This innovative grain elevator was built circa 1920 near the small community of Ingersoll.

Unincorporated communities in Oklahoma do not have a formally organized municipal government. Rather, residents rely on the county government for services. State law allows unincorporated communities, under certain conditions, to incorporate or join another municipality

Many unincorporated communities were at one time incorporated but for various reasons no longer have a municipal government. Depopulation during the 1930s and 40s caused the loss of many communities and some no longer exist even as unincorporated communities. In Oklahoma, incorporated municipalities may petition for dissolution^[1] or be declared dissolved after missing two concurrent municipal elections^[2] (held April of odd numbered years). Platted unincorporated communities do have some right under the laws of Oklahoma that non-platted communities do not enjoy. A town plat is also one of the conditions required for incorporation.

Driving Cattle to Pasture near Bliss.

Although unincorporated communities have no municipal governments, they may organize their own water districts^[3] or fire districts^[4] and tax citizens to support them. Additionally, many communities have school districts with elected school boards.^[5] Also, several unincorporated communities still have their own post offices.^[6]

Many unincorporated communities (such as Boggy Depot, Tuskahoma, and Skullyville) played important roles in the development of Oklahoma and others, especially those with schools and post offices, continue to be important centers in rural Oklahoma.

"Oklahoma Municipal Government" from the Oklahoma Almanac published by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries is the source document for this list. Additional communities have been added using Wikipedia articles which cite authoritative sources. Geographic coordinates, if known, are provided for those place names which are unlikely to be communities.

List of unincorporated communities

A

B

Bunch, Oklahoma, sets in the background near Sallisaw Creek in the Cookson Hills.

C

This abandoned W.S. Kelly gas station and general store in Cogar was used in a scene from the 1988 movie, Rainman.

D

The Antelope Hill, a National Historic Place, lie just north of Durham.

E

F

G

H

Haywood, Oklahoma, in the coal mining district of Pittsburg County, was named for radical labor leader, Big Bill Haywood.

I

Ingalls, Oklahoma, was the site of a famous shoot-out between U.S. Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton Gang depicted in this scene from the 1915 silent film, The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws.

J

K

L

M

Salt, an important commodity in Indian Territory, was produced near the present community of McKey.

N

O

P

Q

R

S

Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, the birthplace of author Tony Hillerman, was established in 1879 as a mission for the Pottawatomie Indians.

T

In this aerial view Tiawah nestles in the Tiawah Hills along State Highway 88 in Rogers County.

U

V

W

Y

Z

References

Bibliography

• Oklahoma Department of Libraries. "Oklahoma Municipal Government". Oklahoma Almanac. (accessed February 11, 2007)
• Oklahoma Historical Society. Chronicles of Oklahoma. (accessed February 11, 2007)
• Oklahoma State Department of Education. "School Districts Database" (accessed February 11, 2007)
• Shirk, George H. Oklahoma Place Names. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1987: ISBN 0-8061-2028-2 .
• Supreme Court of Oklahoma. "Oklahoma Statutes Citationized".Oklahoma State Courts Network (OSCN) (accessed February 11, 2007)
• United States Census Bureau Fact Finder. Fact Sheet search. (accessed February 11, 2007)
• United States Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System. (accessed February 11, 2007)
• United States Postal Service. ZIP Code Lookup. (accessed February 11, 2007)
• Abandoned Oklahoma