Gaines County, Choctaw Nation facts for kids

Gaines County was a special area within the Choctaw Nation in what was called Indian Territory. This was before Oklahoma became a state. It was part of the Nation's Moshulatubbee District, which was one of three main administrative regions.

What Was Gaines County?

Gaines County was also known as Gaines Creek County. In the Choctaw language, it was called Kenis Kaunti, which sounds like "Kay-nis Kown-tee." The county got its name from Gaines Creek, a very important waterway that formed one of its borders. This creek was originally known as the South Fork of the Canadian River.

Who Was Gaines Creek Named After?

Many people believe Gaines Creek was named after a U.S. Army Colonel named George Strother Gaines. He was a licensed trader who worked with the Choctaw people before they moved from the southeastern United States. In 1830, Colonel Gaines traveled with a group of Choctaw explorers to the Indian Territory. There, they met with a similar group of Chickasaw Indians right by the creek that would later be called Gaines Creek. This trip happened soon after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed.

Life in Gaines County

Gaines County did not have any large towns. Its main natural features were Gaines Creek, Longtown Creek, and the Sans Bois Mountains. Most people lived in the valleys and lowlands. The main activities were farming and mining.

Mining was especially important in the southern part of the county. There was a railroad called the Choctaw Coal and Railway. This railroad connected mines in Gaines County, like those in Haileyville and Hartshorne, with mines in other areas such as McAlester in Tobucksy County and Wilburton in San Bois County.

Traveling Through Gaines County

The Butterfield Stage Route was a famous stagecoach path that went through Gaines County. It had several stops, including Gaines Court House, Riddle’s Station, Pusley’s Station, Buffalo Station, Blackburn’s Station, and Colbert’s Stage Stand. None of these stops were big towns. Gaines Court House, for example, was only busy when the county court was meeting.

How Gaines County Was Created

Gaines County was one of the first 19 counties created by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation in 1850. The county's borders were set using easy-to-recognize natural landmarks, just like all the other Choctaw Nation counties. For example, its borders followed Longtown Creek, the Canadian River, Gaines Creek, and Brushy Creek. A dividing ridge also separated the Canadian River and Red River watersheds, and this ridge also marked the border between the Moshulatubbee District and the Apukshunnubbee District.

How Gaines County Was Governed

Gaines County was used as an election area for members of the National Council. It also served as a local government unit. The county had elected officers who served for two years. These included a county judge, a sheriff, and a ranger.

• The judge was in charge of running the county.
• The sheriff collected taxes, watched out for people who didn't belong there (usually white Americans from the United States), and counted the population for the census.
• The county ranger was responsible for advertising and selling any stray farm animals that were found.

The End of Gaines County

When Oklahoma was preparing to become a state, its leaders realized that the Choctaw Nation's counties, while well-designed for their time, might not work well as new state counties. Many county seats were just places for court and not actual towns. This was true for Gaines County, which didn't have many people.

In 1905, a group met to propose statehood for Indian Territory, calling it the State of Sequoyah. They also suggested a new county structure that would get rid of the old Choctaw counties. Gaines County was planned to be split mainly into new counties called Eufaula and San Bois, with a small southern part going to a proposed Hailey County.

However, when Oklahoma officially became a state on November 16, 1907, a very different county structure was adopted. The land that used to be Gaines County now mostly falls within Pittsburg County and Haskell County. Gaines County stopped existing when Oklahoma became a state.