Pittsburg County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,773. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is McAlester. The county was formed from part of the

Choctaw Nation The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

in 1907. County leaders believed that its coal production compared favorably with

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

at the time of statehood.O'Dell, Larry
"Pittsburg County,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015. Pittsburg County comprises the McAlester, OK micropolitan statistical area.

History

The area forming Pittsburg County was part of the

after the Choctaw tribe was forced to relocate to

from its home in the Southeastern United States in the early 1830s. Unlike the State of Oklahoma, whose county boundaries follow the precise north–south, east–west grid provided by Oklahoma's township and range system, the Choctaw Nation established its internal divisions using easily recognizable landmarks, such as mountains and rivers, as borders. The territory of present-day Pittsburg County fell within two of the three provinces, called districts, comprising the Choctaw Nation, the

Moshulatubbee District Moshulatubbee District was one of three provinces, or districts, comprising the former Choctaw Nation in the Indian Territory. Also called the First District, it encompassed the northern one-third of the nation. In some historic records it is spel ...

and Pushmataha District, and within those districts, into Atoka County, Jack's Fork County,

Gaines County Gaines County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,598. The county seat is Seminole. It gained national attention in 2025 for a major outbreak of measles. History The county is named for James ...

, Sans Bois County, and Tobucksy County. Some important trails, including the

Texas Road The Texas Road, also known as the Shawnee Trail, or Shawnee-Arbuckle Trail, was a major trade and emigrant route to Texas across Indian Territory (later Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). Established during the Mexican War by emigrants rushing to ...

and one route of the

California Trail The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail f ...

passed through what is now Pittsburg County. In 1840, James Perry established a village called Perryville that became an important stop near the place where the two trails crossed. During the Civil War, Perryville served as an important supply depot for Confederate forces until the Union Army captured and burned the town. It became defunct after the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MK&T) bypassed it in 1872, and the remaining inhabitants moved to McAlester. The Butterfield Overland Mail route followed a route through this area. James J. McAlester moved to the Choctaw Nation in 1872, opened a trading post and married a Chickasaw woman. This qualified him to obtain citizenship rights in the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. When the MK&T built its line, McAlester laid claim to the coal deposits in the Perryville area, which he and some partners leased to the Osage Coal and Mining Company, which was owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and acquired by the MK&T in 1888. Pittsburg County was formed on July 16, 1907, as an original county from Choctaw land. County leaders, thinking its coal production compared favorably with

, named the new county after the Pennsylvania city with the "h" removed. Coal mining continued to expand until the early 20th century. Production began to decline after 1920, and never fully recovered. By 1966, the county production was no longer reported.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.3%) is water. The county's topography is generally hilly to mountainous. The Ouachita Mountains extend into the southeastern portion. The

Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Eufaula Lake Lake Eufaula, sometimes referred to as Eufaula Lake, is a reservoir in Oklahoma. It is located on the Canadian River, upstream from its confluence with the Arkansas River and near the town of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Eufaula. The lake covers parts of ...

form the northern boundary of the county. The southern part of the county is drained by several creeks that flow into the Kiamichi River and then into the Red River.

Adjacent counties

* McIntosh County (north) * Haskell County (northeast) * Latimer County (east) * Pushmataha County (southeast) * Atoka County (south) * Coal County (southwest) * Hughes County (west)

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 45,837 people, 18,623 households, and 15,389 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 22,634 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 73.6% White/Caucasian, 3.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 13.8% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.78% from other races, and 7.6% from two or more races; 3.14% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 17.4% were of American, 12.7% Irish, 11.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 9.4% English and 7.2%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

ancestry. Since the 2020 census, its population has declined to 43,773. In 2010, there were 18,623 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.10 males. As of 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $28,679, and the median income for a family was $35,190. Males had a median income of $28,470 versus $19,886 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $15,494. About 13.60% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Economy

Although Pittsburg County was originally noted for its coal production, agriculture has long been important to the county economy. Just after statehood, farmers controlled 20 percent of the county's land area. The most important cash crops were corn and cotton. By 1960, sorghum had become the most important crop. In 2000, wheat had become the top crop. Manufacturing became significant when the U.S. Navy built an ammunition depot at McAlester during World War II. It employed 8,000 people in 1945. The U. S. Army took over the facility in 1977. The Corps of Engineers built

Eufaula Lake Lake Eufaula, sometimes referred to as Eufaula Lake, is a reservoir in Oklahoma. It is located on the Canadian River, upstream from its confluence with the Arkansas River and near the town of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Eufaula. The lake covers parts of ...

between 1956 and 1964, which brought tourism, land development and a major source of hydroelectric power.

Communities

Cities

* Haileyville * Hartshorne * Krebs * McAlester (county seat)

Towns

* Alderson * Ashland *

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

* Carlton Landing * Crowder * Indianola *

Kiowa Kiowa ( ) or Cáuigú () people are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe and an Indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colora ...

* Pittsburg * Quinton *

Savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

Census-designated places

* Adamson * Arpelar * Bache *

Blanco Blanco (''white'' or ''blank'' in Spanish) or Los Blancos may refer to: People *Blanco (surname) Fictional characters *Blanco, a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth *Blanco Webb, character in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge'' *Graboid#El Blanco, ...

* Bug Tussle * Canadian Shores * Haywood * Longtown * Scipio

Other unincorporated places

* Blocker * Cabaniss – located near the intersection of "Cabiness" Road, US Highway 270 and Twisted Creek Road. * Ti

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> K-12: * Canadian Public Schools * Clayton Public Schools * Crowder Public Schools * Haileyville Public Schools *

Hartshorne Public Schools Hartshorne Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Hartshorne, Oklahoma. It includes an elementary school and a middle-high school. It serves Hartsthorne, Adamson, and a portion of Haileyville. Boarders in grades 7–12 at Jone ...

* Indianola Public Schools * Kiowa Public Schools * McAlester Public Schools * Pittsburg Public Schools * Quinton Public Schools * Savanna Public Schools * Stuart Public Schools Elementary only: * Frink-Chambers Public School * Haywood Public School * Krebs Public School * Tannehill Public School There is a

Bureau of Indian Education The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs that directs and manages education functions. Formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs ...

(BIE)-affiliated school and boarding facility, Jones Academy (education for grades 1–6, boarding only for grades 7–12)

NRHP sites

The following sites in Pittsburg County are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * Aldridge Hotel, McAlester * Blackburn's Station Site, Pittsburg * Busby Office Building, McAlester * Busby Theatre, McAlester * Canadian Jail and Livery Stable, Canadian * Choate Cabin, Indianola * Cole Chapel School, Hartshorne * Federal Building and US Courthouse, McAlester * First Presbyterian Church, McAlester * Hokey's Drugstore, Krebs * Jeff Lee Park Bath House and Pool, McAlester * Mass Grave of the Mexican Miners, McAlester * McAlester Armory, McAlester * McAlester DX, McAlester * McAlester House, McAlester * McAlester Scottish Rite Temple, McAlester * Mine Rescue Station Building, McAlester * New State School, McAlester * OKLA Theater, McAlester * Perryville, McAlester * Pittsburg County Courthouse, McAlester * Pittsburg School and Gymnasium, Pittsburg * Southern Ice and Cold Storage Company, Pittsburg * St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Krebs * Tipton Ridge School, Blocker

References

{{authority control 1907 establishments in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1907