Oklahoma panhandle
Oklahoma Panhandle | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incorporated and unorganized territoryof theUnited States | |||||||||
1850–1890 | |||||||||
![]() The three counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle | |||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Coordinates | 36°48′N100°31′W/ 36.800°N 100.517°W | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Type | Provisional, unelected, unrecognized[1] | ||||||||
President | |||||||||
• 1886–1887 | Owen G. Chase | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
•Republic of Texasfounded; includes Panhandle area | March 2, 1836 | ||||||||
• Texas surrenders claim; Panhandle becomes "unattached" territory | 1850 | ||||||||
• First petition for territorial status sent to Congress | February 1887 | ||||||||
• Second petition for territorial status sent to Congress | December 1887 | ||||||||
• Attached toOklahoma Territory | 1890 | ||||||||
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TheOklahoma Panhandle(formerly calledNo Man's Land,thePublic Land Strip,theNeutral Strip,orCimarron Territory) is asalientin the extreme northwestern region of theU.S. stateofOklahoma,consisting ofCimarron County,Texas CountyandBeaver County,from west to east. As with other salients in the United States, its name comes from the similarity of its shape to the handle of a pan. Its largest city isGuymonin Texas County.Black Mesa State Park,located in Cimarron County, is the highest point in the state. Other points of interest includeBeaver Dunes Park,Optima Lake,and theOptima National Wildlife Refuge.Oklahoma Panhandle State Universityis ten miles away from Guymon.
Paleo-Indianpeople settled in the region around 8450 BCE.Native Americanhorticulturists inhabited the region before the European colonists arrived in the 16th century. The area became part ofNew Spainwith theAdams–Onís Treatyof 1819, which set the western boundary of theLouisiana Purchaseat the 100th meridian. The outcome of theMexican War of Independencemade the panhandle a part ofMexicoin 1821. The area was part of theTexas Republicfrom its formation in 1836 until Texas became part of the United States in 1846, which left the area federal property. The area was incorporated intoOklahoma Territoryand later split into three counties when Oklahoma obtained statehood in 1907.
As of the2020 United States census,the region has a population of 28,729, and Texas County is the only county in Oklahoma to have a plurality of Hispanic residents, which make up 48.1 percent of the county's population.[2]Its economy is primarily agricultural, and its political elections sway in favor of theRepublican Party.
Geography
[edit]The Panhandle, 166 miles (267 km) long and 34 miles (55 km) wide, is bordered byKansasandColoradoat37°Non the north,New Mexicoat103°Won the west,Texasat36.5°Non the south, and the remainder of Oklahoma at100°Won the east.
The largest town in the region isGuymon,which is thecounty seatof Texas County.Black Mesa,the highest point in Oklahoma at 4,973 feet (1,516 m), is located in Cimarron County. The Panhandle occupies nearly all of the trueHigh Plainswithin Oklahoma, being the only part of the state lying west of the100th meridian,which generally marks the westernmost extent of moist air from theGulf of Mexico.TheNorth Canadian Riveris named Beaver River or Beaver Creek on its course through the Panhandle. Its land area is 5,686 square miles (14,730 km2) and comprises 8.28 percent of Oklahoma's land area.[3]The area includesBeaver Dunes Parkwith sand dunes along the Beaver River andOptima Lake,the home of theOptima National Wildlife Refuge.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Okterritory.png/220px-Okterritory.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Wpdms_republic_of_texas.svg/220px-Wpdms_republic_of_texas.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/No_Man%27s_Land_Monument.jpg/220px-No_Man%27s_Land_Monument.jpg)
What is now the Oklahoma Panhandle has been occupied for millennia. ThePaleo-Indianpeople of the region were part of the Beaver River complex. A Paleo-Indian encampment, the Bull Creek site, dates back to approximately 8450 BCE, and the Badger Hole site dates to circa 8400 BCE.[4]
Shortly before the arrival of European explorers,[5]the Panhandle was home toSouthern Plains villagers.From 1200 to 1500, the semi-sedentaryPanhandle culturepeoples, including theAntelope Creek phase,[6]lived in the region in large, stone-slab and plaster houses in villages or individual homesteads. As horticulturists, they farmedmaizeand indigenous crops from theEastern Agricultural Complex.Several Antelope Creek phase sites were founded near present-day Guymon, including the McGrath,Stamperand Two Sisters sites.[6]The arrival of horses from Spain in the 16th century allowedAmerican Indian tribesto increase their hunting ranges. These Southern Plains villagers became theWichita and Affiliated Tribes.
TheWesternhistory of the Panhandle traces its origins as being part ofNew Spain.TheAdams–Onís Treatyof 1819 between Spain and the United States set the western boundary of this portion of theLouisiana Purchaseat the 100th meridian. With Mexican independence in 1821, these lands became part ofMexico.With the formation of theTexas Republic,they became part of Texas. When Texas joined the U.S. in 1846, the strip became part of the United States.[7]
The Cimarron Cutoff for theSanta Fe Trailpassed through the area soon after the trade route was established in 1826 between the Mexicans inSanta Feand the Americans inSt. Louis.The route was increasingly used during theCalifornia Gold Rush.The cutoff passed several miles north of what are nowBoise City, Oklahoma,andClayton, New Mexico,before continuing toward Santa Fe.[8]
When Texas sought to enter the Union in 1845 as aslave state,federal law in the United States, based on theMissouri Compromise,prohibited slavery north of 36°30' parallel north. Under theCompromise of 1850,Texas surrendered its lands north of 36°30' latitude. The 170-mile strip of land, a "neutral strip", was left with no state or territorial ownership from 1850 until 1890. It was officially called the "Public Land Strip"and was commonly referred to as" No Man's Land. "[9][10]
The Compromise of 1850 also established the eastern boundary ofNew Mexico Territoryat the 103rd meridian, thus setting the western boundary of the strip. TheKansas–Nebraska Actof 1854 set the southern border ofKansas Territoryas the 37th parallel. This became the northern boundary of "No Man's Land." When Kansas joined the Union in 1861, the western part of Kansas Territory was assigned to theColorado Territorybut did not change the boundary of "No Man's Land."[10]
Cimarron Territory
[edit]After theCivil War,cattlemen moved into the area. Gradually they organized themselves into ranches and established their own rules for arranging their land and adjudicating their disputes. There was still confusion over the status of the strip, and some attempts were made to arrange rent with theCherokees,despite the fact that theCherokee Outletended at the 100th meridian. In 1885, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the strip was not part of the Cherokee Outlet.[11]In 1886,Interior SecretaryL. Q. C. Lamardeclared the area to bepublic domainand subject to "squatter's rights".[12]
The strip was not yetsurveyed,and as that was one of the requirements of theHomestead Act of 1862,the land could not be officially settled. Settlers by the thousands flooded in to assert their "squatter's rights" anyway. They surveyed their own land and by September 1886 had organized a self-governing and self-policing jurisdiction, which they named theCimarron Territory.SenatorDaniel W. Voorheesof Indiana introduced a bill inCongressto attach the so-called territory to Kansas. It passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives but was not signed by PresidentGrover Cleveland.[11]
The organization of Cimarron Territory began soon after Secretary Lamar declared the area open to settlement by squatters. The settlers formed their ownvigilance committees,which organized a board charged with forming a territorial government. The board enacted a preliminary code of law and divided the strip into three districts. They also called for a general election to choose three members from each district to form a government.[13]
The elected council met as planned, elected Owen G. Chase as president, and named a full cabinet. They also enacted further laws and divided the strip into five counties (Benton, Beaver, Palo Duro, Optima, and Sunset), three senatorial districts (with three members from each district), and seven delegate districts (with two members from each district). The members from these districts were to be thelegislative bodyfor the proposed territory. Elections were held November 8, 1887, and the legislature met for the first time on December 5, 1887.[11]
Chase went toWashington, D.C.,to lobby for admission to Congress as the delegate from the new territory. He was not recognized by Congress.[14]A group disputing the Chase organization met and elected and sent its own delegate to Washington.[15]A bill was introduced to accept Chase but was never brought to a vote. Neither delegation was able to persuade Congress to accept the new territory.[12]Another delegation went in 1888 but was also unsuccessful.[14]
Settlement and assimilation
[edit]In 1889, theUnassigned Landsto the east of the territorywere opened for settlement,and many of the residents went there. The remaining population was generously estimated by Chase at 10,000 after the opening. Ten years later, an actual count revealed a population of 2,548.[16]The passage of theOrganic Act in 1890assignedPublic Land Stripto the newOklahoma Territory,and ended the short-lived Cimarron Territory aspirations.[14]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Old_Beaver_County.png/580px-Old_Beaver_County.png)
In 1891, the government completed the survey, and the remaining squatters were finally able to secure their homesteads under the Homestead Act. The new owners were then able to obtain mortgages against their property, enabling them to buy seed and equipment. Capital and new settlers came into the area, and the first railroad, theRock Island,built a line through the county fromLiberal, Kansas,toDalhart, Texas.Agriculture began changing from subsistence farms to grain exporters.[10]
"No Man's Land"becameSeventh Countyunder the newly organized Oklahoma Territory and was soon renamed Beaver County. Beaver City became the county seat. When Oklahoma Territory andIndian Territorywere combined in 1907 as the state of Oklahoma, Beaver County was divided into Beaver, Texas, and Cimarron counties. The Oklahoma Panhandle had the highest population at its first census in 1910, 32,433 residents, compared to 28,729 in the 2020 census.[17][18]
Dust Bowl
[edit]The Panhandle was severely affected by the drought of the 1930s. The drought began in 1932 and created massive dust storms. By 1935, the area was widely known as being part of theDust Bowl.The dust storms were largely a result of poor farming techniques and the plowing up of the native grasses that had held the fine soil in place. Despite government efforts to implement conservation measures and change the basic farming methods of the region, the Dust Bowl persisted for nearly a decade. It contributed significantly to the length of theGreat Depressionin the United States.[19]Each of the three counties experienced a major loss of population during the 1930s.
The social impact of the dust bowl and the resulting emigration of tenant farmers from Oklahoma is the setting for the 1939 novelThe Grapes of WrathbyNobel prize-winning authorJohn Steinbeck.
Demographics
[edit]Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 32,433 | — | |
1920 | 31,459 | −3.0% | |
1930 | 30,960 | −1.6% | |
1940 | 21,598 | −30.2% | |
1950 | 26,235 | 21.5% | |
1960 | 25,623 | −2.3% | |
1970 | 26,779 | 4.5% | |
1980 | 28,181 | 5.2% | |
1990 | 25,743 | −8.7% | |
2000 | 29,112 | 13.1% | |
2010 | 28,751 | −1.2% | |
2020 | 28,729 | −0.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census data for Cimarron, Texas and Beaver Counties in Oklahoma. |
As of the2010 census,there were a total of 28,751 people, 10,451 households, and 7,466 families in the three counties that comprise the Oklahoma Panhandle.[20]The racial makeup of the region was 80.26%white(including persons of mixed race), 59.46%non-Hispanic white,1.34%African American,1.21%Native American,1.18%Asian,0.12%Pacific Islander,15.53% fromother races,and 2.78% fromtwo or more races.[20]Hispanic and Latino Americansmade up 35.85% of the population.[20]The median income for a household in the region was $34,404, and the median income for a family was $40,006. Males had a median income of $27,444 versus $19,559 for females. Theper capita incomefor the region was $16,447.
Cities and towns
[edit]Largest municipalities
[edit]Rank | Name | Type | Population | Area | County | Inc. | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Guymon† | City | 12,965 | 7.76 sq mi | Texas | 1901 | OnlyHispanicmajority city or town in Oklahoma. |
2 | Hooker | City | 1,802 | 1.11 sq mi | Texas | ||
3 | Beaver† | Town | 1,280 | 1.15 sq mi | Beaver | Host to the annual World Cow Chip Throwing Championship. | |
4 | Boise City† | City | 1,166 | 1.48 sq mi | Cimarron | 1925 | |
5 | Goodwell | Town | 951 | 2.22 sq mi | Texas | 1903 | Home toOklahoma Panhandle State University. |
6 | Texhoma | Town | 856 | 0.64 sq mi | Texas | 1908 | Divided citywithTexhoma, Texas.The two cities have a combined population of 1,114. |
7 | Tyrone | Town | 729 | 0.4 sq mi | Texas | ||
8 | Forgan | Town | 450 | 0.39 sq mi | Beaver | ||
9 | Turpin | Census designated place | 442 | 1.00 sq mi | Beaver | ||
10 | Little Ponderosa | Census designated place | 438 | 0.75 sq mi | Beaver |
Other communities
[edit]Economy
[edit]The Panhandle is rather thinly populated (when compared to the rest of Oklahoma) making the labor force in this region very small. Farming and ranching operations occupy most of the economic activity in the region, with ranching dominating the drier western end. The region's higher educational needs are served byOklahoma Panhandle State Universityin Goodwell, 10 miles southwest of Guymon.[21]
Politics
[edit]The Oklahoma Panhandle is one of the most universally Republican areas of what has become one of the most Republican states in the nation. Beaver and Texas counties last supported a Democrat for president in 1948, while Cimarron County last supported a Democrat in 1976.[22]In the2020 U.S. presidential election,the three counties gave a weighted average of 85.0% of their votes toDonald Trumpand 13.2% toJoe Biden,with Trump carrying the state over Biden 65.4% to 32.3%.[22]
In the2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election,the Oklahoma Panhandle counties were the only three where the majority voted against the successfully reelected Democratic incumbent, GovernorBrad Henry.In2012,Democratic voters in the Panhandle voted forRandall Terry,ananti-abortionactivist, over incumbent Democrat Barack Obama in theDemocratic Presidential primary.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Others |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 85.0%7,443 | 13.2%1,154 | 1.8%156 |
2016 | 83.3%7,577 | 12.1%1,105 | 4.6%420 |
2012 | 86.9%8,074 | 13.1%1,221 | 0.0%0 |
2008 | 86.6%8,654 | 13.4%1,340 | 0.0%0 |
2004 | 85.7%8,964 | 14.3%1,497 | 0.0%0 |
2000 | 82.6%8,286 | 16.5%1,650 | 0.9%92 |
1996 | 70.3%7,018 | 21.1%2,108 | 8.5%855 |
1992 | 61.3%6,723 | 21.5%2,462 | 19.8%2,269 |
1988 | 72.4%8,137 | 26.4%2,964 | 1.2%132 |
1984 | 83.4%10,077 | 15.9%1,928 | 0.7%80 |
1980 | 76.9%9,337 | 20.8%2,520 | 2.3%281 |
1976 | 57.2%6,592 | 41.4%4,766 | 1.4%162 |
1972 | 80.3%9,638 | 14.7%1,769 | 5.0%601 |
1968 | 63.2%6,965 | 20.3%2,236 | 16.5%1,820 |
1964 | 57.3%6,546 | 42.7%4,886 | 0.0%0 |
1960 | 72.0%8,072 | 28.0%3,132 | 0.0%0 |
1956 | 63.8%8,173 | 36.2%3,644 | 0.0%0 |
1952 | 70.1%8,072 | 29.9%3,439 | 0.0%0 |
1948 | 42.0%3,746 | 58.0%5,183 | 0.0%0 |
1944 | 51.1%4,466 | 48.3%4,220 | 0.6%58 |
1940 | 45.6%4,978 | 53.7%5,854 | 0.7%80 |
1936 | 30.5%3,118 | 69.0%7,073 | 0.5%53 |
1932 | 28.0%3,301 | 72.0%8,481 | 0.0%0 |
1928 | 70.3%6,625 | 28.6%2,693 | 1.1%110 |
1924 | 45.6%3,896 | 43.0%3,679 | 11.4%976 |
1920 | 56.2%4,365 | 37.8%2,939 | 6.0%458 |
1916 | 32.6%1,958 | 51.8%3,118 | 15.6%938 |
1912 | 40.9%2,016 | 41.2%2,032 | 17.9%887 |
1908 | 45.7% 3,048 | 46.9%3,131 | 7.4% 497 |
Points of interest
[edit]- Black Mesa State Parkfeatures a hiking trail to the top of Oklahoma's highest point.
- Beaver Dunes Parkfeatures massive sand dunes along the Beaver River – located just north of the town of Beaver.
- Optima Lakeis home to theOptima National Wildlife Refuge.
Notes
[edit]- ^Richter, Sara and Tom Lewis."Cimarron Territory,"Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture,Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed July 1, 2015.
- ^"Texas County, Oklahoma".Census.gov.U.S. Bureau of the Census.RetrievedApril 15,2023.
- ^"Oklahoma Geography from NETSTATE".www.netstate.com.
- ^Leland Bement,"Beaver River Complex Contribution to Folsom Archaeology: An Update and Future Directions,"The Digital Archaeological Record (2015).
- ^"African Explorers of Spanish America".Park Ethnography Program.US National Park Service.RetrievedApril 13,2015.
- ^abLintz, Christopher."Antelope Creek Phase".Texas State Historical Association.RetrievedMarch 17,2015.
- ^Gibson, Arrell M.Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries.Retrieved May 11, 2013. Available on Google Books.[1]
- ^Map of the Santa Fe Trail.Retrieved February 14, 2015.
- ^"Oklahoma Panhandle: Badmen in No Man's Land".Wild West magazine.June 12, 2006.RetrievedNovember 30,2012.
- ^abcTurner, Kenneth R."No Man's Land".Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.Oklahoma Historical Society.RetrievedNovember 30,2012.
- ^abcSara Richter and Tom Lewis, "Cimarron Territory",Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.Accessed April 13, 2013.
- ^abWardell, p. 83.
- ^Wardell, p. 84.
- ^abc"Beaver County – No Man's Land".Annual Reports of the Department of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1904.U.S. Department of the Interior. 1904. pp. 463–465.RetrievedNovember 30,2012.
- ^Wardell, p. 86.
- ^Wardell, p. 885
- ^"Cimarron: Concept of Panhandle state nixed by political squabbling".November 4, 2015.
- ^"United States Census Bureau Quick Facts".RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^Library of Congress. "America's Story from America's Library: The Dust Bowl of Oklahoma."Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ^abcU.S. Census website,United States Census Bureau. (accessed September 3, 2013)
- ^Goins, Charles Robert and Danney Goble. "The Oklahoma Panhandle, 2000." In:Historical Atlas of Oklahoma.Available on Google Books.p. 206. Retrieved January 19. 2014.
- ^ab"Oklahoma".Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
References
[edit]- Beck, T.E. "Cimarron Territory,"Chronicles of Oklahoma7:2 (June 1929) 168–169 (retrieved August 16, 2006).
- Counties of the Oklahoma PanhandleUnited States Census Bureau
- Wardell, Morris L."The History of No-Man's Land, or Old Beaver County",Chronicles of Oklahoma1:1 (January 1921) 60–89 (retrieved August 16, 2006).
Further reading
[edit]- Christman, Harry E. (editor-original manuscript by Jim Herron).Fifty Years on the Owl Hoot Trail: The First Sheriff of No Man's Land, Oklahoma Territory.Sage Books: Chicago, 1969.
- Lowitt, Richard.American Outback: The Oklahoma Panhandle in the Twentieth Century(Texas Tech University Press, 2006). xxii, 137 pp.ISBN0-89672-558-8
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- States and territories established in 1850
- States and territories disestablished in 1890
- Oklahoma Panhandle
- Regions of Oklahoma
- Pre-statehood history of Oklahoma
- Geography of Beaver County, Oklahoma
- Geography of Cimarron County, Oklahoma
- Geography of Texas County, Oklahoma
- 1850 establishments in the United States
- 1890 disestablishments in the United States
- Oklahoma Territory