Stephens County, Oklahoma: History
Stephens County was created at statehood from portions of both Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. About two-thirds of the area came from Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, and the western third came from Comanche County, Oklahoma Territory. The town of Duncan was designated as the county seat. County offices were located in rented facilities in Duncan until the first courthouse was built in 1921. That building was replaced by a new facility in 1967.
Drilling for oil and gas began about 1910. The first production well did not come in until 1918. Production support activities soon followed. Erle P. Halliburton founded the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company in Duncan. The company has since grown into a multinational corporation with headquarters in Dubai and Houston, Texas.