Marshall County is the smallest county in Oklahoma but only in square miles. It is the biggest county when it comes to heart and friendship.

Lying in the arms of Lake Texoma, Marshall County is really like one big town made up of many smaller communities. Madill is the county seat with Kingston as the next largest town. The other incorporated communities are Lebanon and Oakland with many of the "old towns" still retaining their names through local senior citizens and community centers.

Madill is well known as the "Town Where Friends Meet." Will Rogers would have been right at home in the community because nobody is ever a stranger - at least not for long. From the folks at the Marshall County Courthouse to the carhops at the local drive-in restaurants, people from across America and even the world are made to feel like they just dropped by to visit with family.

Created at statehood, Marshall County is located in south central Oklahoma on the Oklahoma/Texas border. Prior to statehood this area was part of the Chickasaw Nation and was at one time part of the area known as Pickens County, Indian Territory.

Fort Washita, dating back to 1842, is located between Madill and Durant on Highway 199. Established to protect the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians from the more warlike Plains Indians, the fort was active until the start of the Civil War, about 1861, when it was abandoned. Confederate forces from Texas occupied the fort and it became a major supply depot for Confederate troops.

Marshall County was divided into several townships. In 1950, the townships were Taliaferro (Oakland and Madill), Little City (Odell and New Woodville), Willis (Kingston), Holford. In 1970, the county divisions changed to North Marshall and South Marshall. According to the 1970 census, the population of Marshall County was 7,682. In 1980, the population of the county jumped to 10,550. According to the 1990 census, the population of Marshall County was 10,829. The largest town Madill, had a population of 3,069. Kingston had a population of 1,237.

The Red River has been a key factor in the history of Marshall County. The building of the Red River Bridge created numerous jobs for the area in the 1930's. A little later, the building of the Denison Dam, and the creation of Lake Texoma employed several Marshall County citizens. Marshall County is also part of an area known as Texomaland. Texomaland includes the land surrounding Lake Texoma on both the Oklahoma and Texas side.

Lake Texoma is famous for its striped bass, or striper fishing. Stripers were introduced into the lake in 1969 and have flourished ever since. Texoma is one of the few lakes in the United States where stripers reproduce; most lakes with stripers have to be restocked.

Stripers can be caught on Lake Texoma all year round, using either live shad or artifical lures, depending on the season. Threadfin and gizzard shad, the primary forage of the striper, are readily available in the lake.

Fishing is also excellent for black bass, sand bass, crappie, bluegill and giant catfish. Professional fishing guide services guarantee an exciting trip and a good catch. Lake Texoma attracts the largest number of visitors of all the Corps of Engineers lakes west of the Mississippi River.

Madill is the "Livestock Trailer Capital of the World," with approximately 16,000 trailers rolling off the assembly lines each year. Whenever you travel in the United States or Europe, you will probably see a livestock trailer with one of these logos stamped on it: WW Trailers, S&H Trailers, or CM Trailers. CM Trailers has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the United States. Titan Trailers is the newest trailer manufacturing company producing cargo and gooseneck trailers.

Marshall County is a wonderful place to enjoy meeting folks who will become life-long friends. It's the kind of community where "we can call you by name the next time you drop by."

For more information concerning the history of Marshall County and the surrounding region, please visit the Oklahoma GenWeb Project and the Civil War Album.