Rogers County, Oklahoma

View of Claremore's skyline

According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the Arkansas Band of the Osage Nation settled in the Three Forks area (the junction of the Arkansas River, 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.)[3]

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.[3] The area became organized by the Cherokee Nation as the Saline District of their portion of Indian Territory. In 1907 the western portion of that district was organized as the Cooweescoowee District.[3]

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.[3]

Shortly after statehood, Eastern University Preparatory School was established on College Hill, just west of Claremore, Oklahoma.[5] The Oklahoma Military Academy, established in 1919, took over the facility.[5] In 1971 the academy was closed and the facility was converted for use by Claremore Junior College.[5] 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.[5]

Claremore Lake

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 711 square miles (1,840 km²), of which 676 square miles (1,750 km²) is land and 36 square miles (93 km²) (5.0%) is water.[6] The largest body of water is Lake Oologah. The main streams are the Caney River and the Verdigris River. There are also several smaller creeks and lakes in the county.[3]

As of the census[12] of 2010, there were 86,905 people, 31,884 households, and 24,088 families residing in the county. The population density 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),[13] 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).[14][15][16] 18.1% were of German, 13.8% Irish, 8.7% English, 3.0% French, 2.5% Scottish, and 2.2% Italian ancestries.[17]

96.7% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, and 0.4% German as their first language.[18]

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 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 for the county was $26,400. About 7.2% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.[14][19][20]

The following sites in Rogers County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

• I.W.W. Beck Building, Oologah
• The Belvidere, Claremore
• Chelsea Motel, Chelsea
• Claremore Auto Dealership, Claremore
• Eastern University Preparatory School, Claremore
• Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park, 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

• 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 with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.