McCurtain County, Oklahoma Genealogy
Guide to McCurtain County, Oklahoma ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
McCurtain County was named to honor a prominent Choctaw family, three of whom had served as principal chiefs of the tribe. The county occupies the extreme southeastern corner of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
McCurtain County Courthouse
108 N Central Avenue
Idabel, OK 74745
Phone: 580.286-2370
Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1907[1]
McCurtain County, Oklahoma Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | 1860 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]
Cities | ||
Towns | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1910 | 20,681 | — |
1920 | 37,905 | 83.3% |
1930 | 34,759 | −8.3% |
1940 | 41,318 | 18.9% |
1950 | 31,588 | −23.5% |
1960 | 25,851 | −18.2% |
1970 | 28,642 | 10.8% |
1980 | 36,151 | 26.2% |
1990 | 33,433 | −7.5% |
2000 | 34,402 | 2.9% |
2010 | 33,151 | −3.6% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
For tips on accessing McCurtain County, Oklahoma Genealogy census records online, see: Oklahoma Census.
Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Oklahoma starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Oklahoma Census.
State Census Records
- 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census 1890 - Oklahoma Historical Societ
- 1890 and 1907 Oklahoma Territorial Census, 1890 and 1907 at Ancestry — index and image ($)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Oklahoma denominations, view the Oklahoma Church Records Wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
A brief history of Wheelock Seminary, part of the Wheelock Mission church can be found in the Chronicles of Oklahoma.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
American Indians[edit | edit source]
Census
- 1851 - 1959 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851-1959 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1895 - 1914 U.S., Native American Citizens and Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes, 1895-1914 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1898 - 1914 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Dawes Census Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- Dawes Final Rolls - Oklahoma Historical Society
Land and Property
- 1884 - 1934 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Land Allotment Jackets for Five Civilized Tribes, 1884-1934 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1889 Oklahoma County Plats 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
- 1899 - 1907 Oklahoma Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907 at FamilySearch — index and images
- For more information see Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Oklahoma Land and Property for additional information about early Oklahoma land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Records
- Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
- 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
- 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
- 1889 Oklahoma County Plats, 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
- El Reno Homesteader Filings - Oklahoma Historical Society
For more information see Oklahoma Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for McCurtain County, Oklahoma Genealogy. County and town histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Oklahoma Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Oklahoma - shows boundary changes for Oklahoma Counties
- Maps n More - county and township maps.
- Oklahoma Civil War Map of Battles
- Map of 1922 McCurtain County, Oklahoma with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Also see: Oklahoma Military Records
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1775 - 1783 - United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783 at FamilySearch - images only
- For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1879-1920 - Oklahoma, Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Oklahoma, Confederate Pension Index, 1915-1955 at Ancestry — index (free)
- For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
World War I[edit | edit source]
- For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Oklahoma, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Oklahoma Military Deaths - Oklahoma Historical Society
- For more nationwide World War II databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
The Oklahoma section of the book World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces is available at the National Archives website. Soldiers from McCurtain County are listed here and here.
The State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel from: Oklahoma is also available. It is not broken out by county, however. Note: Casualities include the wounded in addition to those killed.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Oklahoma Newspapers Online
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Oklahoma newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Oklahoma Newspaper Catalogs
- Oklahoma State Historical Society - catalog of known Oklahoma newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as McCurtain County, Oklahoma Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a McCurtain County, Oklahoma Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Historic Newspapers (no longer published)
Here are the known McCurtain County newspapers, along with where they were published and their years of publication. See the Chronicling America and Worldcat websites for libraries and institutions that may hold copies or microfilm.
- Acme News, Broken Bow, 1912-1913
- American Socialist, Garvin, 1910-191?
- B B Developer, Broken Bow, 1911-1913
- Beacon-Times, Idabel, 1911-191?
- Broken Bow News and McCurtain County News-Graphic, Broken Bow, 1973-1976
- Broken Bow News, Broken Bow, 1913-1973
- Broken Bow News-Graphic, Broken Bow, 1976-1976
- Challenger, Valliant, 1968-1981
- Daily Beacon-Times, Idabel, 1913-191?
- Democrat Record and Beacon-Times, Idabel, 1914-1915
- Democrat-Record, Idabel, 1910-1914
- Democrat-Record, Idabel, 1915-191?
- Garvin Graphic, Garvin, 1903-1919
- Garvin Pioneer, Garvin, 190?-191?
- Haworth Herald, Haworth, 1912-192?
- Idabel News, Idabel, 1919-1922
- Idabel Signal, Idabel, 1905-190?
- Little Dixie Beacon, Idabel, 1967-19??
- McCurtain County American, Smithville, 1907-190?
- McCurtain County Beacon, Idabel, 1911-1911
- McCurtain County Journal, Valliant, 1981-1983
- McCurtain County Record, Valliant, 19??-195?
- McCurtain Daily Gazette, Idabel, 1969-1972
- McCurtain Democrat, Idabel, 1922-194?
- McCurtain Gazette, Idabel, 1907-1969
- McCurtain Gazette, Idabel, 1972-1978
- McCurtain Record, Valliant, 1908-1910
- McCurtain Weekly Gazette, Idabel, 1969-1972
- Methodist Herald, Broken Bow, 1921-1921
- Millerton Progress, Millerton, 1908-1910
- Millerton Progress-News, Millerton, 190?-1908
- The-Signal, Idabel, 1905-1905
- Valliant News, Valliant, 1904-190?
- Valliant Times, Valliant, 1910-1911
- Valliant Tribune, Valliant, 1911-194?
Historic Newspapers available online
The website Gateway to Oklahoma History has digitized a few issues of McCurtain County newspapers from the early 1900s, including:
- McCurtain Gazette, Idabel, Oklahoma
- Millerton Progress, Millerton, Oklahoma
- Millerton Progress-News, Millerton, Oklahoma
Current Newspapers
- Broken Bow News, Broken Bow, 1976-Current
- Southeast Times, Broken Bow, 1988-Current
- McCurtain Daily Gazette, Idabel, 1978-Current
- McCurtain Sunday Gazette and Broken Bow News, Idabel, 1977-Current
- Valliant Leader, Valliant, 1983-Current. A few issues of the Valliant Leader from 2005-2007 have been digitized by Google Newspapers.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Oklahoma, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Oklahoma - McCurtain - Probate records.
Online Records
- 1801 – 2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1887 – 2008 Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008 at FamilySearch — images
School Records[edit | edit source]
- 1895 - 1936 Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Oklahoma tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Records Indexes and Images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images
- 1790 - 1998 - Oklahoma, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1841 - 1927 - Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927 at Ancestry ($)
- 1852 - 1948 - Oklahoma, Church Marriages, 1852-1948 at FamilySearch — index
- 1870 - 1930 - Oklahoma Marriages, 1870-1930 at FamilySearch Index only.
- 1870 - 1930 - Oklahoma, Select Marriages, 1870-1930 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1870 - 1930 - Oklahoma, Marriages, 1870-1930 at My Heritage index ($)
- 1889 - 1951 - Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Marriage Index, 1889-1951
- 1890 - 1995 - Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995 at FamilySearch Index and images
- OKGenWeb Oklahoma Marriages
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Records Indexes and Images
- Obituaries Listed in the Oklahoman - Oklahoma Historical Society — index only
- United States Social Security Death Index
- 1864 - 1941 - Oklahoma Deaths and Burials, 1864-1941 at FamilySearch — index
- 1935 - 2014 - U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry ($)
- 1936 - 2007 - U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry incomplete ($}
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Online Divorce Records Indexes and Images
- 1923 - 1942 - Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Divorce Index, 1923-1942
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in McCurtain County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Oklahoma Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
to Family History Centers Introduction to Family History Centers
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in McCurtain County. For state-wide library facilities, see Oklahoma Archives and Libraries.
The Southeastern Public Library System of Oklahoma serves several counties, including McCurtain.
Museums[edit | edit source]
McCurtain County Veteran's Memorial Museum, Idabel
Museum of the Red River, Idabel
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in McCurtain County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Oklahoma Societies.
Mccurtain County Genealogical Society
PO Box 1832
Idabel 74745
Website
McCurtain County Historical Society
302 S. E. Adams
Idabel, OK. 74745
Telephone: 580-212-3639
E-mail:ksivard@hotmail.com
Website
The Kiamichi Country Genealogy Society (Broken Bow) has published the newsletter Kiamichian since 1990. See worldcat.org for libraries' holdings and PERSI (within HeritageQuest) for a catalog of their subjects.
McCurtain County Genealogical Society has published the newsletter Intikba since 1985. See worldcat.org for libraries' holdings and PERSI (within HeritageQuest) for a catalog of their subjects.
McCurtain County Historical Society (also see their Facebookpage.)
Websites[edit | edit source]
- McCurtain County OKGenWeb
- Gateway to Oklahoma History
- Indian Pioneer Collection- University of Oklahoma
- Linkpendium: Oklahoma: McCurtain County
- OKGenWeb: McCurtain County
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Oklahoma. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ http://genealogytrails.com/oka/mccurtain/history.html accessed 09/29/2016
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Page 557-563 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 550-552.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "McCurtain County, Oklahoma," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCurtain_County,_Oklahoma, accessed 9 January 2019.