After the Civil War, because part of the Cherokee Nation had suapported and fought for the Confederacy, the federal government demanded new treaty made. They reduced the original reservation lands and permitted "friendly tribes" to be moved into eastern end of the Outlet.

With the start of the cattle drives following the Civil War the Cherokee used their western land to make a profit. The cattlemen wanted to fatten their cattle on the rich grasses before taking them to railheads in Kansas so they leased the land from the Cherokee.

Land hungry settlers viewed the cattlemen's use of the area as a waste of fertile farmland and pressured the government to purchase the Cherokee land from the Cherokee. Congress eventually paid the $8,505,736 or about $1.40 per acre, and announced the opening of the Outlet to homesteaders. Surplus Pawnee and Tonkawa lands were opened at the same time.

President Grover Cleveland designated September 16, 1893 as the date of the "run" for 6,000,000 acres. This opening was the fourth, and largest, of Oklahoma's five land runs. On that day, 100,000 land hungry persons gathered for the land run into the Cherokee Outlet by horse, train, wagon and even on foot. Each hoped to claim the best farmland or town lot of 40,000 quarter sections. Some hopeful settlers remained landless. Many shunned the rough terrain of the western part of the Outlet, land that went unclaimed for several years. By the end of the day, farms were being established, and the cities of Enid, Perry, Alva, and Woodward had risen out of what had been virgin prairie the day before.

From Caldwell, Kansas 15,000 land hungry whites gathered to make "the Run" south. Caldwell was 1 of 9 places where potential settlers awaited cavalry soldiers' gunshots to start the biggest land rush in the United States.

At the time of the 1893 Land Run, there were 7 original counties: O, L, K, P, Q, M and N. It was decided that the inhabitants of each county could select the name after the run. The names selected were Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble, Pawnee, (where the Platts settled) Woods and Woodward.

In 1907 when Oklahoma acquired statehood the following counties were made from existing counties in the Cherokee Outlet: Alfalfa County was formed from Woods County; Ellis County was formed from Day and Woodward Counties; Harper County was formed from Indian Lands, Woods and Woodward Counties; Major County was formed from Woods County.