Blaine

Formed May 2, 1890 (4^th county)

Blaine County (8,731), Watonga (2,692)                

The domed tan brick Classical Revival structure was built in 1906.  It sits on a square at the corner of 1^st Street and Weigle Street.  The intersection United States Highway 270 and Oklahoma State Highway 3 is four blocks south and six blocks west of the site.  This is the only courthouse for this county thus Watonga has been the only county seat.  The county was formed at the statehood of Oklahoma on May 2, 1890 as an original county (4^th county.)  E. Coady and Company provided the building designs.  The building was enlarged in 1987.  The county was originally called “C” County.  In 1892, it was renamed for United States Senator, House Speaker, and Republican presidential candidate James G. Blaine.  Watonga was named for Arapahoe leader, Watangaa (Black Coyote). 

Blaine County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fourteen District Court Judges serve Blaine, Alfalfa, Dewey, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Major, Woods and Woodward counties and a court clerk serves Blaine County (judicial.)  The county is northwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and southwest of Enid, Oklahoma.  The county center is 3.8 miles North-Northeast of Watonga.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Major, Kingfisher, Canadian, Caddo, Custer, and Dewey counties. 

The area of the county is 929 square miles.  It is 27 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 60 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 9.4 persons per square mile making it 60 out of 77 in the state.  Blaine County has 66.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 270 comes in from Canadian County on the southeast and crosses on a diagonal to go into Dewey County on the west.  United States Highway 281 is joined with United States Highway 270 across the county from Canadian County to Dewey County.  The county is a tall rectangle shape with its southeast corner cut out.  Watonga is near the county center.  Watonga is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BLAEN.  The county seat is pronounced WA-TON-GA.