Seminole

Formed November 16, 1907 (68^th county)

Seminole County (23,562), Wewoka (3,135), Seminole (7,140)

The red brick Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1926.  It is located on Second Avenue at Wewoka Street.  United States Highway 270 is one block west of the site.  Monnot and Reid were the building’s designers.  The bright red roof on the building and whipping tree on the front grounds provide the uniqueness.  The building was enlarged in 1939 and renovated in 1975.  The 1860 courthouse was originally used until the current courthouse was built in Wewoka, the only county seat.  The county was formed on November 16, 1907 as the 68^th county from parts of the Seminole Nation.  The county was named for the Native American tribe.  Seminole is Creek for “those who camp at a distance.”  Wewoka is the Creek Native American word meaning “roaring water.” 

Seminole County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Six District Court Judges serve Seminole, Hughes, and Pontotoc counties and a court clerk serves Seminole County (judicial.)  The county is in central Oklahoma east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The North Canadian River forms part of the northern border.  The Canadian River is the southern border.  The county center is 13.1 miles South-Southwest of Wewoka nearer Bowlegs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Okfuskee, Hughes, Pontotoc, and Pottawatomie counties. 

The area of the county is 632 square miles.  It is 60 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 37.3 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 77 in the state.  Seminole County has 53.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 goes east to west from Okfuskee County to Pottawatomie County.  United States Highway 270 comes from Hughes County, east, and goes into Pottawatomie County, west.  United States Highway 377 enters from the small panhandle of Pottawatomie County on the north and exits to the south into Pontotoc County.  The county is basically a tall rectangle with wavy river borders on the north and south.  Wewoka is in the extreme east of the county near the Hughes County border.  The City of Seminole is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Wewoka is the county seat and Seminole is the largest city.  Wewoka is 13.3% of the county population while Seminole is 30.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WE-WOE-KA.