Fort Towson, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Fort Towson is a town in Choctaw County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 611 at the 2000 census
. It was named for nearby Fort Towson
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), of which, 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.23%) is water.
of 2000, there were 611 people, 255 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density
was 109.7 people per square mile (42.4/km²). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 57.3 per square mile (22.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.42% White, 1.15% African American, 8.02% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 3.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.
There were 255 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,676, and the median income for a family was $21,705. Males had a median income of $19,583 versus $16,389 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,612. About 25.1% of families and 31.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 99.9% of those under age 18 and 184.1% of those age 65 or over.
against Spanish colonies to the south. After Indian Removal
and the resettlement of the Choctaw
in the area, the fort was revived to protect Doaksville, a mile to the west. It became the economic capital of the Choctaw Nation. Fort Towson Landing was located at the head of navigable waters of the Red River
.
The Choctaw allied with the Confederacy in the Civil War. Chief Peter Pitchlynn
surrendered on behalf of the Choctaw in June 1865.
Fort Towson was the site of the surrender of the last Confederate land forces in the American Civil War
. On 23 June 1865, Brigadier General Stand Watie
, a Cherokee
chief, agreed to terms and took his Choctaw Battalion out of the war.
Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Choctaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 15,342. Its county seat is Hugo.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 611 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It was named for nearby Fort Towson
Fort Towson
Fort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma....
.
Geography
Fort Towson is located at 34°1′12"N 95°16′46"W (34.020042, -95.279374).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), of which, 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.23%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 611 people, 255 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 109.7 people per square mile (42.4/km²). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 57.3 per square mile (22.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.42% White, 1.15% African American, 8.02% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.
There were 255 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,676, and the median income for a family was $21,705. Males had a median income of $19,583 versus $16,389 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $12,612. About 25.1% of families and 31.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 99.9% of those under age 18 and 184.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
The fort was first established to protect the southern border of the Indian TerritoryIndian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
against Spanish colonies to the south. After Indian Removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
and the resettlement of the Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
in the area, the fort was revived to protect Doaksville, a mile to the west. It became the economic capital of the Choctaw Nation. Fort Towson Landing was located at the head of navigable waters of the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
.
The Choctaw allied with the Confederacy in the Civil War. Chief Peter Pitchlynn
Peter Pitchlynn
Peter Perkins Pitchlynn , or Hat-choo-tuck-nee , was a Choctaw chief of Choctaw and Anglo-American ancestry...
surrendered on behalf of the Choctaw in June 1865.
Fort Towson was the site of the surrender of the last Confederate land forces in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. On 23 June 1865, Brigadier General Stand Watie
Stand Watie
Stand Watie , also known as Standhope Uwatie, Degataga , meaning “stand firm”), and Isaac S. Watie, was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, a Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
chief, agreed to terms and took his Choctaw Battalion out of the war.