary to construct a larger building. That original depot is now a part of the property of the Minnetonka Lumber Company, on East Okmulgee Avenue.

One among the very first important institutions located in the new city was Major J. A. Foreman's mill which was erected on the east side, just north of the Katy viaduct. It ground wheat and corn and ginned cotton. Its motor-power was an immense windmill of thirty-two horsepower, resembling the famous windmills of Holland. For many years, the farmers, from every direction, hauled their products to the old windmill. James Mitchell started a restaurant east of the railroad on the south side of Broadway, and in 1873 built a two-story hotel on the site of the present M., K. & T. (Katy) Depot. For several years, until it was destroyed by fire, the Mitchell House was the largest hotel in Indian Territory.

Before Muskogee had completed its first year's existence the water problem became a serious one. Charley Willy had a monopoly in the business of hauling water for the stores and homes, but his supply was too limited to meet the demands of the railroad. George W. Ingalls, the first United States agent for the Five Tribes, had his headquarters out at Agency Hill, two miles west of the depot. He felt that the merchants were not extending to him that degree of courtesy to which the dignity of his office entitled him, and decided that he would try to find a suitable source of water supply farther south and would ask the railroad to move its station down to his proposed new location. The consummation of his scheme would, of course, have meant the death-knell of Muskogee and. the merchants were fully aware of it. Ingalls made arrangements with some men to dig a deep well fifteen miles south, at the present site of Checotah. The excavation of this great well was vigilantly watched by the merchants, and when it reached the depth where water was beginning to seep in at the' bottom, some enterprising Muskogeeans, whose identity the old pioneers have ever since refused to divulge, purchased a barrel of salt at Patterson's store, hauled it down in the nighttime, quietly poured it in the new well and. returned to their homes to await further developments. When the Indian agent learned that his big well had struck salt water, his scheme of moving the agency headquarters from Muskogee was abandoned, and the citizens were thoroughly convinced of the efficacy of salt as a remedy, when properly applied, for it saved Muskogee's life. But the excitement which this little affair caused put the merchants to thinking. It was plain to be seen that if they expected to build a town of any size, they must have an adequate supply of water for the railroad, and for the factories and shops which they hoped to secure. At that time, however, Muskogee had no municipal government, no officials, no authority to raise any funds by taxation.

When they needed any improvements of a public nature, they had to raise the money by voluntary contributions. After carefully canvassing the situation, it was finally decided to build an immense pond just north of the business section of the town. About two thousand dollars was contributed for this purpose and a pond was dug, covering about twenty acres, the center of which was three blocks north, about where the depot of the Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad Co. is now located. For twenty-five years the "Katy Pond," as it was named, was the sole source of water supply for public purposes, which the town had. As late as the year 1900 it was a customary sight to see scores of men, women and children sitting on-the bank of the pond, during Summer evenings, catching small cat-fish and perch.

Prior to 1874 each of the Five Civilized Tribes had its separate agency with a Federal official in charge. The Creek Agency was located at the base of Fern Mountain, three miles northwest of Muskogee. Long before Muskogee was started quite a settlement was built up around the old agency and several stores were located there. The first tavern in this section of the country was located there and was kept by Aunt Sarah Davis, an old colored woman weighing 250 pounds. Aunt Sarah's tavern became quite a noted resort for she had' the reputation of being an excellent cook and her tables were always overloaded with well-cooked victuals. Soon after Muskogee was located, Mr. J. A. Patterson persuaded Aunt Sarah to move to town, and built a tavern for her on North Main Street near the railroad which she continued to maintain until the building was destroyed by fire some years later.

Perhaps the first permanent residence built in Muskogee was the small cottage erected by Mr. D. N. Robb on the present site of the First National Bank, near the corner. of Broadway and Second Street. Mr. Robb's youngest daughter, Jessie, now Mrs. Hobart, was the first white child born in Muskogee. Mr. Atkinson, Mr. Robb's partner, erected the first two-story residence, on the lot now occupied by the Travelers' Hotel. This building was afterward purchased by some well-to-do colored men and was converted into a colored school.

The first Masonic Lodge in Indian Territory was instituted out at the old Creek Agency, near Fern Mountain, about 1856 by John Barnwell, an Irishman; D. B. Whitlow, an intermarried Creek citizen; J. MAD. Coody, a Cherokee, and George W. Stidham and Col. D. N. McIntosh, Creek Indians. They secured a dispensation for organizing the lodge from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, at Little Rock, and when the Fern Mountain settlement was transferred to Muskogee, they moved their lodge to Eufaula, not being able to find a suitable lodge hall in Muskogee. While at Eufaula, however, it retained its original name of "Muskogee Lodge No. 1."

While Muskogee was in its infancy the Presbyterians established the first church at the present site of the First Christian Church on the corner of Court and Fourth streets. This building was soon destroyed by fire and a new one erected on the northwest corner of Second Street and Okmulgee Avenue. Their first pastor was Rev. John Elliott, who was the father-in-law of Mr. Deming of the Deming Investment Co.

The first sermon, however, was delivered by Rev. Timothy Hill, a Presbyterian missionary, who spent a few days in Muskogee and started the organization of a church. The Methodists soon followed with the organization of a church, locating their building near the corner of Okmulgee Avenue and Cherokee Street.

After having had a separate Indian agent for each of the Five Tribes for nearly a half century, the Federal Government, in 1874, combined those offices into one Union Agency, with headquarters at Muskogee. This was the first important step taken toward insuring the future growth of Muskogee, for it practically made this city the capital of the Indian Territory. The citizens and officials of the Five Tribes, together with their attorneys and witnesses, all had to journey to Muskogee to transact their governmental business. George W. Ingalls, the first Union agent, was succeeded by Col. J. Q. Tuffts, an army officer. Then came Robt. L. Owen, now United States Senator, Dr. Leo E. Bennett, Major Dew M. Wisdom, J. Blair Schoenfelt and lastly Dana H. Kelsey. One of Mr. Robb's daughters taught the first school in Muskogee, in a small house located near the southeast corner of Broadway and Fourth Street. A man by the name of Payne came down from, Kansas shortly afterward and started a little subscription school at the northeast corner of Okmulgee Avenue and Third Street. Both of these schools were short-lived and were followed by the Mission schools of the Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic denominations. Miss Alice Robertson organized a school for girls called the Minerva Home, which was succeeded by the Presbyterian School for Girls. A few years later Miss Robertson, assisted by a few benevolent Presbyterians, founded Henry Kendall College, which, for several years, was the leading educational institution of the city.

About 1878 Dr. Theo. F. Brewer, started a Methodist school, which became known as Harrell Institute. Dr. Brewer remained in charge of this school for eighteen years and resigned its presidency on May 26, 1896, and was succeeded by Rev. W. A. Thornton. Dr. Brewer was too deeply interested, however, in Christian educational work to remain out of the harness many months and he soon took charge of Willie Halsell College at Vinita, where he continued to make his influence felt as a leader and teacher of the highest standard. His ability as an educator was recognized after statehood by his appointment as a member of the first State Text-Book Commission and as a member of the State Board of Education.

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