Craig County, Oklahoma

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Craig County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,107.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Vinita.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was organized in 1907, shortly before statehood, and named for Granville Craig, a prominent Cherokee farmer who lived in the Bluejacket area.<ref name = "EOHC-CraigCo">Craig County Genealogical Society. "Craig County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Retrieved October 28, 2011.</ref>

History

In the early 1800s, this area was part of the hunting grounds of the Osage nation and other Plains tribes, some of whom had migrated west from other areas. Members of the Cherokee Nation began moving into the area during the 1830s, particularly after Indian Removal by the US government, which forced them on the "Trail of Tears" to west of the Mississippi River, when they were given land by the United States in exchange for their territory in the Southeast. The area was sparsely populated until after the Civil War. The Texas Road and the East Shawnee Cattle Trail, used for cattle drives from Texas, ran through the eastern part of the present-day Craig County.<ref name = "EOHC-CraigCo" />

Between 1867 and 1870, the U. S. government moved the Shawnee and Delaware tribes into this area from Kansas, another section of Indian Territory. Then the area was assigned as part of the Delaware and Cooweescoowee districts of the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, after the US government had made new treaties with the tribes that had allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War.

In 1871, the federal government took Cherokee land for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad to construct a north–south railroad through this area, while the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (later acquired by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) was allowed to build an east–west line that ran through Vinita in the same year. This line was extended through Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1881–2.<ref name = "EOHC-CraigCo" />

Coal mining began in this area after the Civil War. Mine companies used both tunnel and strip mines, but they did not begin major production until about 1900. Production has continued into the 21st century.

Other resource exploitation was based on oil, and the first oil refinery began operations by 1911; it was operated by Sinclair Oil until the 1920s. Otherwise, farming and ranching were the mainstays of the county economy.<ref name = "EOHC-CraigCo" />

The county was organized in 1907, at the Oklahoma Statehood Convention. It was named for Granville Craig, a prominent Cherokee farmer of mixed race who had property near Bluejacket.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The county lies in the Osage Plains, on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau, and drains into several tributaries of the Neosho River.<ref name = "EOHC-CraigCo" />

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Labette County, Kansas (north)
Cherokee County, Kansas (northeast)
Ottawa County (east)
Delaware County (southeast)
Mayes County (south)
Rogers County (southwest)
Nowata County (west)

Demographics

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As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2006, there were 14,880 people, 5,620 households, and 3,945 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 6,459 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 68.54% White, 16.31% Native American, 3.09% Black or African American, 0.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 11.37% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,620 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,997, and the median income for a family was $36,499. Males had a median income of $26,704 versus $20,082 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,539. About 10.90% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Democratic	2,743	33.36%
Template:Party color cell	Republican	4,416	53.71%
Template:Party color cell	Others	1,063	12.93%
Total		8,222	100%

Communities

Cities

Vinita (county seat)

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

Unified school districts include:<ref name=SDMap2020>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> Template:Div col

Afton Public Schools
Bluejacket Public Schools
Chelsea Public Schools
Ketchum Public Schools
Vinita Public Schools
Welch Public Schools
White Oak Public Schools (has separate zones for K-8 only and for 9-12, and it only operates K-8 in-house)

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There is one elementary school district, Cleora Public School.<ref name=SDMap2020/>

The Big Cabin School District covered parts of the county until its 1992 dissolution. It merged into the Vinita school district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>