Editing Fort Cobb, Oklahoma

{{Short description|Town in Oklahoma, US}}
{{about|a town|the nearby former military installation|Fort Cobb}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Fort Cobb, Oklahoma
| settlement_type          = [[Town (Oklahoma)|Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = OKMap-doton-FortCobb.PNG
| map_caption              = Location of Fort Cobb, Oklahoma
| image_map1               = 
| map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = State
| subdivision_name1        = [[Oklahoma]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Caddo County, Oklahoma|Caddo]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref  = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 1.87
| area_land_km2            = 1.84
| area_water_km2           = 0.02
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.72
| area_land_sq_mi          = 0.71
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 518
| population_density_km2   = 280.80
| population_density_sq_mi = 727.53

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = −6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 1345
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|06|35|N|98|26|42|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 73038
| area_code                = [[Area codes 405 and 572|405/572]]
| area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 40-27100<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info            = 2412638<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412638}}</ref>
| website                  = https://fortcobb.org/
| footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Fort Cobb''' is a town in [[Caddo County, Oklahoma|Caddo County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States. The population was 518 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Fort Cobb town, Oklahoma - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Fort_Cobb_town,_Oklahoma?g=160XX00US4027100 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 29, 2024}}</ref>

==History==
Fort Cobb was established as a U.S. Army frontier post in [[Indian Territory]] on October 1, 1859, {{convert|1|mi}} east of the present location of the town. The fort was named after [[Secretary of the Treasury]] [[Howell Cobb]], a friend of the founding [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]], [[Major (rank)|Major]] [[William Emory]]. The post was later occupied by both [[Confederate States Army|Southern]] and [[Union Army|Northern]] forces during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the Union taking control of the fort as part of the 1862 [[Tonkawa massacre]].

Later, Lieutenant Colonel [[George Armstrong Custer]]'s command was encamped at Fort Cobb from December 18, 1868, to January 6, 1869. Shortly after that, on March 12, 1869, the fort was abandoned in favor of a location {{convert|30|mi}} to the south near the [[Wichita Mountains]], and renamed [[Fort Sill]].<ref>Wright, Muriel H., [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v034/v034p053.pdf ''A History of Fort Cobb''], 1957 {{OCLC|8404632}}</ref><ref>[http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/f/fort_cobb.html ''Fort Cobb''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102173438/http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/f/fort_cobb.html |date=January 2, 2007 }}, KS-Cyclopedia - 1912</ref>

The town of Fort Cobb was founded in 1899, and simply named Cobb, which was renamed Fort Cobb in 1902 to honor the defunct military post. At statehood in 1907, the town had 467 residents. The number had fallen to 382 at the 1910 census, but grew to 546 in 1920. The largest number of residents was 827 in 1930, but the population soon began a decline because of the Great Depression and World War II. In 1940 it was 699, falling to 665 in 1950. It rebounded to 687 in 1960, 722 in 1970 and 760 in 1980. There was another drop to 663 in 1990, followed by a rise to 663 in 1990 and 667 in 2000, before declining again to 634 in 2010 and 518 in 2020.<ref name="EOHC-Savage">[https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO030 Savage, Cynthia. "Fort Cobb." ''Encyclopedia of History and Culture''.] Accessed March 17, 2019.</ref><ref name="2020 census"/>

==Geography==
Fort Cobb is located west of the center of Caddo County in the valley of the [[Washita River]]. [[Oklahoma State Highway 9]] passes through the town, leading east {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Anadarko, Oklahoma|Anadarko]], the [[county seat]], and west {{convert|11|mi}} to [[Carnegie, Oklahoma|Carnegie]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Fort Cobb has a total area of {{convert|1.4|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.02|sqkm|disp=flip|2}}, or 1.57% of the town's area, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4027100| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Fort Cobb town, Oklahoma| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=February 6, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20150209100506/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4027100| archive-date=February 9, 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 382
|1920= 546
|1930= 827
|1940= 699
|1950= 665
|1960= 687
|1970= 722
|1980= 760
|1990= 663
|2000= 667
|2010= 634
|2020= 518
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 667 people, 270 households, and 189 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,307.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 317 housing units at an average density of {{convert|621.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 77.96% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.20% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 16.04% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.35% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.25% of the population.

There were 270 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 28.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,625, and the median income for a family was $34,000. Males had a median income of $26,786 versus $18,854 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $15,085. About 12.5% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
During the first half of the 20th century, the local economy largely depended on agriculture. The town had two grain elevators and three cotton gins by 1930, and depended on the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad]] (Rock Island), whose branch line ran between  Chickasha and Magnum.

Construction of Fort Cobb Dam and the adjacent park opened the town to tourism as a major economic force in the second half of the century.<ref name="EOHC-Savage"/>

==Government==
The town has a mayor-council form of government.<ref name="EOHC-Savage"/>

==Education==
* [[Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center]]

==Media==
The ''Fort Cobb News'' has served the town since 1958. Previous newspapers were: ''Caddo County Record,'' the ''Fort Cobb Express'', and the ''Fort Cobb Record''.<ref name="EOHC-Savage"/>

==Notable people==
* [[Gary Gray (basketball)|Gary Gray]], formerly of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s [[Cincinnati Royals]]
* [[Reggie Willits]], former member of [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Los Angeles Angels]] organization
* [[Wendi Willits]] (older sibling of Reggie), formerly of the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]'s [[Los Angeles Sparks]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO030 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Fort Cobb (town)]

{{Caddo County, Oklahoma}}
{{NRHP in Caddo County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Towns in Caddo County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1899]]