Carter County, Oklahoma Genealogy

United States Oklahoma  Carter County Carter 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
Carter County Courthouse 1st &amp; B St SW; PO Box 1236 Ardmore, OK 73401 Phone: 580.223.8162 Clerk Court has probate, court and land records; County Clerk has marriage records

Parent County
1907--Carter County was created 16 July 1907 from Chickasaw Lands. County seat: Ardmore

Description
Prior to statehood, the present Carter County, Oklahoma, was part of Pickens County in the Chickasaw Nation of Indian Territory. After the Civil War, the government of the United States forced the Chickasaw government to allow railroads built across its territory. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (controlled by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, AT&SF) built a line north from Texas to Purcell.

In 1901-1903 the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway (acquired by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway in 1907) built a line from Arkansas to Ardmore. Oil production spurred further railroad development. In 1913-14, the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway constructed a line from Ardmore west to Ringling. In 1916, the Ringling and Oil Fields Railway laid tracks north from Ringling Junction to Healdton. These last two rail lines were abandoned in 1976.[3]

Oil and gas production began very early in the 20th Century. The Healdton field opened in 1913, and led to the development of Ardmore as a major oil production center. However, a disastrous fire occurred in Ardmore in 1915, when a railroad car exploded, killing 43 people and destroying much of the downtown. Ardmore and the local oil industry recovered, and the city also became a manufacturing center. Akron Tire and Rubber Company built and operated a plant in Ardmore as early as 1915. In 1970, Uniroyal built a tire plant there. It was acquires by Michelin North America in 1990. By the start of the 21st Century, manufacturing was the largest component of the county economy.

County Seat Ardmore.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Oklahoma County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Oklahoma County Boundary Maps" (1819-1912) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Oklahoma - shows boundary changes for Oklahoma Counties
 * Oklahoma Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Cities

 * Ardmore (county seat)
 * Healdton
 * Lone Grove
 * Wilson

Towns

 * Dickson
 * Gene Autry
 * Ratliff City
 * Springer
 * Tatums

Unincorporated communities

 * Alpers
 * Baum
 * Brock
 * Caldwell Hill
 * Cheek
 * Clemscott
 * Cobalt Junction
 * Countyline
 * Dillard
 * Dripping Springs
 * Dundee
 * Durwood
 * Fox
 * Glenn
 * Graham
 * Hewitt
 * Milo
 * Newport
 * Oil City
 * Old Scott
 * Pooleville
 * Post Oak
 * Provence
 * Pruitt City
 * Reck
 * Rexroat
 * Tussy
 * Wirt
 * Woodford
 * Zaneis

Neighboring Counties

 * Garvin
 * Jefferson
 * Johnston
 * Love
 * Marshall
 * Murray
 * Stephens

American Indians
Census
 * 1851 - 1959 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851-1959 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1895 - 1914 U.S., Native American Citizens and Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes, 1895-1914 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1898 - 1914 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Dawes Census Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * Dawes Final Rolls - Oklahoma Historical Society

Land and Property
 * 1884 - 1934 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Land Allotment Jackets for Five Civilized Tribes, 1884-1934 at Ancestry — index and images ($) *1889 Oklahoma County Plats 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * For more information see Indians of Oklahoma

Cemeteries

 * Springer Cemetery, Ardmore BillionGraves

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.

Land
Online Land Records

For more information see Oklahoma Land and Property
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1889 Oklahoma County Plats, 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * El Reno Homesteader Filings - Oklahoma Historical Society

Maps

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Oklahoma - shows boundary changes for Oklahoma Counties
 * Maps n More - county and township maps.
 * Oklahoma Civil War Map of Battles

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9236 Oklahoma, Confederate Pension Index, 1915-1955] at Ancestry — index (free)
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

WWI

 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

WWII

 * Oklahoma Military Deaths - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * For more nationwide World War II databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

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

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

Vital Records
See also How to order Oklahoma Vital Records, order electronically online or download an application for Oklahoma Birth Certificate or Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Births
Online Birth Records Indexes and Images
 * Early Oklahoma Birth Records

Marriages
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images
 * 1841 - 1927 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1870 - 1930 at FamilySearch Index only. *1870 - 1930 Oklahoma, Select Marriages, 1870-1930 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1870 - 1930 Oklahoma, Marriages, 1870-1930 at My Heritage index ($)
 * 1889 - 1951 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Marriage Index, 1889-1951
 * 1890 - 1995 at FamilySearch Index and images
 * OKGenWeb Oklahoma Marriages

Deaths
Online Death Records Indexes and Images
 * Obituaries Listed in the Oklahoman - Oklahoma Historical Society — index only
 * 1935 - 2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1936 - 2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry, incomplete ($}
 * 1936 - 2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry, incomplete ($}

Divorces
Online Divorce Records Indexes and Images
 * 1923 - 1942 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Divorce Index, 1923-1942

Societies and Libraries
Historical And Genealogical Society Of Carter County PO Box 1326 Ardmore 73402

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Ardmore Oklahoma Family History Center 4115 Prairie Valley Rd NW Ardmore OK [73401 United States Location Map

Web Sites

 * Carter County, OK History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Oklahoma Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Oklahoma Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.