1885 Choctaw Census
Skullyville County, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory
County Census Page
Skullyville County was made up of land located
in the Choctaw Nation area of Indian Territory.
Skullyville County—Iskvlli
Kaunti. The word iskvlli means a "small piece of money or coin,"
in Choctaw.7 Kaunti was adopted directly from the English, the spelling
being nearest the Choctaw pronunciatoin of the word "county."
The name referred to the fact that the United States agency for the
Choctaws was located in that section of the country, about fifteen miles
west of Fort Smith. The agency itself was established in 1832, by Captain
David McClellan, the United States sub-agent for the Choctaws in the
West. The name "Skullyville" was given the village that grew
up around the agency, being a corruption and a combination of the word
iskvlli and the English suffix ville, literally meaning "money
town." All Government business relative to the Choctaws in the
Indian Territory was transacted at the agency. The annuities due to
the citizens of Mosholatubbee District were also paid there, the balance
being paid at places designated in each of the other two districts.
It is suggested that the Choctaws themselves probably spoke of the agency
as "Iskvlli ai ilhpita," meaning "the place where money
is donated or presented." Ai means "the place where."
The word ilhpita is the past participle of the verb ipeta which means
"to donate or present."
After Statehood in 1907 Skullyville County
because portions of Haskell, Latimer and Leflore Counties in Oklahoma.