Cotton County, Oklahoma Genealogy

Guide to Cotton County, Oklahoma ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for the county's primary crop. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cotton County Courthouse 301 N. Broadway Street Walters, Oklahoma 73572-1271 Phone: 580.875-3026 Cotton County Website County Clerk has birth records 1912-1945, divorce and land records, surveys and school census records; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cemeteries

 * 1949-1969  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Census Records
Federal Census Records

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

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 ($)

Church Records

 * 1897-1984  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

American Indians
Cemetery
 * 1901-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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
 * 1898-1914  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1899-1907  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * For more information see Indians of Oklahoma

Land and Property Records
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
 * 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1889 Oklahoma County Plats, 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * El Reno Homesteader Filings - Oklahoma Historical Society

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * 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  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1879-1920  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Oklahoma, Confederate Pension Index, 1915-1955 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

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

World War II

 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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
 * Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Project at Oklahoma Historical Society
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Oklahoma newspapers; searching tips
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * 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


 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Lawton newspapers that may have included Cotton County residents. This database is free at some libraries.

Obituaries

 * 1901-1998 Cotton County obituaries, 1901-May 1998; (index to obituaries, 1901-May 1998) at FamilySearch; images

Other Records
Voter Records
 * 1906-1956  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
'''Online Records
 * 1801–2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1887–2008  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)

School Records

 * 1895-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014  at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

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

Marriage
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images


 * 1790-1998 Oklahoma, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1841-1927 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1870-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Only
 * 1870-1930 Oklahoma, Select Marriages, 1870-1930 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1870-1930 Oklahoma, Marriages, 1870-1930 at My Heritage index ($)
 * 1889-1951 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Marriage Index, 1889-1951
 * 1890-1995  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * OKGenWeb Oklahoma Marriages

Death
Online Death Records Indexes and Images
 * Obituaries Listed in the Oklahoman - Oklahoma Historical Society — index only
 * 1864-1941  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete
 * 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry  incomplete ($}

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

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies
Cotton County Genealogy Society 202 N. Broadway Walters, Oklahoma 73572 Website

Southwest Oklahoma Genealogical Society PO Box 148 Lawton, OK 73502

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records