September 16, 1893 Originaly Named "O" County Renamed in Honor of President James A. Garfield

    Originally part of the Cherokee Outlet, Garfield County was opened to non-Indian settlers on September 16, 1893. Many early settlers were of German and Czech descent. Prior to the opening large cattle companies had leased large sections of the outlet from the Cherokee and cattle drives from Texas to Kansas came through the area via the Chisholm Trail. Following the opening a number of farming communities such as Fairmont, Lahoma, and Waukomis developed. Construction of railroad lines gave impetus to other towns, including Breckinridge, Carrier, and Covington.Congress designated Garfield County as O County and Enid as the county seat and government land office site prior to the opening. Initially, county business was conducted in rented space in a two-story brick structure. In 1907 the A. O. Campbell Construction Company of Oklahoma City completed an ornate, four-story courthouse. The building was located in the center of Broadway, surrounded by sidewalks, and fully landscaped. Its south side was located where the front of the Enid Post Office is now. (Enid's post office used to be on where the public library is located now, and Enid's public library was a Carnegie building located at 402 North Independence.) On January 29, 1931, a fire broke out in the jail, then located on the roof, which quickly spread to the rest of the building. All prisoners were safely evacuated, and county records were rescued. From 1931 to 1936, the County operated out of an agricultural building, and later the Broadway Tower. The present courthouse, an Art Deco design, was constructed beginning on August 15, 1934 and was completed in 1936. As part of the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, artist Ruth Augur painted historical murals on the courthouse walls. The jail was refurbished in the 1960's. The Garfield County courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, NR 84003018.

People and Families Family stories and lines.	In The News "All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance." -- Will Rogers
Schools and Teachers	Towns and Places
Cemeteries of Garfield County	Garfield County Obituaries
Research Links For Garfield County All external links open in a new window/tab dependng on your browser/settings.
Garfield County Genealogical Society Some online resoures and research help.	State of Oklahoma Genealogy Records Guide Search for death certificates and how to order them from The Vital Records Office
Oklahoma Birth Certificates Search for Oklahoma Birth Cetificates and how to order fro the Vital Records Office.	Oklahoma State Archives The Oklahoma State Archives provides an excellent library of genealogy records
Family History Center in Enid 419 N Eisenhower Enid, Garfield, Oklahoma, United States Phone: 580-234-3313 Hours: T,Th-F 12pm-4pm; W 12pm-8pm Closed: Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Note: This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.
Email Lists and Query Boards
Garfield County	OKROOTS Mail List
Garfield County Query Board at Rootsweb

Surnames on Our Family Tree

William C. Allen and other entrepreneurs from around the state established the Geronimo Motor Company and incorporated it in mid-1917. By June of that year the firm had taken orders for fifty cars, and by September a thirty-thousand-square-foot factory had been constructed. It made tractors, a roadster, and a five-passenger, full-size automobile. After building one thousand cars that were distributed by agencies in Kansas, Nebraska, West Texas, and Oklahoma, Geronimo ended production in 1920, when the factory burned.

Adjacent Counties
	Click Map or | Grant County | Kay County | Noble County | Logan County Kingfisher County | Major County | Alfalfa County

Oklahoma Trails has several counties and projects up for adoption. If you would be interested in adopting a county or project look at the Oklahoma Trails. If you find one that you would like to adopt e-mail the State Administrator or Assistant State Administrator.


If you have any material such as old directories, genealogies, etc. and would like to volunteer to do lookeups for people please email me. Give me your name, e-mail address, and what materials you have.

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