Hughes County, Oklahoma
Hughes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 14,003. This was a decrease of 1.1 percent from 14,154 at the 2000 census.[1] Its county seat is Holdenville[2]. The county was named for W. C. Hughes, an Oklahoma City lawyer who was a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.[3]
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History
The area now occupied by Hughes County was part of Indian Territory in the 19th Century. The Creeks settled in the northern part, while the Choctaws settled in the southern. [3] In 1834, Camp Holmes was established and used as a base for the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition. It was near Edwards' Store on Little River, one of the first settlements in this area.
When the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad built in 1895, the Edward's settlement was moved north for access to the railroad. The town established there was named Holden, for James Franklin Holder, a railroad official. However, the Post Office Department would not accept that name because it was too similar to the name Holder. The town was renamed Holdenville. The post office opened November 15, 1895. Holdenville incorporated in 1898.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 815 square miles (2,110.8 km2), of which 807 square miles (2,090.1 km2) is land and 8 square miles (20.7 km2) (0.97%) is water. The county is located in the Sandstone Hills physiographic region. It is drained by the North Canadian River, Canadian River, and Little River.[3]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Okfuskee County (north)
- McIntosh County (northeast)
- Pittsburg County (east)
- Coal County (south)
- Pontotoc County (southwest)
- Seminole County (west)
Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 14,154 people, 5,319 households, and 3,675 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 6,237 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.77% White, 4.48% Black or African American, 16.18% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 5.36% from two or more races. 2.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.3% spoke English, 2.6% Muskogee and 2.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 5,319 households out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 105.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,621, and the median income for a family was $29,153. Males had a median income of $22,337 versus $18,029 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,687. About 16.70% of families and 21.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 17.60% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 15, 2012[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 5,168 | 74.99% | |||
| Republican | 1,191 | 17.28% | |||
| Unaffiliated | 533 | 7.73% | |||
| Total | 6,892 | 100% | |||
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democrat |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 64.71% 3,134 | 35.29% 1,709 |
| 2004 | 57.32% 3,066 | 42.68% 2,283 |
| 2000 | 47.90% 2,196 | 50.91% 2,334 |
Cities and towns
NRHP sites
The following sites are in Hughes County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
- Dustin Agricultural Building, Dustin
- Holdenville Armory, Holdenville
- Holdenville City Hall, Holdenville
- Levering Mission, Wetumka
- Moss School Gymnasium, Holdenville
- Spaulding School Gymnasium--Auditorium, Spaulding
- Stuart Hotel, Stuart
- John E. Turner House, Holdenville
- Wetumka Armory, Wetumka
- Wetumka Cemetery Pavilion and Fence, Wetumka
References
- ^ CensusViewer:Population of Hughes County, Oklahoma.[1]
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ a b c d Milligan, James C. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Hughes County." Retrieved January 18, 2013.[2]
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/reg_0112.pdf
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved 2011-06-11.
Further reading
- Womack, Craig, Rosemary McCombs Maxey, and Southern Spaces staff. "Fife Family Cemetery", Southern Spaces, September 15, 2008.