Murray

Formed November 16, 1907 (57^th county)

Murray County (13,905), Sulphur (5,059)

The Classical Revival tan brick courthouse was built in 1923.  Architect Jewell Hicks gave the original design to the structure.  It is located one block south of Oklahoma State Highway 7 and ten blocks west of United States Highway 177.  The building was remodeled in 1991.  The county was organized on November 16, 1907 with the current courthouse as the only permanent courthouse for the county therefore Sulphur has been the only county seat.  The county was originally part of the Chickasaw Nation as the 57^th county.  Murray County was named for William H. Murray, president of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and later Governor of Oklahoma.  The county seat was named for nearby sulphur springs. 

Murray County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Murray, Carter, Johnston, Love, and Marshall counties and a court clerk serves Murray County (judicial.)  The county is located in south central Oklahoma south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and north of Ardmore, Oklahoma.  The Wildhorse River enters for the west but exits to the south in the county.  The county center is 3.6 miles West of Sulphur.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pontotoc, Johnston, Carter, and Garvin counties. 

The area of the county is 418 square miles.  It is 75 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 49 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 33.3 persons per square mile making it 33 out of 77 in the state.  Murray County has 58.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 comes in from the north, Garvin County, and exits to the south, Carter County.  United States Highway 77 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Garvin County into Carter County.  United States Highway 177 crosses north to south from Garvin County into Carter County on the east side of the county.  The county is a bow tie shape turned 45-degrees with the southwest extension going out the furthest.  Sulphur is in the eastern quarter in the county.  Sulphur is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced SUL-FUR.

Davis