Sugar Loaf County was a political subdivision of the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory, prior to Oklahoma being admitted as a state.
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.
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.
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 sheriff collected taxes, monitored unlawful intrusion by intruders (usually white Americans from the United States), and conducted the census.