Bordering Arkansas, Adair County was created at statehood and named for a well-known Cherokee Indian family. The county seat has been located in Stilwell since 1910.
Primary industries of the county include food processing and canning, poultry raising, cattle ranching, and horse breeding. The Annual Strawberry Festival is held on the second Saturday in May in Stilwell.
Sites of interest within Adair County include the Old Baptist Missionary Church, built by the "Trail of Tears" Cherokee Indians in 1836, located north of Stilwell near Westville. A marker stands near the community of Watts recognizing Fort Wayne, a military post established in 1838. Abandoned in 1842, it was reactivated and became the site of a Civil War battle in 1862.
Professional football player Sam Claphan and Wilma Mankiller, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, hail from Adair County.
The Adair County History Book provides additional facts about the county. For more county information, call the county clerk's office at 918/696-7198. County narrative provided courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries from the 2002-2004 Oklahoma Almanac.
| Population Totals | ||
|
2000 Census |
2006 Census |
|
| Adair |
21,038 |
22,317 |
| Median Age: |
33.2 |
33.8 |
| Median Household Income: |
$24,8 |
$29,640 |
County Government
County Seat: Stilwell
Court Clerk - Paula McCarter, D, Stilwell
Clerk - Carrie Philpott, D, Stilwell
Sheriff - Austin Young, D, Stilwell
Treasurer - Janice Brewer, D, Stilwell
Assessor - Rhonda Pritchett, D, Stilwell
Election Board Secretary - Marilyn Russell, D, Stilwell
Commissioners:
District 1 - Russell Turner, D, Stilwell
District 2 - Sam Chandler, D, Stilwell
District 3 - Haskell Kindle, R, Proctor
