BlockFrom the record
9 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Craig County, Oklahoma
30 topographic sheets and 14 fire insurance atlases across 2 places.
Research this county
Explore by year
What the record shows
- 2 places in this county were surveyed for fire insurance: Vinita, Blue Jacket, between 1886 and 1941.
- 14 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
- 286 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 9 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 8 buildings and 1 structure.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 20 populated places in this county; 20 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
9Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Attucks School | building | 2009 | 09000974 |
 | Carselowey House | building | 2011 | 11000894 |
| Craig County Courthouse | building | 1984 | 84002994 | |
 | First Methodist-Episcopal Church, South | building | 1999 | 99000673 |
 | Hotel Vinita | building | 1995 | 94001608 |
 | Little Cabin Creek Bridge | structure | 2009 | 09000072 |
 | McDougal Filling Station | building | 2004 | 04000521 |
 | Randall Tire Company | building | 1995 | 95000029 |
| Spraker Service Station | building | 1995 | 95000030 |
Digitised newspapers
22 issuesSampled issues, machine-read from the Library of Congress scan and published page by page, so every headline and column is searchable text.
Indian Chieftain
Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.], 1882 to 1902. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The Vinita Daily Chieftain
Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.], 1902 to 1913. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The Daily Indian Chieftain
Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.], 1891 to 189?. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The Weekly Chieftain
Vinita, Craig County, Okla., 1905 to 1913. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The Vinita Weekly Chieftain
Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.], 1902 to 1905. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The Daily Chieftain
Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.], 1898 to 1902. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.
The county from the air
20 shownFlown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 768 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 20 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.
Weather records
6 stations, 2 gagesThe thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
- GWENDALE 1893 to 1894, hottest 41.7 C, coldest -20.0 C
- VINITA 2 N 1895 to 2012, hottest 47.8 C, coldest -32.8 C
- HOLLOW 1940 to 2006
- VINITA 4.9 WNW 2012 to 2026
- VINITA 8.6 ESE 2013 to 2026
- VINITA 4.6 W 2017 to 2026
- Big Cabin Creek near Big Cabin, OK 1947 to 2026
- Big Cabin Creek near Pyramid Corners, OK 1963 to 1972
The 1950 census, district by district
31 districtsWho lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
- 18-1Township 1: Township 1 - That part east of Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad, outside Welch town
- 18-2Township 1 - That part west of Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad and north of Unnamed Highway from Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad to township line
- 18-3Township 1 - That part west of Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad and south of Unnamed Highway from Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad to township line, outside Welch tow
- 18-4Township 2
- 18-5Township 3 - Outside Centralia town
- 18-6Township 4: Township 4 - That part east of Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad, outside Bluejacket town
- 18-7Township 4 - That part west of Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad, outside Bluejacket town
- 18-8Township 5: Township 5 - That part north and northeast of U. S. Highway 60
- 18-9Township 5 - That part south and southwest of U. S. Highway 60
- 18-10AVinita city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by City limits; Scraper; Tahlaquah [Tahlequah] Ave.; City limits
- 18-10BVinita city - That part of Ward 1 (Northview Addition) Bounded by City limits; City limits (County Rd.); City limits; City limits
- 18-11Vinita city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Tahlaquah [Tahlequah] Ave.; Scraper; Illinois Ave.; City limits
- 18-12Vinita city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by Illinois Ave.; Scraper; Delaware Ave.; City limits
- 18-13Vinita city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by Delaware Ave.; Scraper; City limits; City limits
- 18-14Vinita city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Illinois Ave.; City limits; Delaware Ave.; Scraper
- 18-15Vinita city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Delaware Ave.; City limits; City limits; Scraper
- 18-16Vinita city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by City limits; City limits; Tahlaquah [Tahlequah] Ave.; Scraper
- 18-17Vinita city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Tahlaquah [Tahlequah] Ave.; City limits; Illinois Ave.; Scraper
- 18-18Township 7: Township 7 - Outside Vinita city, and excluding Eastern Oklahoma Hospital
- 18-19Eastern Oklahoma Hospital (In Township 7)
- 18-20Township 8: Township 8 - That part east of State Highway 82, outside Ketchum town
- 18-21Township 8 - That part west of State Highway 82 and east of Big Cabin Creek
- 18-22Township 8 - That part west of Big Cabin Creek and east of U. S. Highway 69, outside Big Cabin town
- 18-23Township 8 - That part west of U. S. Highway 69, outside Big Cabin town
- 18-24Township 9
- 18-25Township 10
- 18-26Big Cabin town
- 18-27Bluejacket town
- 18-28Centralia town
- 18-29Ketchum town
- 18-30Welch town
Wildfire, 1994 to 2020
45 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 45 of them, burning about 5,092 acres. 11 started naturally and 22 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 22 |
| Natural | 11 |
| Debris and open burning | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Four of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 March 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,376 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | NO TORCH |
| 30 January 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,200 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 20 February 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 660 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | NE 40302 |
| 14 March 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 400 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | CLEORA |
| 15 March 2006 | Natural | 400 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | CENTRALIA |
| 18 October 2010 | Natural | 189 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | BURNT ROWS |
| 3 December 2010 | Natural | 111 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | STUCK TRUCK |
| 19 March 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 98 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | GREASY GHOST |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1951 to 2026
60 of 558 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 558 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 43 injuries and about $14,823,770 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 240 |
| Hail | 223 |
| Tornado | 51 |
| Flash Flood | 41 |
| Lightning | 3 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1970 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| December 1982 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 10 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | White Oak | 10 hurt | Numerous roads were flooded and closed north of Vinita. At least ten motorists were rescued by emergency personnel in the flood waters and at least 20 homes were evacuated due to rising flood water. The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Vinita measured 7.48 inches of rain in five hours during this event. |
| April 1980 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 4 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vinita | 4 hurt, $30,000 | A collapsing thunderstorms produced microburst winds estimated at 70 miles an hour. These winds blew down several trees and destroyed a trailer house. The four people inside the trailer house were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. |
| April 1975 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| January 1967 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Tornado (EF2) | Welch | 1 hurt, $250,000 | A tornado tore the roof off of a permanent home, shifted another permanent home off its foundation and blew out an exterior wall, turned over an outbuilding, rolled two horse trailers, destroyed a 40' by 60' steel-framed barn, and snapped or uprooted a number of hardwood trees. Maximum estimated wind in the tornado based on this damage was 110 to 120 mph. |
| May 1961 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Tornado (EF1) | Kelso | 1 hurt, $50,000 | This is the first segment of a three segment tornado. In Craig County, the tornado first damaged barns and trees at the S 440 Road. It moved east-southeast snapping or uprooting trees and damaging barns and outbuildings along the E 200 Road, the S 440 Road, and the E 230 Road before crossing I-44, where it blew over two tractor trailers, injuring the driver of one of them. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 95 to 105 mph. The tornado continued into Ottawa County, Oklahoma. |
| November 1987 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1983 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Flash Flood | Vinita | $4,000,000 | An estimated 5 to 8 inches of rain in a short time caused Big Cabin Creek on the west side of Vinita and Bull Creek on the east side of Vinita to overflow their banks and enter 54 homes. Water was five feet deep in some homes. 30 homes were evacuated. The hardest-hit areas were located along North Second to North Fourth Streets, near Sequoyah and Tahlequah. According to the police chief, all of the homes around North Second Street were devastated. Later in the evening, water from Bull Creek drained into Big Cabin Creek, flooding out several homes in the Westwood area. Long-time residents say that the last time Bull Creek flooded any homes was in 1961, though they said the flooding this time was much more serious. Property damage was estimated at $4 million. Swift-moving floodwater from Bull Creek swept a pickup truck off of Eastern State Road.All four lanes of US Hwy 60 were closed by high water 1/2 mile west of Vinita. There were also reports of flooding around Welch. |
| June 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF2) | Welch | $600,000 | A tornado developed just south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border north-northwest of Welch. It moved rapidly east across northeastern Craig County, intensifying and widening as it moved into Ottawa County. In Craig County, the tornado destroyed several mobile homes, severely damaged about a dozen other homes, snapped or uprooted numerous trees, and blew down power poles and power lines. |
| June 2010 | Lightning | Vinita | $500,000 | Lightning ignited a large fire at the Paint and Home Decorative Center of the TH Rogers Lumber Company in Vinita, destroying the building and all of its contents. The structure was approximately 60x200 feet and contained laminate flooring, rolls of carpet, cans of paint, and decorative doors. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Cabin | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Welch | $350,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind severely damaged the school gymnasium, damaged the roofs of homes, destroyed outbuildings, and blew down trees. |
| September 1973 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Flash Flood | Vinita | $150,000 | Heavy rains caused flooding on the eastern side of Vinita. Water up to four inches deep entered up to fifteen houses. Boats were used in the streets to rescue families. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Oak | $109,000 | Thunderstorm wind resulted in at least $109,000 in damage to the utility infrastructure across the county during this severe thunderstorm. |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $100,000 | Most small creeks throughout Craig County overflowed their banks, resulting in serious damage to county roads, estimated at $75,000-$100,000. However, no residences were flooded. |
| May 2001 | Hail | White Oak | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Vinita | $75,000 | Hail larger than golf ball size damaged vehicles, homes, and businesses. |
| May 1996 | Tornado (F2) | Childers | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vinita | $63,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down numerous trees and did some damage to a few structures. One home which was under construction collapsed and tin roofs were blown off two buildings at a lumber yard. Rain damaged contents of the buildings. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vinita | $58,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour caused considerable damage in Vinita. A mobile home was pushed off its foundation and several metal garages were damaged. Trees were also blown down. A few of the trees fell on homes causing roof and other structural damage. |
| May 2025 | Hail | Welch | $50,000 | Baseball size hail damaged homes and vehicles. |
| March 2020 | Hail | Vinita Arpt | $50,000 | Large hail damaged vehicles, and the roofs of homes. |
| May 2019 | Flash Flood | White Oak | $50,000 | Homes and businesses were flooded. |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF1) | Todd | $50,000 | This is the first segment of a two segment tornado. In Craig County, this tornado destroyed a mobile home and snapped or uprooted trees. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 95 to 105 mph. |
| December 1999 | Hail | Vinita | $50,000 | Qarter to half dollar size hail fell in Vinita. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Pyramid Corners | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vinita | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Vinita | $30,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged homes and vehicles. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Vinita Arpt | $30,000 | Tennis ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Vinita Arpt | $25,000 | Tennis ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Vinita | $25,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Vinita | $25,000 | Baseball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluejacket | $25,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees and destroyed an outbuilding. |
| April 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Vinita | $25,000 | A tornado tore the roof off of a mobile home, blew down a small billboard, damaged the roofs of several barns and outbuildings, and blew down power poles. Maximum winds based on the damage were estimated to be near 75 mph. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Vinita | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Hail | Bluejacket | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1983 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1974 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1973 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1973 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| November 1958 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | White Oak | $20,000 | Hail larger than golf ball size damaged vehicles and homes. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vinita | $20,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind destroyed outbuildings and uprooted trees. |
| April 2016 | Tornado (EF0) | White Oak | $20,000 | This tornado uprooted trees and damaged outbuildings. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 70 to 80 mph. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Welch | $20,000 | A tornado severely damaged the roof of a mobile home, snapped trees, and took down power lines in extreme northern Craig County. The tornado continued into southeastern Labette County Kansas, where it produced F1 damage. See Storm Data for Kansas, Southeast for details regarding the Labette County segment of this tornado. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Centralia | $20,000 | Thunderstorms winds destroyed a barn. When the barn was destroyed two horses were killed. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Oak | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm outflow wind damaged a barn, blew down several trees, and damaged power poles. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Welch | $15,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Welch | $15,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Vinita | $15,000 | Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| July 2020 | Hail | Centralia | $15,000 | Hail larger than golf ball size was photographed. The hail damaged a couple homes and vehicles. |
Mines and quarries
41 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 41 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 40 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 16 |
| Clay | 15 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 10 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uinita Rock Co Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Sandstone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Sandstone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Every populated place in the county
20Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 2 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.
-
Vinita
Vinita East census division · 74301 · On Pawpaw Creek · Vinita quadrangle
14 sheets, 1901 to 1985
Fire insurance: 11 atlases
-
Centralia
Vinita West census division · 74301 · Near Blue Mound · Centralia quadrangle
14 sheets, 1901 to 1985
-
Cocklebur Flat
North Craig census division · 74369 · Pyramid Corners quadrangle
14 sheets, 1901 to 1985
-
Estella
Vinita West census division · 74301 · On Thompson Creek · Estella quadrangle
15 sheets, 1901 to 1985
-
Pyramid Corners
North Craig census division · 74333 · On Whiskey Branch · Pyramid Corners quadrangle
14 sheets, 1901 to 1985
-
Rogers
North Craig census division · 74369 · On Willow Creek · Welch NW quadrangle
15 sheets, 1901 to 1985
Recorded here
Vinita, Oklahoma
14 topographic sheets and 11 fire insurance atlases, 1886 to 1941
Blue Jacket, Oklahoma
0 topographic sheets and 3 fire insurance atlases, 1905 to 1925
Provenance
- Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
- Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
- Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.