Tishomingo, Oklahoma Explained

Tishomingo, Oklahoma
Settlement Type:City
Official Name:City of Tishomingo
Motto:"Progressive, Growing, Beautiful"
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Johnston
Named For:Tishomingo
Government Type:Home Rule (council-manager)
Leader Title:City manager
Leader Name:Steve Kelly
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:13.84
Area Land Km2:13.62
Area Water Km2:0.22
Area Total Sq Mi:5.34
Area Land Sq Mi:5.26
Area Water Sq Mi:0.09
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:3101
Population Density Km2:227.66
Population Density Sq Mi:589.66
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:682
Coordinates:34.2389°N -96.6831°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:73460
Area Code:580
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:40-73900[2]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2412072

Tishomingo is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States.[3] The population was 3,101 as of the 2020 Census,[4], an increase of 2.2% over the population of 3,034 reported at the 2010 census.[5] It was the first capital of the Chickasaw Nation, from 1856 until Oklahoma statehood in 1907.[6] The city is home to Murray State College, a community college with an annual enrollment of 3,015 students. Tishomingo is part of the Texoma region.

History

Tishomingo was named for Tishomingo, who died of smallpox on the Trail of Tears near Little Rock, Arkansas, after the Chickasaw had been removed in the 1830s from their original homelands in and around Tishomingo, Mississippi.[6]

Before the founding of Tishomingo in 1852, the area was known as "Good Springs". Its several springs made the area an attractive campsite along the road between Fort Washita and Fort Arbuckle. A small town had developed that replaced the old campsites with permanent structures and was renamed "Tishomingo" by 1856. That year it was designated as the Chickasaw capital. A post office was established in 1857.[6]

The Chickasaw Capitol Building was constructed in 1897 from local red granite and officially dedicated in 1898. It housed the tribal governor, the bicameral legislature, and other government officials and clerks. The territorial court also met there from time to time.

The territorial government was dissolved at statehood. In 1910, the building was sold to the newly established Johnston County, organized under statehood. It was taken for use as the county court house.[6]

The Western Oklahoma Railroad was built from Haileyville to Ardmore via Tishomingo in 1902, and bought by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway in the same year. It was abandoned in 1938.[6]

Tishomingo Cemetery dates back to at least 1832. Notables buried there include two former Oklahoma governors, William H. Murray and Johnston Murray, and Chickasaw Nation governors Douglas H. Johnson and Robert M. Harris.[6]

Geography

Tishomingo is located in south-central Johnston County. U.S. Route 377 runs through the center of the city, leading south to Madill and north to Ada. Oklahoma State Highway 22 also passes through the center of Tishomingo, leading southeast to Kenefic and west 4miles to Ravia. Ardmore is west of Tishomingo, and Oklahoma City is to the northwest.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tishomingo has a total area of 11.6sqkm, of which 11.3sqkm are land and 0.3sqkm, or 2.38%, are water.[7] Pennington Creek flows through the west side of the city, leading south 2miles to the Washita River where it becomes an arm of Lake Texoma. The Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, covering the bottomlands of the river and creek valleys, borders the city to the south.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,162 people, 1,218 households, and 768 families residing in the city. The population density was 671sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,407 housing units at an average density of 298.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 73.12% White, 4.65% African American, 15.24% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 5.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.04% of the population.

There were 1,218 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,938, and the median income for a family was $28,462. Males had a median income of $25,655 versus $16,957 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,429. About 21.8% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Tishomingo has a home-rule charter form of government,[6] headed by a city manager and city council.[8]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. September 20, 2022.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2008-01-31.
  3. Web site: Find a County. 2011-06-07. National Association of Counties.
  4. Web site: Tishomingo (city), Oklahoma. United States Census Bureau. July 2, 2024.
  5. CensusViewer:Population of the City of Tishomingo, Oklahoma.http://censusviewer.com/city/OK/Tishomingo .
  6. http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TI008 Maxine Bamburg, "Tishomingo." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
  7. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Tishomingo city, Oklahoma. U.S. Census Bureau. American Factfinder. October 18, 2018. https://archive.today/20200213102019/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4073900. February 13, 2020. dead.
  8. Web site: "City of Tishomingo home page. Accessed November 29, 2019. . November 30, 2019 . December 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191216180922/http://tishomingo.ok.gov/city_hall.html . dead .
  9. News: Chickasaw Nation Ambassador Charles W. Blackwell – a Man of Vision . . 2013-01-04 . 2013-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130108043548/http://www.kxii.com/news/ok/headlines/Chickasaw-Nation-Ambassador-Charles-W-Blackwell--a-Man-of-Vision-185701022.html . 2013-01-08.