Ottawa County, Oklahoma Genealogy

United States Oklahoma  Ottawa County

Ottawa County, Oklahoma genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

County Courthouse
Ottawa County Courthouse 102 E Central Miami, OK 74354 Phone: 918.542-3332 Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records; County Clerk has land records from 1890

Parent County
1907--Ottawa County was created 16 July 1907 from Indian Territory. County seat: Miami

Cities

 * Commerce
 * Miami (county seat)

Towns

 * Afton
 * Fairland
 * North Miami
 * Peoria
 * Quapaw
 * Wyandotte

Census-designated places

 * Dotyville
 * Narcissa

Unincorporated communities

 * Ottawa

Ghost towns

 * Cardin
 * Douthat
 * Picher

Neighboring Counties

 * Cherokee County, Kansas
 * Craig
 * Delaware
 * McDonald County, Missouri
 * Newton County, Missouri

Cemeteries
According to the genealogist at the Miami Public Library there are 107 cemeteries in Ottawa county - most are very small. Contact the library for more information. Courtesy of 'Oklahoma Cemeteries':

GAR Cemetery, Miami, Ottawa County, OK submitted by Donna Dryer

State Census Records

 * 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census 1890 - Oklahoma Historical Societ
 * 1890 and 1907 Oklahoma Territorial Census, 1890 and 1907 at Ancestry — index and image ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Oklahoma starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Oklahoma Census.

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Miami

Maps



 * Map of Ottawa County townships (Histopolis)
 * Map of 1922 Ottawa County, Oklahoma with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)

Newspapers
Oklahoma Newspapers Online Oklahoma Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Oklahoma newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Oklahoma State Historical Society - catalog of known Oklahoma newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper


 * American - newspaper of Fairland, OK. Full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 2006-2009


 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Joplin, Missouri newspapers and Neosho, Missouri newspapers from the early 1900's that covered local news that included residents from Ottawa County communities.

Probate
Online Records
 * 1801 – 2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1887 – 2008 Oklahoma Probate Records 1887-2008 at FamilySearch — images

School Records

 * 1895 - 1936 at | FamilySearch — index and images

Marriages

 * 1890–1995 -  at FamilySearch — index and images


 * Santa Fe New Mexican dated July 27, 1935 - "After masquerading most of her life as a boy, Alice Delores (George) Hayes, 20, Picher, Okla., shoe clerk, was "married" to Margaret Lavernia Fowler, 14 of Galena, Kas. At left the bride in the arms of the "groom". Right, Delores as "George" The marriage was annulled. (Associated Press photos)''

Societies and Libraries
Miami Public Library has an excellent genealogical connection.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.