Editing Hugo, Oklahoma

{{Short description|City in Oklahoma, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Hugo, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = Circus City, USA
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Hugo March 2016 41 (Broadway Street).jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Broadway Street in Hugo
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = OKMap-doton-Hugo.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Hugo, Oklahoma
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- 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]]

<!-- 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           = 16.39
|area_land_km2            = 16.34
|area_water_km2           = 0.05
|area_total_sq_mi         = 6.33
|area_land_sq_mi          = 6.31
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 5166
|population_density_km2   = 316.13
|population_density_sq_mi = 818.83

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = −6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 551
|coordinates              = {{coord|34|00|42|N|95|30|42|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 74743
|area_code                = [[Area code 580|580]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-36300<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2410805<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410805}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|hugook.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Hugo''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Choctaw County, Oklahoma|Choctaw County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States. It is located in southeastern Oklahoma, approximately {{convert|9|mi|0}} north of the [[Texas]] state line. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city population was 5,166.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4036300| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hugo city, Oklahoma| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 19, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20150219192609/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4036300| archive-date=February 19, 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city was founded in 1901 and named for the French novelist [[Victor Hugo]].<ref name="EOHC-Hugo">Larry O'Dell. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=HU010 "Hugo"]. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed August 25, 2013.</ref> In the postwar 20th century, the city served as winter quarters for some [[circus]] companies and performers. A cemetery has a section for circus personnel. Nearby is one of the oldest boarding schools west of the Mississippi: [[Goodland Academy]], begun in 1848 as a [[Presbyterian]] mission, school and [[orphanage]] for [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] children.

The town is located in a cultural area of the state known as [[Little Dixie (Oklahoma)|Little Dixie]], as it was settled by Native American tribes, African Americans and European Americans from the [[southeastern United States]]. It is within the tourist area designated as [[Choctaw Country]] by the [[Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation|Oklahoma Department of Tourism]].<ref name="Department">{{cite web | url=https://www.travelok.com/maps | title= Counties & Regions | publisher= Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (Travel Promotion Division) | access-date=February 5, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Hugo, Oklahoma (1910).jpg|thumb|right|Broadway at Duke looking north, 1910]]
This was part of the [[Indian Territory]] to which the United States government relocated Native American tribes from east of the [[Mississippi River]] in the 1830s under its [[Indian Removal]] policy. Among the nations relocated here were the [[Choctaw]], for whom the county is named. They were one of what were called the "[[Five Civilized Tribes]]" of the southeastern United States, as some of their people had adopted many elements of European-American culture. When they relocated, they brought with them the numerous [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved African-Americans]] whom they held as workers and property.

As the majority of the Choctaw allied with the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] South during the [[American Civil War]], the United States government insisted on a new peace treaty with them after its end. A condition was the Choctaws' [[abolitionism in the United States|emancipation]] of their slaves and granting to the [[freedmen]] of rights of full citizenship in the Choctaw nation, as the US was granting citizenship to former slaves of the South.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Ray |date=August 19, 2020 |title=Slave-owning past remains problem for Choctaws |url=https://www.ocpathink.org/post/slave-owning-past-remains-problem-for-choctaws |website=Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs}}</ref>

In 1902 the [[St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad]] (later the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]] or "Frisco") built a line from [[Hope, Arkansas]], to [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]]. It crossed the north–south line Frisco had built in 1887 to connect [[Monett, Missouri]], to [[Paris, Texas]].<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/> The territorial town that sprang up at the crossing would soon be named Hugo. The town's name was recommended by the wife of local surveyor W.H. Darrough, a fan of French writer [[Victor Hugo]].<ref>[http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=4673703&nav=menu410_8_3_7 "Welcome to Hugo." K-Ten CommunityInfo - Hugo, OK.] Retrieved August 8, 2014.</ref>  At the time of its founding, Hugo was located in [[Kiamitia County]], a part of the [[Pushmataha District]] of the Choctaw Nation.

As the end of the Indian Territory drew near, tribal citizens and other inhabitants organized an effort for the territory to be admitted to the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] as a state.  The [[State of Sequoyah]], which they proposed, divided the territories of the five tribes into counties.  Hugo was designated as the county seat of [[Hitchcock County, Sequoyah|Hitchcock County]].  Although neither Congress nor the president were interested in admitting Sequoyah as a state, the county boundaries proposed for Sequoyah were in some cases adopted for counties in the future state of Oklahoma.

In southeastern Oklahoma, the future Choctaw County's boundaries were generally those of Hitchcock County, Sequoyah.  Similarly, boundaries proposed for [[Pushmataha County, Sequoyah]] served, in general, as the boundaries for [[Pushmataha County, Oklahoma]].  And [[McCurtain County, Oklahoma]] generally follows the boundaries proposed for McCurtain County, Sequoyah.  Both counties are adjacent to and share boundaries with Choctaw County.<ref>Edwin C. McReynolds, ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'', 1965; Amos Maxwell, ''The Sequoyah Constitutional Convention'', 1953.</ref>

==Statehood and changes==
When counties were reorganized to prepare Oklahoma for admission as a state, Hugo was designated as the county seat of the redefined Choctaw County, as it was already a population center in the area.

After allotments of communal tribal land to individual households of tribal members under the [[Dawes Act]], the Choctaw Nation lost control of much of its land, which was purchased by European Americans.

==Circus City==
Beginning in 1941, when the Al G. Kelly and Miller Brothers Circus relocated to Hugo from Kansas, there have been circuses based in this city. The Kelly and Miller Brothers were recruited by Vernon and Jewell Pratt, a local couple who owned a grocery store. In return the circus offered free Sunday performances for many years.

Hugo became a popular wintering place for circus and rodeo companies, because of its mild climate.  Townspeople and circus people formed relationships and collaborated on civic projects. An estimated twenty circuses at times were based in Hugo, and in 2018 three still operate here: Carson and Barnes, Kelly Miller, and Culpepper & Merriweather. All are tent circuses that travel the region by road.<ref name="winick">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2018/12/everybody-works-documenting-circus-life-in-hugo-oklahoma/|title=Everybody Works: Documenting Circus Life in Hugo, Oklahoma|last1=Finchum|first1=Tanya|last2=Nykolaiszyn|first2= Juliana| work=Blog: Folklife Today|publisher=Library of Congress|date=29 December 2018|access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref>

David Rawls (born 1948) grew up in a circus family, who performed with Famous Cole Circus. In addition to performing on trampoline with his brother, he later learned all aspects of the business. In 1984 he became owner/manager of his own show, Kelly Miller Circus. He sold it in 2009. During this period, he also had been selected as City Manager of Hugo for a time, and was elected and served as Mayor of the city at another time.<ref name="winick"/>

A portion of Mt. Olivet Cemetery was set aside as Showmen's Rest: buried here were circus owner D. R. Miller and rodeo cowboys Freckles Brown, Lane Frost, and Todd Whatley.

==Late 20th century to present==

In late 1993, a number of violent incidents occurred. Before Christmas, a shootout took place in a [[Wal-Mart]] parking lot. Within one week in December, two fires occurred; the first was at the [[Booker T. Washington]] gymnasium on December 26. On December 28 a fire erupted in the central business district of Hugo, consuming five buildings and burning for four hours. The Belmont Hotel, which the area historical society was renovating, was destroyed. Area authorities suspected that the fires were [[arson]].<ref>Cobb, Kim. [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1993_1174634 "Another blow to little town in Oklahoma"], ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. 30 December 1993. A20. Retrieved on January 13, 2011.</ref><ref name="historic">{{cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2452387/fire-destroys-historic-hotel-in-hugo|title=Fire Destroys Historic Hotel in Hugo|work=The Oklahoman|date=29 December 1993|access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref>

===Points of interest===
In 1937, under the [[Works Progress Administration]] program for public art, artist [[Joseph Fleck]] painted an oil-on-canvas mural, titled ''The Red Man of Oklahoma Sees the First Stage Coach'', in the United States post office in Hugo. This building is now used as the Oklahoma School System Administration Building. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the [[Section of Painting and Sculpture]], later called the [[Section of Fine Arts]], of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury Department]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marling |first1=Karal A. |title=Wall-to-Wall America: A Cultural History of Post Office Murals in the Great Depression |url=https://archive.org/details/walltowallameric00marl |url-access=registration |date=1982 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |isbn=0816611165 |edition=1st}}</ref>

==Geography==
Hugo is located at the center of Choctaw County.  According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|16.64|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|16.58|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.06|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 0.36%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> Hugo Lake on the [[Kiamichi River]] lies northeast of town, and Roebuck Lake, an [[oxbow lake|oxbow]] former channel of the [[Red River of the South|Red River]], lies south of town.<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>

Hugo is the southern terminus of the [[Indian Nation Turnpike]], a {{convert|105|mi|adj=on}} four-lane highway that runs northwest to [[Interstate 40 in Oklahoma|Interstate 40]] in [[Henryetta, Oklahoma|Henryetta]]. It provides a vital transportation link from southeastern Oklahoma to the state's largest cities, [[Oklahoma City]] and [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]].

===Climate===
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Hugo, Oklahoma
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 81
|Feb record high F = 86
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 98
|Jun record high F = 105
|Jul record high F = 110
|Aug record high F = 110 
|Sep record high F = 108 
|Oct record high F = 100 
|Nov record high F = 88 
|Dec record high F = 84 
|year record high F= 110 
|Jan high F = 53.1
|Feb high F = 58.3
|Mar high F = 67.6
|Apr high F = 76
|May high F = 82.2
|Jun high F = 89.2
|Jul high F = 94.1
|Aug high F = 94.5
|Sep high F = 87.4
|Oct high F = 77.7
|Nov high F = 65.8
|Dec high F = 55.8
|year high F= 75.1
|Jan low F = 30.6
|Feb low F = 34.9
|Mar low F = 43.3
|Apr low F = 52.2
|May low F = 59.7
|Jun low F = 67.1
|Jul low F = 70.3
|Aug low F = 69.2
|Sep low F = 63
|Oct low F = 51.8
|Nov low F = 42.7
|Dec low F = 33.7
|year low F= 51.5
|Jan record low F = 0
|Feb record low F = −6 
|Mar record low F = 7 
|Apr record low F = 26 
|May record low F = 36 
|Jun record low F = 50 
|Jul record low F = 54 
|Aug record low F = 53 
|Sep record low F = 38 
|Oct record low F = 22 
|Nov record low F = 13 
|Dec record low F = −4 
|year record low F= −6 
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.2
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.3
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.2
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.2
|May precipitation inch = 6.0
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.8
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.8
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.7
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.5
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.2
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.0
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.3
|year precipitation inch=46.1
|Jan snow inch = 1.3
|Feb snow inch = 1.2
|Mar snow inch = 0.4
|Apr snow inch = 0
|May snow inch = 0
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 0 
|Nov snow inch = 0.1
|Dec snow inch = 0.7
|year snow inch= 3.4
<!--Average daily % humidity-->
|Jan humidity= 
|Feb humidity= 
|Mar humidity= 
|Apr humidity= 
|May humidity= 
|Jun humidity= 
|Jul humidity= 
|Aug humidity= 
|Sep humidity= 
|Oct humidity= 
|Nov humidity= 
|Dec humidity= 
|year humidity= 
<!--Average number of rainy days-->
|unit rain days= <!--If entering the average number of days, then the unit requirement should be used, because this varies between countries. Eg. 0.1 in, 0.01 in.-->
|Jan rain days= 6
|Feb rain days= 6
|Mar rain days= 8
|Apr rain days= 8
|May rain days= 8
|Jun rain days= 7
|Jul rain days= 5
|Aug rain days= 5
|Sep rain days= 6
|Oct rain days= 6
|Nov rain days= 6
|Dec rain days= 7
|year rain days= 83
|source 1 = weather.com
|source 2 = Weatherbase.com <ref>{{cite web
  |url= http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=483443&refer= |title= Historical Weather for Hugo, Oklahoma, United States}}</ref> noaa.gov <ref>{{cite web
  |url= http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tsa/?n=climo_hugo |title= Hugo, Oklahoma Climatology}}</ref>
|date = May 28, 2011
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 4582
|1920= 6368
|1930= 5272
|1940= 5909
|1950= 5984
|1960= 6287
|1970= 6585
|1980= 7172
|1990= 5978
|2000= 5536
|2010= 5310
|2020= 5166
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,536 people, 2,309 households, and 1,415 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|999.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,798 housing units at an average density of {{convert|504.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 49.28% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 30.6% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 14.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% Asian, 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.4% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.61% of the population.

There were 2,309 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. Of all households 35.3% were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,321, and the median income for a family was $26,523. Males had a median income of $26,473 versus $17,348 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,676. About 25.5% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 43.5% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Agriculture (especially cotton farming), timber, and ranching have been mainstays of the city's economy since its beginning. With industrial scale agriculture, mechanization replaced numerous farm jobs.

Since the 1940s, circuses have used Hugo as their winter quarters and some regional circuses have been based here. Their owners and performers have often gotten involved in civic life.

The changing economy and culture of the later 20th century resulted in the 1970s opening of the [[Kiamichi Technology Center]] and the "Agriplex," originally the Choctaw County Agricultural Center.<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>

==Government==
Hugo implemented a council-manager form of city government in 1995. Council members are elected from single-member districts, and hire a professional manager to oversee operations of the city.<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>

==Transportation==
[[File:Hugo March 2016 38 (Little Dixie Transit).jpg|thumb|Little Dixie Transit in Hugo]]

Hugo serves as the southern terminus of the [[Indian Nation Turnpike]]. [[U.S. Highway 70]] runs west to east through the city and connects Hugo to [[Durant, Oklahoma|Durant]] {{convert|53|mi}} to the west and [[Idabel, Oklahoma|Idabel]] {{convert|43|mi}} to the east. [[U.S. Highway 271]] runs south out of the city and leads {{convert|26|mi}} to [[Paris, Texas]].<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>

Hugo is served by the city-operated [[Stan Stamper Municipal Airport]], with one {{convert|4007|x|75|ft|adj=on}} runway. The airport has ten aircraft based on the field. It supports medical [[air ambulance]] operations by EagleMed, as well as scheduled cargo operations for all of southeastern Oklahoma, via a flight from [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]] operated by [[Martinaire]] on behalf of [[United Parcel Service|UPS]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}}

==National Register of Historic Places==
[[File:Hugo Frisco Depot Museum March 2016 01.jpg|thumb|Frisco Depot Museum]]
{{main| National Register of Historic Places listings in Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}
* Frisco Depot Museum and Harvey House Restaurant (NR 80003259).<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>  The depot, which was built in 1914 and served into the 1960s, houses an eclectic mix of items including a model railway, a miniature circus, and an old [[Southwestern Bell]] telephone [[switching center]], as well as railroad and other local memorabilia.<ref name=FriscoDep>{{cite web|url= https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.3693  |title=Frisco Depot Museum|publisher=TravelOK.com|access-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref>  A former [[Harvey House]] lunchroom has been restored,<ref name=FriscoDep /> and [[Fred Harvey Company#Harvey Girls|Harvey Girl]] quarters are preserved on the second floor, consisting of three bedrooms and a bath together with a matron's suite.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/24023 |title=Frisco Depot and Museum|publisher=MuseumsUSA|access-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref>  The Frisco Depot [[RV park|RV Park]] is adjacent to the depot.<ref name=FriscoDep />  
* [[Hugo Historic District]] (NR 80003260).<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>  The Hugo Historic District is a 12 block area consisting of some 64 structures, a majority of which were built between 1900 and 1920.  It includes not only the railway depot, but also three hotels and various retail buildings, thus preserving the appearance of an early 20th century railroad town.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1ba982b0-aa3b-4fe1-87d3-78866ad9bf59 |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, Hugo Historic District, pages 1-3|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref>
* Hugo National Guard Armory (NR 88001378)<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>
* [[Hugo Public Library]] (NR 88001379)<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>
* Speer School (NR 88001380)<ref name="EOHC-Hugo"/>
* Rose Hill Plantation (NR 10000069)
* Everidge Cabin and Cemetery (NR 82003674)

==Notable people==
* [[Henry G. Bennett]], longest-serving president of [[Oklahoma State University]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/henry-garland-bennett-9063/ |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Buckskin Bill Black]] (1929–2018), Long-time children's television host in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, grew up in Hugo.<ref name="icon">{{cite news|title=A Look Back at Buckskin Bill, an Icon|date=January 18, 2018|first=Diane|last=Jenkins|work=Central City News|location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana|pages=4–5|url=http://centralcitynews.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CCN-Small-1-18-18-pages-1-16.pdf|access-date=2022-07-21|orig-date=1968}} Originally published September 29, 1968, by the ''North Baton Rouge Journal''.</ref>
* [[Lane Frost|Lane Clyde Frost]] (October 12, 1963 – July 30, 1989), world champion [[bull rider]]
* [[William Judson Holloway]], former [[governor of Oklahoma]]<ref name="EOHC-ChoctawCo">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CH051  James C. Milligan, "Choctaw County."  ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.] Accessed May 22, 2013.</ref>
* [[William Judson Holloway, Jr.]], Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit]]
* [[James Ling]], entrepreneur and founder of Ling-Temco-Vought
* [[Bill Moyers]], [[Liberal (politics)|liberal]] journalist and former [[White House Press Secretary]] from 1965 to 1967 (during the [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] administration); political commentator and cable news figure  
* [[Patrick W. O'Reilly]], lawyer and politician
* [[Clancy Smith (Oklahoma judge)|Clancy Smith]], was born and raised in Hugo. After graduating from Oklahoma University School of Law, she taught English. Later she earned a law degree from [[University of Tulsa College of Law]] and was appointed to the [[Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals]]. She retired in 2017.
* [[B. J. Thomas]] (1942–2021), singer known for the #1 hits "[[Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head]]" (featured in the 1969 film ''[[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]]'') and "[[(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song]]"
* [[Wallace Willis]], African-American musician and songwriter, born into slavery in Mississippi, was living near present-day Hugo when he wrote "[[Swing Low, Sweet Chariot]]" in 1840. Then known as Wallace, he had been brought to Indian Territory during [[Indian Removal]] by his master, wealthy [[Choctaw]] farmer Britt Willis.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/michael-overall-how-an-oklahoma-slave-came-to-write-one/article_89101718-6427-5b56-bcb0-a17f798589be.html  | title= Michael Overall, How an Oklahoma slave came to write one of the world's most famous songs | publisher=Tulsa World, January 28, 2019| access-date=January 28, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.hugook.com City of Hugo and Choctaw County officials website]
* [http://www.travelok.com/Hugo Hugo information], at travelok.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070625154952/http://www.hugo.lib.ok.us/ Choctaw County Public Library]
* [https://www.loc.gov/collections/occupational-folklife-project/?fa=partof:the+big+top+show+goes+on Tanya Ducker Finchum and Juliana M. Nykolaiszyn, ''Big Top Show Goes On''], Occupational Folklife Project, Library of Congress, 2011-2012 interviews
* [http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/circus-cemetery-hugo-oklahoma "Hugo's Circus Cemetery: Showmens Rest"], Atlas Obscura website
*[https://library.okstate.edu/search-and-find/collections/digital-collections/circus/ Big Top Show Goes On Oral History Collection at Oklahoma State University]
{{Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}
{{Oklahoma county seats}}
{{NRHP in Choctaw County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Choctaw County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma]]
[[Category:County seats in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Hugo, Oklahoma| ]]
[[Category:Victor Hugo]]