The county was also called
Nvnih Chufvk Kaunti. The Choctaw word
nvnih means “a mountain or high hill” and
chufvk means “a pointed object.” (The apparent lower-case letter “v” is the Greek letter
upsilon, which makes a short “u” sound, for a pronunciation akin to
“nunih chufuk.”) This description referred to Sugar Loaf Mountain, which anchored the county's eastern border with
Arkansas southeast of
Poteau, east of the community of
Gilmore. Sugar Loaf Mountain, whose summit is very conical, is locally prominent, rising from the valley floor to an elevation of 2,560 feet. Sugar Loaf County was one of the original 19 counties created by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation in 1850. The county's boundaries were established and designated according to easily recognizable natural landmarks, as were the boundaries of all Choctaw Nation counties. The county was bordered on the south by the
Winding Stair Mountains. The county's northern border threaded its way through well-defined valleys along
Cavanal Mountain and adjacent ridges, following Cedar Creek,
Fourche Maline, and the
Poteau River. Its eastern border was with Arkansas, and its western border was formed by a line from the source of Gaines Creek north to the headwaters of Bayouzeal. It then followed the Bayouzeal to the
Skullyville County boundary line. (Bayouzeal is not a stream name currently in use, and the exact identity of the stream in question is unknown. Maps from the 1800s suggest it may be Brushy Creek or Brazil Creek.) The county courthouse at statehood was located at
Conser, a settlement which is no longer extant. It was located southwest of present-day
Heavener, west of
Hodgen, and southeast of
Wister Lake. The county served as an election district for members of the National Council, and as a unit of local administration. Constitutional officers, all of whom served for two-year terms and were elected by the voters, included the county judge, sheriff, and a ranger. The judge's duties included oversight of overall county administration. The sheriff collected taxes, monitored unlawful intrusion by intruders (usually white Americans from the United States), and conducted the census. The county ranger advertised and sold strayed livestock. == Statehood ==