Washita County: Discover Cultural Sites and Lakes

Washita County offers several clear starting points for planning a trip: historic buildings in Cordell, the Canute Service Station, the history of Route 66, and lakes with specific location details. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can first decide whether architecture and local history or the lakes will be your main focus. These places and topics show how differently the county’s history and geography can be explored.

Lakes and geographic orientation

Rocky (Hobart) Lake is in Washita County, five miles northwest of Rocky. Its shoreline is 8.40 miles long. These two details answer different questions: the five miles describe the distance to Rocky, while the shoreline length is a measurement of the lake itself. This distinguishes geographic orientation from a description of the body of water.

Clinton Lake is also in Washita County, five miles east of Canute. Its location is described in relation to a different place from Rocky (Hobart) Lake: Canute is the reference point here, while Rocky is the reference point there. For planning your trip, these place names are therefore just as important as the lake names.

Vanderwork Lake is seven miles north of Gotebo on State Highway 54 and two miles east on County Road 1280. Its location description therefore combines a place as a reference point with two road details. As road conditions can change, check your route before setting out.

County architecture and history

The Canute Service Station is a one-story, rectangular, stuccoed building and an outstanding example of the southwestern expression of Art Deco known as Pueblo Deco. It also played an important role in commerce along historic Route 66. It has been listed on the National Register since February 9, 1995. This building brings together a clearly identified architectural movement and the commercial history of Route 66.

The Great Western Cattle Trail dates back to 1874 and ran through Washita County. The Washita County Courthouse, in turn, is a landmark on Cordell’s town square: the historic, three-story brick building is designed in the Neoclassical style and has served as the center of county government since before statehood. The trail’s history and the history of local government thus offer two different perspectives on the county’s past.

The New Cordell Courthouse Square Historic District encompasses the original business district of the settlement of New Cordell, founded in 1897. Architectural styles found there include Commercial Style, Classical Revival, and Modern. Unlike an individual building such as the courthouse, this district draws attention to a business area and the variety of its architecture. This contrast offers a useful thematic framework for a culture-focused trip.

Built in 1911, the Cordell Carnegie Public Library is the only surviving example of Mission Revival or Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Cordell. The Washita County Museum is housed in an old Carnegie library, also built in 1911. On display at the museum is an 1890 chuckwagon. The county thus offers both a distinctive example of regional architectural history and an exhibit connected with the past.

The Seger Indian Training School is historically significant because of its connection to the Cheyenne and Arapaho; its historic name is Seger Mission School. The site is vacant and unused. This history adds to the range of historical topics that shape Washita County.

Choosing your travel interests

For a trip focused on architecture, the different styles can serve as a common thread: Pueblo Deco at the Canute Service Station, Neoclassical architecture at the courthouse, and Commercial Style, Classical Revival, and Modern architecture in the historic district. Those more interested in local and transportation history can also explore the connections to Route 66 and the Great Western Cattle Trail. The lakes offer a different point of reference, with distances given from Rocky, Canute, and Gotebo.

As of October 11, 2025, the Cordell Pumpkin Festival program included craft booths on the Downtown Square in Cordell, displays of historic and new cars, and a pumpkin pancake breakfast. If the festival is relevant to your trip plans, check the latest event dates.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Canute, Woodward County, Le Flore, Oklahoma, Latimer County, Murray County, Jackson, Johnston County

Go to the main travel overview: Oklahoma.