Oklahoma Counties
Carter County
Carter County was created in 1907 from part of the old Chickasaw Nation called Pickens County. At statehood, the county was named Carter County in honor of Ben Carter, a prominent Native American of the Chickasaw Nation. Reverend William C. Sparks and his wife Sarah Justice Sparks moved north from Texas into the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory sometime between 1885 and 1895. They lived in the community of Springer, and it is there that Sarah R. Justice Sparks died and was buried in 1896. William's oldest son, Samuel Nathan Sparks, had also moved to Indian Territory from Texas, and he settled his family nearby in the adjacent Johnston county.
It is likely that William C. and Sarah and their family were recorded as "Intruders" in the Indian Territory. A list of intruders in the Chickasaw Nation was recorded there prior to their arrival and so did not show their names. Land could be leased from members of the tribe and settlers frequently came into Indian Territory and rented land there. Intruders were, however, often unwelcome settlers on Indian land as evidenced by the following document: Intruders in Indian Territory
Jefferson County
Named for President Thomas Jefferson, this county was created from a portion of Comanche county in Oklahoma Territory and the southwestern corner of the Chickasaw Nation. Ryan is the site of the Jefferson County courthouse, built in 1894 by the Chickasaw Nation. But at statehood, Waurika was named the county seat, and the 98th Meridian, which served as the dividing line between Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory runs through that town. Mary Elizabeth Sparks Montgomery, daughter of Rev. William C. Sparks lived in Jefferson county, and was recorded there on the census in both 1900 and 1910 with her only child, her daughter Birdie. Mary Elizabeth had been widowed prior to 1900. She and her daughter, Birdie lived in Ryan and in about 1905-1907 in Aledo, Texas. After his wife's death, Rev.W.C. Sparks moved to Jefferson county to be near his daughter in Ryan. He died the following year in 1897, and is buried in the Ryan Cemetery.
Johnston County
Johnston county was created at statehood in 1907 from Chickasaw Lands. The county was named for Douglas H. Johnston, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation. After his marriage to Mary Redden in 1908, Samuel Nathan, Robert D. Sparks' oldest son, moved from Wapanucka to Milburn in the newly formed Johnston county. He and Mary lived there together throughout their marriage until her death in 1930.
Caddo County
Robert Donnell Sparks moved to Caddo county and settled near Fort Cobb. He was recorded there on the 1910 census in Cobb township at age 56 with wife "Lula"44, and Walter 24, Joe 15, and Claude and Maude both 9 years old. His son, Robert "Don", was living in the next residence with his new wife, Edna Caroline Odom. Seventeen year old daughter, Belle Sparks was living with Edna's sister, Angie Odom in Henryetta, Okmulgee county, Oklahoma. Daughters, Emma and Ella had married the Hudgins brothers only a year before. They were living with their new families in Willow Township of Caddo County. Caddo county had been a part of the Caddo-Arapahoe lands. These lands were not opened during the run of 1889 when the Cherokee strip was opened. Instead, the land was distributed by drawing 'lots'. .In 1901, the Indian lands west of the 98th Meridian were opened by Lottery. Robert registered in the drawing, but was not successful in obtaining a tract of land. He instead leased land from a Mr. Butler who had originally received land in the drawing.
Robert Donnell Sparks was recorded in 1920 in Abilene township in Caddo county. He eventually owned land in Apache, in Caddo county where he lived the rest of his life. His daughter, Emma Sparks Hudgins, and her husband Henry F. and son Howard also remained in Caddo county.
Son, Robert "Don" Sparks had already moved his family to Grady county by the time of the 1920 Census.
Grady County
Grady county was created at statehood from Caddo and Comanche counties. Formerly known as Pensee, the Post Office name for the county seat changed to Chickasha in 1892. Prior to statehood northeastern part of the area that is now Grady County was part of Pontotoc County, Chickasaw Nation with the county seat at Ada. The southeastern part was part of Pickens County with the county seat at Ardmore. The southwestern section was part of the Comanche, Kiowa & Apache Lands and the northwestern part was part of Wichita & Caddo lands which became Caddo County. The Washita River was the border between Pontotoc & Pickens county. It also divided the Comanche, Kiowa & Apache lands from the Wichita & Caddo Lands.
Robert "Don" Sparks, along with his wife Edna Caroline, and their two daughters Lucille and Inez moved to Chickasha, the capital of Grady county when the girls were only 2 and 3 years old. As recalled by Inez, their parents were interested in moving the family so that the girls would have an opportunity to attend Oklahoma College for Women which was located in Chickasha. Don and Edna bought a farm outside Chickasha and moved into a little yellow house there where they raised the usual chickens and geese and cattle. They were enumerated on the 1920 Census in Chickasha, when Don was 34, Edna 35, Lucille 5 and Inez 4. Eventually Don began working at the Country Club Golf Course. Don and Edna raised their children in Chickasha and spent most of their lives there. They are buried at Fair Lawn Cemetery in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
