Tatums, Oklahoma
| Tatums, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 34°28′55″N 97°27′52″W / 34.48194°N 97.46444°WCoordinates: 34°28′55″N 97°27′52″W / 34.48194°N 97.46444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Carter |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) |
| • Land | 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 981 ft (299 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 151 |
| • Density | 75.5/sq mi (29.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 73487 |
| Area code(s) | 580 |
| FIPS code | 40-72500[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1098763[2] |
Tatums is a town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 151 at the 2010 census, a decline of 12.2 percent from 172 at the 2000 census.[3] It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Tatums is located at 34°28′55″N 97°27′52″W / 34.481919°N 97.464470°W.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all of it land.
History
Lee Tatum and his wife, Mary, applied for a post office designation in 1895, beginning the town of Tatums in Indian Territory. The town, located in Carter County four miles northeast of Ratliff City, is one of more than fifty All-Black towns of Oklahoma and one of only thirteen still existing. In addition to running the post office, the Tatums operated a small grocery in one corner of their house. Henry Taylor owned the community's largest home and offered overnight accommodations for travelers. In addition to his postal duties, Lee Tatum was appointed U.S. marshal. Tatums residents soon established a church and school.
A hotel was built in 1899, a blacksmith shop in 1900, a cotton gin and sawmill in 1910, and a motor garage in 1918. Oil wells were drilled in the area in the 1920s, bringing wealth to several of Tatums's farmers and landowners. The Julius Rosenwald Fund helped build a brick school in 1936 and added a gymnasium in 1949; the building is still standing. Tatums's Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NR 94001519), was completed in 1919. In 1927 Norman Studios filmed a silent movie, Black Gold, in Tatums[5] and enlisted Marshal L. B. Tatums to play a role. Although the film may no longer exist, the script and camera are preserved at the Autry National Center in California.
Like most rural towns, Tatums experienced the crippling effects of the Great Depression, and many residents migrated to urban areas. At the end of the twentieth century the population stood at 172, and the town awaited economic revival.
21st century
On October 4, 2007 acting Agriculture Secretary of the USDA Chuck Conner announced the selection of Wichita Online, Inc. as a recipient of a Community Connect grant in the amount of $371,139.[citation needed] The grant will be used to provide Tatums with a community center to provide free high-speed internet to all of Tatum's citizens. The center will employ a local person and will offer 10 computers to be available to the public for 50 hours a week. Tatums was selected due to the lack of broadband in the community.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 172 people, 67 households, and 46 families residing in the town. The population density was 85.7 people per square mile (33.0/km2). There were 83 housing units at an average density of 41.4 per square mile (15.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 78.49% African American, 7.56% White, 4.65% Native American, and 9.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.
There were 67 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.3% were married couples living together, 29.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $11,146, and the median income for a family was $12,375. Males had a median income of $20,417 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $7,125. About 47.2% of families and 51.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.3% of those under the age of 18 and 32.6% of those 65 or over.
See also
- Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, Redbird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tullahassee, and Vernon, other "All-Black" settlements that were part of the Land Run of 1889.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ CensusViewer:Population of the City of Tatums, Oklahoma
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "Black Gold (1928)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ O'Dell, Larry. "All-Black Towns". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 2012-08-19.
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