Blue County, Choctaw Nation facts for kids

Blue County was a special area, like a county, in the Choctaw Nation. This was before Oklahoma became a state. It was part of the Nation’s Pushmataha District, which was one of three big administrative regions.

History of Blue County

This county was also called Okchamali Kaunti. That name comes from the Choctaw word okchamali, which means "blue." The county got its name from the Blue River, an important waterway in the area.

The main town for the county, called its "county seat," was first Chahta Tamaha. This town was also known as Armstrong Academy. It became the county seat on February 18, 1863. Later, the county seat moved to Caddo, Indian Territory. Today, this town is known as Caddo, Oklahoma. Caddo was also the biggest town in Blue County before railroads arrived.

Blue County was one of the first 19 counties created by the Choctaw Nation's General Council in 1850. Before it was called Blue County, the area was known as Tiger Spring County. In Choctaw, this was Koi Kulih Kaunti. Koi means "panther" or "tiger," and kulih means "spring of water." Experts believe this name referred to a specific spring, but its exact location is now unknown. The name was changed to Blue County on November 5, 1854.

Blue County's Borders

The borders of Blue County were set up using easy-to-spot natural landmarks. This was how all Choctaw Nation counties were defined. For example, Clear Boggy Creek formed most of its northern border. Island Bayou made up most of its southern border. The Blue River, which flowed diagonally through the county, formed part of its southeastern edge.

Blue County shared borders with other areas. To its north was Atoka County, Choctaw Nation. To its east was Jackson County, Choctaw Nation. To its west was the Chickasaw Nation. Blue County was originally larger. It lost some land in 1886 when a new county, Jackson County, was created. Jackson County was made from parts of Atoka County, Blue County, and Kiamitia County.

How Blue County Was Governed

Blue County served as a place for people to vote for members of the National Council. It also worked as a local government unit. The county had elected officials who served for two years. These included a county judge, a sheriff, and a ranger.

• The county judge made sure the county was run properly.
• The sheriff collected taxes. They also watched out for people who didn't belong there, usually white Americans from the United States. The sheriff also counted the population for the census.
• The county ranger was in charge of advertising and selling lost farm animals.

Becoming a State

As Oklahoma was getting ready to become a state, leaders met at the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. They realized that the Choctaw Nation's counties, while well-designed, might not work as new county areas. This was because most county seats were just for holding court, not big towns.

Blue County was different because it had busy towns like Caddo and Durant. However, it still had to be changed to fit the new state's plan.

The Sequoyah Proposal

Leaders who wanted to create the State of Sequoyah also saw this issue. They met in 1905 to suggest statehood for the Indian Territory. The Sequoyah Constitutional Convention also proposed a new county structure that would get rid of the old Choctaw counties.

Blue County was mainly divided into two proposed new counties: Blue County and Tom Needles County. Caddo would have been the main town for the proposed Blue County. Towns like Boswell, Colbert, Durant, and Sterrett (now Calera) would have helped Tom Needles County's business success.

Oklahoma's New Counties

Many ideas from the Sequoyah proposal were used two years later by Oklahoma's founders. They used some of these ideas for the future Bryan County in Oklahoma.

Today, the land that was once Blue County, Choctaw Nation, is mostly within Atoka and Bryan counties. Blue County stopped existing when Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.