Miller County, Arkansas Territory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miller County |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County of Arkansas | |||||||||||
| 1820–1838 | |||||||||||
| Capital | Gilliland Settlement (1820-1821) Miller Court House (1821-1832) Jonesborough (1832-1838) |
||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
|
• 1820
|
999 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
|
• Established
|
1 April 1820 | ||||||||||
|
• Disestablished
|
1838 | ||||||||||
| Contained within | |||||||||||
| • Country |  United States |
||||||||||
| • Territory |  Arkansas Territory (1820-1836) |
||||||||||
| • State |  Arkansas (1836-1838) |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Today part of |  United States |
||||||||||
Miller County was a special county that existed for a short time, from 1820 to 1838. It was first part of the Arkansas Territory and later the State of Arkansas. This county was much larger than a typical county today. It covered parts of what is now southeastern Oklahoma and several northeastern counties in Texas.
The county was named after James Miller. He was the very first governor of the Arkansas Territory. Miller County's story is interesting because its borders kept changing due to land agreements.
How Miller County Was First Created
Historians say there have been three different areas called "Miller County, Arkansas." All of them were in the southwestern part of Arkansas. But each version covered different land at different times. The first Miller County was created in 1820. This was before Arkansas became a state.
On April 1, 1820, the Arkansas Territorial Assembly officially created Miller County. They did this by taking a piece of land from Hempstead County. Governor James Miller signed the law that set its boundaries.
The original Miller County was huge. It included parts of three modern states:
- Arkansas (today's Little River, Sevier, and Polk counties)
- Oklahoma (today's LeFlore, Latimer, Choctaw, McCurtain, and Pushmataha counties)
- Texas (many northeastern counties)
In 1820, a census counted 999 people living in Miller County. This included 82 enslaved people. The first main town, or "county seat," was Gilliland Settlement. In 1821, the county leaders chose a new county seat called Miller Court House. This community was about 7 miles (11 km) west of where the town of Idabel, Oklahoma is today. A post office was set up there in 1824.
Land Changes: The Choctaw Treaty
Even though more settlers moved into Miller County, a big change was coming. The Treaty of Doak's Stand was signed in 1820. This treaty planned to move the Choctaw people to land in the Arkansas Territory.
Another treaty, signed in 1825, gave the Choctaw Nation even more land. This land was west of a line that ran south from Fort Smith to the Red River. Much of Miller County was in this area. The people living in Miller County were upset. They signed petitions, and the territorial government tried to stop it. But it didn't work.
Finally, in 1828, the territorial government had to change Miller County's borders. They removed all the land north of the Red River that was given to the Choctaws. The remaining part of Miller County east of the new border was added to Sevier County. On November 5, 1828, the unhappy residents who stayed in the county burned down the Miller Court House and all the county records.
Land Changes: The Texas Claim
After the land north of the Red River was lost, the county seat moved again. On October 23, 1832, it moved to Jonesborough plantation, which was south of the Red River. The Miller Court House post office also moved there.
However, the land south of the Red River was also a problem. Both the Mexican government (which controlled Texas at the time) and the U.S. government claimed this area. When Texas became its own country (the Republic of Texas) in 1836, it tried to take control of this land.
In 1838, Texas created its own county called Fannin County in this disputed area. Because of this, the U.S. government finally closed the Miller Court House post office on December 28, 1838. This marked the end of Miller County. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, the borders became permanent.
