Editing Fort Towson, Oklahoma

{{short description|Town in Oklahoma, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Fort Towson, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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|map_caption              = Location of Fort Towson, Oklahoma
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<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Oklahoma]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Choctaw County, Oklahoma|Choctaw]]

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|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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|population_total         = 492
|population_density_km2   = 33.78
|population_density_sq_mi = 87.50

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|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 74735
|area_code                = [[Area code 580|580]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-27400<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              = 24126449<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412644}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.forttowson.us}}
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[[File:St. Louis, San Francisco & New Orleans Railroad Company, Frisco System Showing Extra Right of Way at Fort Towson, Choctaw Nation, I.T. - DPLA - c2622aa3748dab8a151d7f297ef43497.jpg|thumb|St. Louis, San Francisco & New Orleans Railroad Company, Frisco System Showing Extra Right of Way at Fort Towson, Choctaw Nation, I.T.]]
'''Fort Towson''' is a town in [[Choctaw County, Oklahoma|Choctaw County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States. The population was 510 at the 2010 census, a 15.1 percent decline from the figure of 611 recorded in 2000.<ref>[http://censusviewer.com/city/OK/Fort%20Towson CensusViewer:Fort Towson, Oklahoma Population]</ref> It was named for nearby [[Fort Towson]], which had been established in May 1824 and named for General [[Nathan Towson]], a hero of the [[War of 1812]].<ref name ="EOHC-FortTowson">Tolman, Keith. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.'' "Fort Towson." Retrieved September 17, 2012.[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/F/FO044.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719073641/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/F/FO044.html |date=July 19, 2010 }}</ref> The town of Fort Towson was established in 1902, after the [[St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad|Arkansas and Choctaw Railway]] reached eastern Choctaw County.<ref name="EOHC-Ft. Towson Town">O'Keefe, Marilyn Fleck. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Fort Towson (Town)." Retrieved September 17, 2012.[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/F/FO045.html]</ref>

==History==
The fort was first established to protect the southern border of the [[Indian Territory]] 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 [[Chocktaw|Choctaw Nation]]. Fort Towson Landing was located at the head of navigable waters of the [[Red River of the South|Red River]]. The site was located in [[Towson County, Choctaw Nation|Towson County]], one of the constituent counties comprising the [[Apukshunnubbee District]] of the Choctaw Nation.

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 June 23, 1865, Brigadier General [[Stand Watie]], a [[Cherokee]] chief, agreed to terms and took his Choctaw Battalion out of the war.<ref>''April 1865, The Month that Saved America'' by Jay Winik, HarperCollins, 2001 loc 55666 Kindle Edition</ref>

During the 1950s, [[Raymond Gary Lake]] and [[Raymond Gary State Park]] were created, and in 1979, Fort Towson's town limits were extended to include the lake's residents. Thus, the 1980 census recorded a population of 789.<ref name="EOHC-Ft. Towson Town"/>

==Geography==
Fort Towson is located {{convert|11|mi|km}}east of [[Hugo, Oklahoma|Hugo]].<ref name="EOHC-Ft. Towson Town"/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|5.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|5.6|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.4|sqmi|km2}} (6.23%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 697
|1920= 965
|1930= 486
|1940= 501
|1950= 713
|1960= 474
|1970= 430
|1980= 789
|1990= 568
|2000= 611
|2010= 519
|2020= 492
|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 611 people, 255 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|109.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 319 housing units at an average density of {{convert|57.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 86.42% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.15% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 8.02% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.49% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.16% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.76% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|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 [[Marriage|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.

==NRHP Sites==
{{main| National Register of Historic Places listings in Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}
* [[Doaksville Site]]
* [[Fort Towson]]
* Spencer Academy
* Willie W. Wilson House

==Notable person==
*[[Frank Abercrombie]], Baseball player

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://www.forttowson.us City of Fort Towson Official Website]
*[http://www.hugo2choctawcountyok.com Choctaw County: Official Website]
* [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO045 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Fort Towson (town)]

{{Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}
{{NRHP in Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}

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[[Category:Towns in Choctaw County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma]]