Most of Healdton was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1960. Its Register listings are the Healdton Armory and the Zaneis School Teacher's Dormitory. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1920.
The Healdton post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Wirt (1914), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 2,157 in 19202020 census: 2,328143 years
How did Healdton get its name?
Healdton was named for Charles H. Heald, a prominent resident.
How historic is Healdton?
B−
More historic than 46% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Healdton is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Healdton’s overall grade.
Oklahoma towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oklahoma town has 5.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Healdton’s 8.0 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Oklahoma towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Healdton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A post office was established at Healdton, Indian Territory, on February 26, 1883. It was named for Charles H. Heald, a prominent resident. At the time of its founding, Healdton was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation. With the August 1913 discovery of oil in the Healdton field near the town, Healdton got rail service from the Ringling and Oil Fields Railway, an affiliate of the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway, in the 1916-1917 timeframe. That line was later acquired by an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway affiliate, and was operated until abandoned in 1976.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Healdton’s post office has been open since 1883. Another post office, Wirt, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Healdton
1883–today
Wirt
1914–1973
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Wirt
1cemetery inside Healdton
Mount Olive
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Healdton’s history
What year was Healdton founded?
The Healdton post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Healdton rank for history?
Healdton is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Healdton?
Two places: the Healdton Armory (listed 1994) and the Zaneis School Teacher's Dormitory (1985).
How old are the homes in Healdton?
10% of Healdton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 7.0% for an Oklahoma town; the median home was built in 1960.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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