Ringold, Oklahoma facts for kids
Ringold is a small, unincorporated community in western McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. An unincorporated community means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town with its own local government. Ringold is located about 12 miles northwest of Wright City. It used to be known by a different name: Burwell.
Ringold: A Glimpse into its Past
How Ringold Got Its Name
The area that is now Ringold started with a different name: Burwell. A United States Post Office opened there on October 31, 1906. This post office was named after William P. Burwell, who was the very first postmaster (the person in charge of the post office) for the community.
The name of the community changed to Ringold on May 10, 1911. This happened after Oklahoma officially became a state. The new name, Ringold, came from Ringold, Texas. Many of the first European-American settlers who moved to this area came from that town in Texas.
Ringold Before Oklahoma Was a State
Before Oklahoma became a state, the area where Burwell (now Ringold) is located was part of Indian Territory. Specifically, it was in Cedar County, Choctaw Nation. Indian Territory was land set aside for Native American tribes.
After Oklahoma became a state, the counties were reorganized. While Ringold stayed in McCurtain County, some other nearby communities, like Rattan, ended up in a different county called Pushmataha County.
