Oklahoma Culpepper Archives
Choctaw County

History

In the Kiamichi Country of southeastern Oklahoma, Choctaw County was formed in 1907 from Choctaw Nation land. Its county seat, Hugo, is at the southern end of the Indian Nation Turnpike about 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Choctaw is bordered by the Oklahoma counties of Bryan, Atoka, Pushmataha and McCurtain; and across the Red River by the Texas counties of Red River and Lamar.

Any names below in red have not been matched with a person in the Culpepper family tree. If you can identify any of them, please let us know.

Census Records

Oklahoma was opened to white settlers with the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. The earliest extant census for Oklahoma Territory is for 1900, and Oklahoma Territory became a state in 1907. No Culpeppers have been found in any Choctaw County censuses prior to 1940.

Social Security Death Index

All records of deaths on or before 31 Jan 2004 in which the final benefit was paid in this county.

Places

Culpepper & Merriweather Circus
P.O. Box 813, Hugo, Choctaw Co., OK 74743 (As of April 12, 2004).

From their website:

"Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus had very humble beginnings. In 1985, Robert Johnson, Jim Hebert and Curtis Cainan started a small show. The three alternated announcing, performing and selling concessions during each performance for the first year. They didn't sell tickets, instead relying on donations received from passing a hat at the end of each show. Oblivious to everyone in the business who told them they could never succeed, they were able to gradually add employees, equipment and animals over the years.

Culpepper & Merriweather Circus was based in Queen Creek, AZ until 2001, when new ownership moved its base of operations to Hugo, OK, deep in the beautiful Red River Valley. Hugo is known as 'Circus City, USA' for a good reason. We are the 20th circus to call Hugo home since 1941, and the fourth active circus currently operating from the seat of Choctaw County."

From Bill Schreiber on October 3, 2002:

"My friend, Robert M. 'Red' Johnson told me the Culpepper part of the name came from the title of a movie, The Culpepper Cattle Co. The Merriweather part was the maiden name of the mother of the man who financially helped him get started. Red sold his show to another fellow a few years ago. He and I got our start in the circus business on the Big John Strong Circus, now defunct, and I retired from circusing in 1995. I was trying to locate Red to see how he is doing, and your website came up.