Sugar Loaf County, Choctaw Nation facts for kids

Sugar Loaf County was a special area within the Choctaw Nation. This was before Oklahoma became a state. It was like a county today, but it was part of the Choctaw Nation's government system. Sugar Loaf County was located in the Moshulatubbee District, which was one of three main regions of the Nation.

What Was Sugar Loaf County?

The Name and Its Meaning

Sugar Loaf County had another name in the Choctaw language: Nvnih Chufvk Kaunti. The word nvnih means "a mountain or high hill." The word chufvk means "a pointed object." So, the name described a pointed mountain. This mountain was Sugar Loaf Mountain, which was on the county's eastern edge, near Arkansas. It's a tall, cone-shaped mountain, rising about 2,560 feet from the ground.

How the County Was Formed

Sugar Loaf County was one of the first 19 counties created by the Choctaw Nation's government in 1850. The leaders used natural features like mountains and rivers to draw the county lines. This made it easy for everyone to know where the borders were.

Where Was Sugar Loaf County Located?

The county was bordered by the Winding Stair Mountains to the south. Its northern border followed valleys along Cavanal Mountain and nearby ridges. It also followed Cedar Creek, Fourche Maline, and the Poteau River. To the east, it bordered Arkansas. The western border was a line from Gaines Creek north to the headwaters of Bayouzeal. It then followed Bayouzeal to the Skullyville County line.

The County Seat and Its Role

The main town for Sugar Loaf County was Conser. This town doesn't exist anymore. It was located southwest of present-day Heavener.

The county was important for elections. People voted there for members of the National Council. It also helped with local government. Elected officials included a county judge, a sheriff, and a ranger. They all served for two years.

County Officials and Their Jobs

• The county judge made sure the county was run well.
• The sheriff collected taxes and kept an eye on people who weren't supposed to be there. They also counted the people living in the county.
• The county ranger helped sell lost farm animals that had wandered away.

Why Sugar Loaf County Changed

Oklahoma Becomes a State

When Oklahoma was getting ready to become a state, leaders realized that the Choctaw Nation's counties, like Sugar Loaf County, were too small to be new state counties. Many of these county seats were just places for court, not big towns. Sugar Loaf County was not very populated.

New Plans for Counties

In 1905, there was a plan to create a new state called State of Sequoyah from the Indian Territory. This plan also suggested new counties that would replace the old Choctaw ones. Sugar Loaf County would have been split into Wade County and Rutherford County. Poteau would have been a main town in Rutherford County. Talihina and Heavener would have been the biggest towns in Wade County.

However, most of these ideas were not used when Oklahoma became a state two years later. The new state created a different county system. The area that was once Sugar Loaf County is now part of Le Flore County, Oklahoma. Sugar Loaf County officially stopped existing when Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.