Noble County, Oklahoma
Noble County is located in the north central part of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,924. Its county seat is Perry. It was part of the Cherokee Outlet in Indian Territory until Oklahoma Territory was created in 1890, and the present county land was designated as County P. After the U. S. government opened the area to non-Indian settlement in 1893, it was renamed Noble County for John Willock Noble, then the United States Secretary of the Interior. History During the 18th and 19th centuries, the area now occupied by Noble County was used as a hunting ground by the Osage Indians. In 1835, a treaty with the Cherokees made it part of the so-called Cherokee Outlet. During the time of Cherokee ownership, non-native cattlemen who belonged to the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association leased grazing land from the tribe. Later, reservations were created in the northeastern part of the county for the Otoe and Ponca tribes. These reservations existed until 1904, when the lands were allotted and added to Noble County. The Cherokee Outlet became part of Oklahoma Territory at the time of the Oklahoma Organic Act, and was divided into counties. After the 1893 opening of the Cherokee Outlet for settlement by non-Indians, the land was divided into counties. One county, originally designated as County P, was renamed in honor of John W. Noble, interior secretary in 1893. The town of Perry was laid out in August 1893 as the county seat and land-office town Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was arrested in Noble County April 19, 1995 heading north bound on Interstate 35. McVeigh was stopped for not having a car tag on his car. He was minutes from being released when the Noble County Sheriff's Department was notified to hold McVeigh. McVeigh was tried and convicted for the bombing attack that killed 168 persons and injured many more. He was executed in 2001. McVeigh's arresting officer, Charlie Hanger, was elected Noble County Sheriff in 2004. In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Noble County. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water. The Arkansas River forms part of the county's northeastern boundary. Two of its tributaries, Red Rock Creek in the north and by Black Bear Creek in the south, drain the county before emptying into the Arkansas River. Major highways Interstate 35 U.S. Highway 64 U.S. Highway 77 U.S. Highway 177 U.S. Highway 412 State Highway 15 State Highway 86 State Highway 108 State Highway 156 State Highway 164 Adjacent counties Kay County (north) Osage County (northeast) Pawnee County (east) Payne County (south) Logan County (southwest) Garfield County (west) Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 11,411 people, 4,504 households, and 3,211 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 5,082 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the