Okemah
| Okemah | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in Oklahoma
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1902 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Oklahoma | ||
| County : | Okfuskee County | ||
| Coordinates : | 35 ° 26 ′ N , 96 ° 18 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 ) | ||
| Residents : | 3,252 (as of 2014) | ||
| Population density : | 485.4 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 6.9 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) of which 6.7 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 277 m | ||
| Postal code : | 74859 | ||
| Area code : | +1 539,918 | ||
| FIPS : | 40-54200 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1096198 | ||
| Website : | www.okemahok.org | ||
| Mayor : | Anthony Landers | ||
 Downtown Okemah, 2010 |
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Okemah is a city and county seat of Okfuskee County in the US state of Oklahoma with 3252 inhabitants (2014).
geography
The nearest major city, Tulsa , is about 85 kilometers away in the northeast. Oklahoma City is 115 kilometers to the west. The Interstate 40 highway touches Okemah in the south. The North Canadian River flows to the west .
history
The region's indigenous people were various Indian tribes , most of whom belonged to the Creek people . From 1902, non-Indian settlers also settled there. The name Okemah was chosen in honor of an Indian chief . The settlers were of the opinion that the place was conveniently located as the crossing point of two planned railway lines. The Fort Smith and Western Railroad then also ran through the town, but the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway (which was later renamed the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway ) did not. In 1908, Okemah was designated the administrative seat of Okfuskee County, which had a positive impact on the population. In 1922 oil was found in drilling, but the springs were not particularly productive. The Okfuskee County Courthouse , built in 1926, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under number "NR 84003377". The Okemah National Guard Armory is also listed there under the number "NR 98000734", in which prisoners of war were temporarily housed during the Second World War .
Livestock has been a major industry in Okemah since the beginning of the 21st century . The city also hosts the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival every summer , which is growing in popularity with both domestic and foreign visitors, honoring Okemah-born folk singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie . The Woody Guthrie House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the number. "NR 75001569".
Lynchings
In 1911, a double lynching occurred in Okemah . The African-American Laura Nelson and her son Lawrence accused the Deputy Sheriff of having shot of Okemah. They have been taken into custody and charged with murder. Before there was a due process, she and her son were abducted from their cells by a mob of white men that night and both hanged from a railroad bridge over the North Canadian River. Then, as was common practice at that time, from today's perspective degrading and cruel photos of the dead Laura and Lawrence Nelson as well as the bridge with the hanged men were made and used as postcards.
Demographic data
In 2014 a population of 3,252 people was determined, which means an increase of 7.0% compared to the year 2000. The average age of residents in 2014 was 34.9 years, below Oklahoma's average, which was 36.2 years. The proportion of inhabitants that can be traced back to the indigenous people was 23.6% at this point in time.
sons and daughters of the town
- Allen Edward Barrow (1914–1979), federal judge
- Woody Guthrie (1912-1967), folk singer
- William R. Pogue (1930-2014), astronaut
Individual evidence
Web links
- woodyfest - Woody Guthrie Folk Festival