McClain

Formed November 16, 1907 (54^th county)

McClain County (41,667), Purcell (6,648), Newcastle (10,989)                

The park-like setting for the brown brick courthouse was established in 1928 at the corner of Washington and 2^nd streets.  United States Highway 77 is Washington Street through Purcell.  Hawk and Parr were the architects of this Classical Revival structure.  The building was enlarged in 1994.  It is the only permanent courthouse in McClain County since the November 16, 1907 county founding thus Purcell has been the only county seat.  It was the 54^th county.  The county was originally part of Curtis County in the proposed state of Sequoyah.  Charles M. McClain, a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention, gave McClain County its name.  Railroad director, E. B. Purcell is the source for the county seat’s name. 

McClain County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Ten District Court Judges serve McClain, Cleveland, and Garvin counties and a court clerk serves McClain County (judicial.)  The county is south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in south central Oklahoma.  The county center is 9.3 miles West of Purcell nearer Washington.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Pontotoc, Garvin, and Grady counties.  The Canadian River is the entire northern border of the county. 

The area of the county is 570 square miles.  It is 65 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 24 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 73.1 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 77 in the state.  McClain County has 72.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 comes from the north (Cleveland County) and goes to the south (Garvin County).  Interstate Highway 44 cuts the northwest corner going from Cleveland County, north, into Grady County, west.  United States Highway 62 parallels Interstate Highway 44 through the county from Cleveland to Grady counties.  United States Highway 77 parallels Interstate Highway 35 after entering the county further south but still going from Cleveland County into Garvin County.  United States Highway 177 cuts the far southeast corner from Pottawatomie County, north, into Garvin County, south.  United States Highway 277 is joined with United States Highway 62 from Cleveland to Grady counties.  The county is “L” shaped with Purcell lying south of center.  Purcell extends into Cleveland County.  Newcastle is in the northwest corner of the county.  Purcell is the county seat and Newcastle is the largest city.  Purcell is 16.0% of the county population while Newcastle is 26.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Purcell