Jackson County, Choctaw Nation facts for kids
Jackson County was a special area within the Choctaw Nation before Oklahoma became a state. It was part of the Pushmataha District, which was one of three big regions in the Nation.
History of Jackson County
Jackson County got its name from Jacob Jackson, an important Choctaw leader. It was created on October 21, 1886. Parts of other counties, like Blue County, Jack's Fork County, and Kiamitia County, were used to form it.
The borders of Jackson County were set using natural landmarks. This was common for all Choctaw Nation counties. Important rivers and creeks like Island Bayou, Muddy Boggy Creek, the Blue River, and the Red River marked its edges.
Jackson County was next to Kiamitia County on its east side. On its west side was Blue County. The main town, or county seat, was Pigeon Roost. This town was south of where Boswell is today. The county also had Mayhew, which was the capital city for the Pushmataha District. Mayhew was located north of present-day Boswell.
The county helped with elections for the National Council. It also managed local government. Voters chose officials every two years. These officials included a county judge, a sheriff, and a ranger. The judge oversaw the county's daily operations. The sheriff collected taxes and kept an eye on people who shouldn't be there. The ranger helped sell lost farm animals.
Becoming a State
When Oklahoma was about to become a state, leaders met to plan its new counties. They realized that the Choctaw Nation's counties, though well-planned, might not work as new state counties. Many county seats were just for courts, not large towns.
In 1905, leaders of the proposed State of Sequoyah also saw this problem. They suggested new counties that would replace the old Choctaw ones. Jackson County would have been split into proposed Blue County, Tom Needles County, and Hitchcock County. Caddo would be the seat for Blue County. Durant would be for Tom Needles. Hugo would be for Hitchcock.
Oklahoma's leaders used many of these ideas two years later. They created Bryan County and Choctaw County. Most of the land that was once Jackson County is now in these two counties. A small part is in Atoka County.
Jackson County stopped existing when Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.
