Johnston county, created at statehood in 1907 and named for Douglas H. Johnston, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, is located in south central Oklahoma with Tishomingo serving as the county seat. The county's center piece is the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge which wraps much of Lake Texoma in the southern portion of the county.
County notables include Gene Autry, the "singing cowboy" and moviedom giant and William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray and Johnston Murray, father and son governors of Oklahoma.
Significant historical sites in the county include the Chickasaw National Capitols in Tishomingo; the Wapanucka Academy Site near Bromide and the White House of the Chickasaws near Emet.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 10,310, an increase of 278 over the 1990 census.