The name Okmulgee comes from a Creek word meaning "boiling water." Created at statehood from lands in the Creek Nation, Indian Territory, the county seat, Okmulgee, has been the capital of the Creek Nation since the Civil War. The Indians chose the site in the belief that tornadoes would not strike the area and so far history has proven them correct.
Two local lakes furnish most of the water for the county. Major highways are I-40, east-west, and S.H. 75, north-south. Burlington Northern Railroad maintains a station for shipping.
Points of interest are: the Creek Council House Museum (former meeting place of the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes), the Creek Tribal Complex, Samuel Checote gravesite, Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee, Nuyaka Mission, and Okmulgee State Park. A Pecan Festival is held mid-June annually in Okmulgee and a Labor Day celebration is observed in Henryetta each year. Both cities support public libraries.
History of Okmulgee County offers information about the area. For additional information, call the county clerk's office at 918/758-1203. County narrative provided courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries from the 2002-2004 Oklahoma Almanac.
| Population Totals | ||
| 2000 Census | 2006 Census | |
| Okmulgee | 39,685 | 39,278 |
| Median Age: | 36.9 | 37.3 |
| Median Household Income: | $27,652 | 31,960 |
Colleges and Universities
Oklahoma State University - Okmulgee
County Government
County Seat: Okmulgee
Court Clerk - Linda Beaver, D, Okmulgee
Clerk - Rebecca Thomas, D, Henryetta
Sheriff - Earl Edwin Rice, D, Beggs
Treasurer - Vonna Lampkins, D, Beggs
Assessor - Lisa Smart, D, Morris
Election Board Secretary - Virginia A. Powders, D, Okmulgee
Commissioners:
District 1 - Ronald Ballard, D, Beggs
District 2 - Robert Hardridge, D, Okmulgee
District 3 - James Connors, D, Dewar
