History of NobleCounty Oklahoma

Briefly, the county is part of the section ofOklahoma Territory which was called the Cherokee Outlet. Massivenon-Indian settlement took place in the land run of 1893.

Noble County was named in honor ofJohn M. Noble of St. Louis who was the secretary of theDepartment of the Interior under President Harrison. The new namewas chosen on November 6, 1894, when the first county electionwas held, and replaced the earlier letter designation of"P".

Noble County'slargest city and the county seat is Perry which overnight,September 16, 1893 became a bustling tent city of 40,000. Perry,according to the 1990 U.S. Census, had a population of 4,978.

More information regardingNoble County history from OklahomaHistorical Society's - Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.

Historyof Perry, Oklahoma  (county seat)

Noble County is located in north-central Oklahoma. Its history spans centuries of indigenous heritage, cattle trails, the famous 1893 Land Run, and early oil and gas development. [1, 2, 3]
Early History & Indigenous Lands
  • Hunting Grounds: During the 18th and 19th centuries, the region was used as a hunting territory by the Osage Nation. [1]
  • Cherokee Outlet: Under an 1835 treaty, the land became part of the Cherokee Outlet. Before non-Indian settlement, cattlemen belonging to the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association leased vast grazing lands from the Cherokees. [1]
  • Tribal Reservations: Reservations for the Otoe-Missouria and Ponca tribes were established in the northeastern part of the county. In 1904, these reservation lands were allotted to tribal members and formally integrated into Noble County. [1, 2]
Creation and the 1893 Land Run
  • County P: Following the Oklahoma Organic Act, the region became part of Oklahoma Territory, initially designated as County P.
  • The Cherokee Strip Opening: On September 16, 1893, the U.S. government opened the Cherokee Outlet to non-Indian settlement in a massive land run.
  • Naming: The county was renamed in honor of John Willock Noble, who served as the United States Secretary of the Interior in 1893.
  • Perry: Laid out in August 1893 as a tent city overnight, Perry was established as the county seat and land-office town. [1, 2]
Economy & Development
  • Agriculture and Ranching: Wheat farming and cattle ranching formed the early economic backbone, evolving through farm consolidation over the 20th century. [1]
  • Oil Boom: Mid-continent oil and gas development hit the county in the 1910s and 1920s, driving rapid local growth and exploration. [1, 2]
  • Infrastructure: The area was shaped by early rail lines like the Southern Kansas Railway (built in 1886) and later modern corridors like Interstate 35. [1]
Notable Events & Landmarks
  • The McVeigh Arrest: On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was arrested in Noble County along Interstate 35 by Noble County Sheriff's Department officer Charlie Hanger. [1]
  • Pipelines: In 2010, Phase II of the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed north-to-south through the county. [1]
  • Museums & Research: Local history is preserved at the Cherokee Strip Museum & Rose Hill School in Perry, alongside resources managed by the Noble County Genealogy Society. [1, 2]