Cloud Chief, Oklahoma

Cloud Chief, Oklahoma
Washita County Courthouse in Cloud Chief
Nickname(s): Tacola
Location in the State of Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Washita County
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-7)

Cloud Chief is a small unincorporated community in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. Once the county seat of Washita County, it is now considered a ghost town. Only a few buildings remain, mostly in disrepair.

After the Cheyennes and Arapahos settled down on "their" reservation. What an empire this was - 4,297,711 acres and only slightly more that 3000 Indians, two-thirds Cheyennes and one-third Arapahos. In 1890, the government once again met with the Cheyennes and Arapahos. They persuaded each Indian to take an allotment of 160 acres each and release the balance of their tribal domain in consideration of which they were promised $1,500,000. The money was kept in the Treasury and placed on credit for the tribes, where it would draw five per cent interest. This interest was to be paid annually on a per capita basis. On the 19th of July 1891, the payment in hard cash began. Each Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian received seventy-five silver dollars. By October of 1891, some 2835 members of these tribes had received $212,625. By March 1892, 3,329 allotments (160 acre farms) had been made, involving over 500,000 acres of land. This left a balance of 3,500,000 acres which were released for white settlements

The townsite was platted in April, 1892, as Tacola, when the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation was opened for settlement. A few weeks later, the town population was said to be over 3,000 inhabitants. The post office was established March 29, 1892, and Cloud Chief was designated by the U.S. Congress as the county seat of H County, Oklahoma Territory. Many of the new settlers left the town within a year. Cloud Chief was at the fringe of "Texas" and as a result was settled mainly by Texans. Nobody who competed for the town lots could ever forget the excitement. Fights over claims were commonplace, and the cry of "claimjumper" was heard. In two hours the town was established. Many of the settlers left almost immediately after their claims were legally staked, for they had six months from the time they filed to the time they had to settle on their claims.

Many of the settlers went home to get their families and households. Many had left their business hanging fire until they found out whether or not they could actually find a claim in the newly opened country. They had to sell out or close out their business and farms back home.

The population dwindled, but only for six months. Then the town began its growth that was to continue for a eight year period. When Cloud Chief was at its peak it had population of about 700 people. However, by 1898 the population had begun to rise again.