[7] Nowata served as a train stop for Native Americans from the East being forced to resettle by the United States government.

The find established Nowata as "...a region (having) a reputation for being the world's largest shallow oil field."

[8] A Federal court was established in 1904, and met on the third floor of the new building owned by the First National Bank of Nowata.

[8] On September 29, 1916, two men, accused of killing a deputy sheriff, were taken from the Nowata jail by a mob and lynched in front of the courthouse.

It became the southern terminus of the Union Electric Railway, which continued to serve the city until 1948.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all land.

A thermometer at an Oklahoma Mesonet site in Nowata recorded a low temperature of −31 °F (−35 °C) on the morning of February 10, 2011.

The weekly Nowata Star newspaper kept readers informed about local events and issues.

The Wagoner Subdivision begins to the north in the nearby city of Coffeyville Kansas and runs roughly parallel with US-169 through Nowata County.

The subdivision runs through the towns of South Coffeyville, Lenapah, Delaware, Nowata, and Watova.

The south end of the Wagoner Subdivision is located in the city of Van Buren Arkansas.

In the movie, a man played by Mac Davis tries to bring back the town's cancelled high school football program.

Scenes were filmed in town and guest starred Barry Switzer and many locals.