Rogers County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,240, making it the sixth-most populous county in Oklahoma. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Claremore. Rogers County is included in the Tulsa, OK

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Created in 1907 from the western Saline District of the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. ...

, this area was named the ''Cooweescoowee'' District, and Cooweescoowee County at the time of statehood. However, the residents protested, and the name was changed to Rogers County, after Clem Vann Rogers, a prominent Cherokee rancher, and father of

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

.Thomas, Sarah C
"Rogers County,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015.

History

According to the '' Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', the Arkansas Band of the

Osage Nation The Osage Nation ( ) ( Osage: 𐓁𐒻 𐓂𐒼𐒰𐓇𐒼𐒰͘ ('), "People of the Middle Waters") is a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains. The tribe developed in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys around 700 BC along ...

settled in the Three Forks area (the junction of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United ...

, Grand River, and Verdigris River during the 1760s and established two villages called ''Pasuga'' and ''Pasona'' in what is now Rogers County. Pasona was near an ancient earthwork platform mound near the Verdigris River. It was later called Claremore Mound, to honor Osage chief Claremore (aka ''Gra-mon'' in Osage, meaning Arrow Going Home; his name was first recorded by French colonists as ''Clermont''.) In 1828, Cherokee bands who had left the Southeast early exchanged their Arkansas land for an area that included present-day Rogers County. This had been ceded by the Osage in 1825 under a treaty to the United States. The area became organized by the Cherokee Nation as the Saline District of their portion of

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

. In 1907 the western portion of that district was organized as the Cooweescoowee District. Upon statehood in 1908, the district was designated as a county named Cooweescoowee. Residents supported renaming the county in honor of Clement Vann Rogers, an early Cherokee settler and prominent rancher here. Shortly after statehood,

Eastern University Preparatory School Rogers State University (RSU) is a public university in Claremore, Oklahoma. It also has branch campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor Creek. History The institution that is now RSU has gone through several stages, from its foundation as a stat ...

was established on College Hill, just west of Claremore, Oklahoma.Paul B. Hatley
"Rogers State University"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015. The Oklahoma Military Academy, established in 1919, took over the facility. In 1971 the academy was closed and the facility was converted for use by Claremore Junior College. As a four-year curriculum and graduate departments were added, the state legislature renamed the institution as Rogers State College and Rogers University, before settling in 1998 on the current Rogers State University.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.0%) is water. The largest body of water is

Lake Oologah Lake Oologah is a reservoir in northeastern Oklahoma. It is located near the towns of Oologah, Nowata, and Claremore. The lake has a surface of of water and of shoreline with 11 lake-side parks. The water storage capacity is rated as . The lake ...

. The main streams are the Caney River and the Verdigris River. There are also several smaller creeks and lakes in the county.

Adjacent counties

* Nowata County (north) * Craig County (northeast) *

Mayes County Mayes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,259. Its county seat is Pryor Creek. Named for Samuel Houston Mayes, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1895 to 1899, it w ...

(east) * Wagoner County (south) *

Tulsa County Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the secon ...

(southwest) * Washington County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 86,905 people, 31,884 households, and 24,088 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 105 people per square mile (40/km²). There were 27,476 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.3% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 13.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian (0.5% Hmong, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% Indian), 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 8.1% from two or more races. Of the population 3.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race (2.7% Mexican, 0.3% Puerto Rican, 0.2% Spanish, 0.1% Peruvian). 18.1% were of German, 13.8% Irish, 8.7% English, 3.0% French, 2.5% Scottish, and 2.2% Italian ancestries. 96.7% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, and 0.4% German as their first language. There were 31,884 households, out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.60% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.90% were non-families. Of all households, 19.00% were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.10. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $58,434 and the median income for a family was $67,691. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $26,400. About 7.2% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those aged 65 or over.

Politics

Communities

Cities

* Catoosa * Claremore (county seat) * Collinsville (primarily in

) * Owasso (primarily in Tulsa County) * Tulsa (primarily in Tulsa County)

Towns

* Chelsea * Fair Oaks (primarily in Wagoner County) * Foyil * Inola * Oologah * Talala * Valley Park *

Verdigris Verdigris is the common name for blue-green, copper-based pigments that form a patina on copper, bronze, and brass. The technical literature is ambiguous as to its chemical composition. Some sources refer to "neutral verdigris" as copper(II) ...

Census-designated places

* Bushyhead * Gregory *

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

Sequoyah Sequoyah (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American polymath of the Ch ...

* Tiawah

Unincorporated communities

* Jamestown * Keetonville

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> K-12: * Catoosa Public Schools * Chelsea Public Schools * Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools * Claremore Public Schools * Collinsville Public Schools * Foyil Public Schools * Inola Public Schools * Oologah-Talala Public Schools * Owasso Public Schools * Sequoyah Public Schools * Verdigris Public Schools K-8: * Justus-Tiawah Public Schools

NRHP sites

The following sites in Rogers County are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: * I.W.W. Beck Building, Oologah * The Belvidere, Claremore * Chelsea Motel, Chelsea * Claremore Auto Dealership, Claremore *

, Claremore *

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park consists of eleven objects and one building on 14 acres (57,000 m²) in Rogers County, in northeastern Oklahoma. The park is ten miles (16 km) north-east of Claremore and is located 3.5 miles (6 km) east of ...

, Foyil * Hanes Home, Sageeyah * Hogue House, Chelsea * Mendenhall's Bath House, Claremore * Maurice Meyer Barracks, Claremore * Oologah Bank, Oologah * Oologah Pump, Oologah * Pryor Creek Bridge, Chelsea * Will Rogers Birthplace, Oologah * Will Rogers Hotel, Claremore * Verdigris Club Lodge, Catoosa

References

External links

Rogers County Government's website

Rogers County Genealogy page

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory

Voices of Oklahoma interview with Frank Robson.
First person interview conducted on November 2, 2009, with Frank Robson referencing the history of Rogers County, Oklahoma. Original audio and transcript archived wit
Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.
{{authority control 1907 establishments in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1907 Tulsa metropolitan area