Canadian County, Oklahoma: History
In 1859, the United States expelled the Caddo Nation of Louisiana from its Brazos reservation in Texas and relocated it to what would eventually become Canadian County, Oklahoma. Showetat, the last hereditary chief of the Caddo, set up his camp here and is considered Canadian County's first permanent resident. (Union City developed near his camp site.)
The federal government relocated the Wichita tribe to this same part of Indian Territory in 1861. By the Treaty of Medicine Lodge, the United States assigned the land west of the Caddo and Wichita to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. They were relocated from Colorado in 1869. The Cheyenne-Arapaho Agency (later renamed the Darlington Agency) was established in 1870.
Canadian County was formed in 1889 as County Four of Oklahoma Territory as part of the Oklahoma Organic Act, which created Oklahoma Territory from part of Indian Territory. It was named after the Canadian River, which runs through the county.
This county was settled by European-Americans after the April 22, 1889, land run, which gave away expropriated Native American land. It was expanded by a second land run in 1892. In 1902, after distribution of communal lands among households of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, their 'surplus' lands were opened to European-American settlement. El Reno was chosen as the county seat over competitors Reno City, Frisco, and Canadian City.
The county was the location of the last great battle of the Cheyenne and Arapaho against United States Army forces.