McIntosh County, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids McIntosh County
U.S. county
The McIntosh County Courthouse in Eufaula.
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1907
Seat	Eufaula
Largest city	Checotah
Area
• Total	712 sq mi (1,840 km2)
• Land	618 sq mi (1,600 km2)
• Water	94 sq mi (240 km2)  13%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,941
• Density	26.603/sq mi (10.271/km2)
Congressional district	2nd

McIntosh County is a county in the state of Oklahoma. In 2020, about 18,941 people lived there. Its main town, or county seat, is Eufaula. The county is named after the McIntosh family. This family was very important to the Muscogee Creek people. They led their people to this new land and were leaders for many years.

Most of McIntosh County is part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. A smaller part is under the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

History of McIntosh County

Ancient Times and Early Settlers

Many old archaeological sites in McIntosh County show that people lived here a very long time ago. Some sites date back to 6000 BC. These early people lived here before the Plains Indians and before the tribes who moved here in the 1830s. Some Indigenous people might have made rock carvings, called petroglyphs, at a place called the Handprint Site.

Creek Nation and New Lands

In 1825, a group of Creek people from Georgia made a deal with the United States. This deal, called the Treaty of Indian Springs, traded their land in Georgia for new land in what is now Oklahoma. Much of this new land became McIntosh County. Their leader, William McIntosh, was later executed by his own people. This happened because he signed the treaty without the full agreement of the Creek council.

His family and followers moved to this new territory. Here, the Creek people often fought with the Osage. The Osage had lived in this large area for a long time. In 1836, the Creek started a town called North Fork Town. It was on the Texas Road, near where Eufaula is today.

Civil War and Railways

During the American Civil War, some Native American nations, including the Creek, joined the Confederate States of America. They hoped to get their own Indian state after the war. The biggest battle of the war in Oklahoma was the Battle of Honey Springs. It was fought near Rentiesville. The Union Army won this battle. They then took control of the northern part of Indian Territory.

Later, in the 1870s, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway built train tracks through the area. This helped new towns like Checotah and Eufaula grow. Another railway, the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, built tracks in the early 1900s. This led to the start of towns like Hitchita.

County Formation and the County Seat War

McIntosh County officially started in 1907, when Oklahoma became a state. Before this, the area was part of the Creek Nation's Eufaula District. The county's borders changed a bit in 1915 and 1918.

Between 1907 and 1909, there was a big disagreement called the McIntosh County Seat War. The people of Checotah and Eufaula argued over which town should be the county seat. Checotah was chosen first, but Eufaula refused to give up the county records. A group from Checotah tried to take the records by force, but Eufaula fought them off. In the end, Eufaula was chosen as the permanent county seat.

Today, most of the county is part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The eastern part is in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Over 16% of the people in the county are Native American, mostly Muscogee.

Geography of McIntosh County

McIntosh County covers about 712 square miles. About 618 square miles are land, and 94 square miles are water. A lot of this water is from Eufaula Lake. This is the largest lake that is completely inside Oklahoma. Lake Eufaula State Park is near Checotah. The county also has three rivers: the Deep Fork River, North Canadian River, and Canadian River.

Major Highways

• Interstate 40
• U.S. Highway 69
• U.S. Highway 266
• State Highway 9
• State Highway 72
• Indian Nation Turnpike

Neighboring Counties

• Muskogee County (northeast)
• Haskell County (southeast)
• Pittsburg County (south)
• Hughes County (southwest)
• Okfuskee County (west)
• Okmulgee County (northwest)

Population in McIntosh County

In 2000, there were 19,456 people living in McIntosh County. By 2020, the population had gone down a bit to 18,941. Most people in the county speak English. Some also speak Muskogee or Spanish.

The most common family backgrounds in McIntosh County are:

• 24.9% English
• 19.8% Irish
• 15.8% German
• 2.7% French

Economy of McIntosh County

The economy of McIntosh County has mostly been about farming and raising animals. For a long time, corn was the main crop. Then, cotton became more important. However, when Eufaula Lake was built, much of the good farmland was covered by water. This caused farming to decline.

Today, raising cattle is still very important. The completion of Eufaula Lake in 1964 also brought new ways to make money. It created electricity and brought in tourists. This led to new businesses like boat building and shops.

The county also has natural resources like oil, natural gas, and different types of rock and sand.

Communities in McIntosh County

Cities

• Checotah
• Eufaula (county seat)

Towns

• Hanna
• Hitchita
• Rentiesville
• Stidham
• Vernon

Census-designated places

• Duchess Landing
• Shady Grove
• Texanna

Unincorporated communities

• Lenna

Historic Places in McIntosh County

Many places in McIntosh County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are important sites that help us remember the past.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de McIntosh (Oklahoma) para niños