Cloud Chief, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cloud Chief, Oklahoma
Washita County Courthouse in Cloud Chief
Nickname(s):  Tacola
Location in the State of Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Washita County
Elevation	1,509 ft (460 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	1091475

Cloud Chief is a small, quiet community in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Long ago, it was a very important place, even serving as the main town (called the "county seat") for Washita County. Today, most of its buildings are old and falling apart, and it's often called a "ghost town."

History of Cloud Chief

Cloud Chief has a fascinating history, starting from its early days as a booming settlement to becoming a quiet community.

How Cloud Chief Started

The area where Cloud Chief is located was first planned out in April 1892. It was originally named Tacola. This happened when the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation, which was land set aside for Native American tribes, was opened up for new settlers.

Just a few weeks after it was established, the town grew incredibly fast. More than 3,000 people were said to be living there! A post office was set up on March 29, 1892. The United States Congress even chose Cloud Chief to be the county seat for H County in the Oklahoma Territory.

Many of the first settlers were from Texas. People who came to claim land lots were very excited. There were often arguments over who owned which piece of land. Sometimes, people would shout "claimjumper!" if they thought someone was trying to take their land. The town was set up very quickly, in just about two hours.

Early Challenges and Growth

Many settlers left Cloud Chief soon after they officially claimed their land. This was because they had six months to move their families and belongings to their new claims. Many had to go home to sell their old businesses or farms.

Because of this, the population of Cloud Chief went down for about six months. But then, the town started to grow again. This growth continued for eight years. When Cloud Chief was at its busiest, it had about 700 people living there. By 1898, the population was rising once more.

Losing the County Seat Title

In 1900, the people of the newly formed Washita County voted to move the county seat. They chose Cordell because it was more in the center of the county. The vote was 1,349 in favor of the move and 282 against it. However, this move was not legal at the time.

This led to many legal battles, which even went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1904, the Supreme Court decided that moving the county seat was illegal. But then, two county officials went to Washington, D.C., and convinced Congress to pass a new law. This law officially approved the move of the county seat. President Theodore Roosevelt signed this law in 1906.

Schools and Newspapers

Cloud Chief had its own public schools, which opened for the 1892–1893 school year. In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression, built a new high school. The high school teams were known as the Cloud Chief Warriors. This high school closed after the 1959–1960 school year.

The Cloud Chief post office closed its doors on December 31, 1964. In the same year, the town also lost its official "charter," which meant it was no longer an incorporated town.

Cloud Chief was also home to two newspapers: the Cloud Chief Witness and the Cloud Chief Beacon. The Cloud Chief Beacon moved to Cordell right after its August 17, 1900, issue was printed. After moving, it continued to be published from January 13, 1905, until February 17, 1919.