Miller Court House, Oklahoma facts for kids
Miller Court House was a very important place in early American history, especially for what is now Oklahoma. It was the first post office ever opened in this area. It started on September 5, 1824, and closed on December 28, 1839.
This location was also the main government center, or "county seat," for the old Miller County. This county was part of the Arkansas Territory back then. Today, the exact spot of Miller Court House is unknown, but it was somewhere in what is now McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
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A New County is Formed
On April 1, 1820, Governor James Miller signed a law that created Miller County. This new county was in the southwestern part of the Arkansas Territory.
Miller County was very large! It covered parts of what are now several counties in Arkansas, like Little River, Sevier, and Polk. It also included all of McCurtain, Choctaw, and Pushmataha counties in modern Oklahoma. Plus, it had parts of Latimer and Le Flore counties in Oklahoma. A big piece of northeast Texas was also part of this huge county.
Land Changes and New Uses
Over time, the land belonging to Miller County changed. On October 17, 1828, the part of Miller County north of the Red River was officially given to the Choctaw Nation. This land became part of what was called Indian Territory.
Even after this land change, Miller Court House was still used. It became a place where Choctaw people who were forced to move from their homes in the East could register. This difficult journey was known as the "trail of tears and death". Miller Court House also served as a storage place for corn and other supplies meant for the Choctaw people for many years.
Moving the County Seat
On October 23, 1832, officials from the Arkansas Territory decided to move the county seat. They chose a new location called Jonesborough Plantation. The Miller Court House post office also moved to this new spot.
Later, Texas took over all the remaining parts of Miller County that were south and west of the Red River. Because of this, the old Miller Court House post office was officially closed on December 28, 1838.
The Land Becomes Part of Texas
During the time when Texas was its own country (from 1836 to 1846), many people living in this disputed area thought of themselves as Texans. Texas created new counties in this region, like Red River County in 1837 and Fannin County, Texas in 1838.
Eventually, the land that was once part of the Arkansas Territory, south and west of the Red River, became several counties in modern Texas. These include Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, and Titus County, Texas counties.
The last piece of the original Miller County, which was north and east of the Red River, was added to Lafayette County, Arkansas. The city of Texarkana became its county seat.
