Editing Taft, Oklahoma

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Taft, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|motto                    =

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|map_caption              = Location of Taft, 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        = [[Muskogee County, Oklahoma|Muskogee]]

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<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 174
|population_density_km2   = 43.32
|population_density_sq_mi = 112.19

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|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
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|coordinates              = {{coord|35|45|39|N|95|32|44|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 74463
|area_code                = [[area codes 539 and 918|539/918]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-72050<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              = 2413361<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413361}}</ref>
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'''Taft''' is a town in [[Muskogee County, Oklahoma|Muskogee County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States. The population was 174 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 Census]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Taft%20town,%20Oklahoma |title=Taft (town), Oklahoma|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 30, 2024}}</ref> The locale began as an all-black town on land allotted to [[Creek Freedmen]]. It is named for President [[William Howard Taft]].<ref name="EOHC-Taft"/>

==History==
This community began as an all-black town on land allotted to [[Creek Freedmen|freedmen]] of the [[Muscogee (Creek) Nation|Creek Nation]]. It was originally named Twine, for [[William H. Twine]], and had a post office by 1902. Mr. Twine moved to Muskogee, and the citizens voted to rename the town as Taft, for President William Howard Taft, who was then Secretary of War in the [[Theodore Roosevelt]] administration.<ref name="EOHC-Taft">.[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TA001 Larry O'Dell, "Taft," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.]  Accessed March 26, 2012</ref>

Educational and correctional facilities have long been the town's leading employers. These have included: W. T. Vernon School (1908), the Industrial Institute for the Deaf, Blind, and Orphans of the Colored Race (1909), Moton High School, and the State Training School for Negro Girls.<ref name="EOHC-Taft"/>

Taft also contains two penitentiaries: Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, for women, and Jess Dunn Correctional Center, for men.<ref name="EOHC-Taft"/>

In April 1973, [[Lelia Foley]] was elected as Mayor of Taft, becoming one of the African-American women elected as mayor in the United States.<ref name="Jet-Foley-21Jun1973">{{cite journal |editor1-first=John H. |editor1-last=Johnson |editor1-link=John H. Johnson |date=June 21, 1973 |title=Once on welfare, black woman now mayor of her hometown in Taft, Okla. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qK8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18 | access-date=November 18, 2018 |journal=Jet |volume=45 |issue=13 |page=18 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. |location=Chicago, Illinois }}</ref><ref name="OHS-Foley-Davis">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/F/FO001.html |title=Lelia Kasenia Smith Foley-Davis (1942-) |author=O'Dell, Larry |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=October 16, 2010 |url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306215429/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/F/FO001.html |archive-date=March 6, 2009}}</ref>

A [[mass shooting]] incident occurred at an outdoor Memorial Day event in Taft, shortly after midnight on May 29, 2022. Seven people were reported to be injured, with a 39-year-old woman killed.<ref>[https://kfor.com/news/local/multiple-people-shot-during-outdoor-festival-in-taft-authorities-confirm/   "Multiple people shot during outdoor festival in Taft, authorities confirm" ''KFOR'' (May 29, 2022)]</ref><ref>Withrow, Brooke [https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-bureau-investigates-people-shot-event-taft/40135459 "OSBI investigates after multiple people shot, one killed at event in Taft" ''KOCO.com''  (May 29, 2022)]</ref><ref>Huggins, Caitlin [https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/one-killed-seven-injured-in-shooting-at-festival-in-taft "One killed, seven injured in shooting at Memorial Day weekend festival in Taft" (May 29, 2022)]</ref><ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taft-oklahoma-shooting-woman-killed-memorial-day-festival/ "39-year-old woman killed in Oklahoma shooting at Memorial Day festival; 7 people injured" ''CBS News'' (May 30, 2022)]</ref> Media accounts say that this incident was one of at least 12 mass shooting events that occurred over the [[Memorial Day]] weekend across the United States. 26-year-old Skyler Buckner was charged in connection with the shooting.<ref>Helmore, Edward [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/31/mass-shootings-us-memorial-day-weekend-taft-chattanooga "US Memorial Day weekend marked by even more mass shootings" ''The Guardian'' (May 31, 2022)]</ref><ref>Timsit, Annabelle [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/30/mass-shootings-memorial-day-weekend-taft-chattanooga-uvalde/ "U.S. marks Memorial Day weekend with at least 12 mass shootings" ''Washington Post'' (May 31, 2022)]</ref>

==Geography==
Taft is located approximately {{convert|8|miles|km}} west of the city of Muskogee.<ref name="EOHC-Taft"/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.5 |sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 352
|1920= 553
|1930= 690
|1940= 772
|1950= 541
|1960= 386
|1970= 525
|1980= 489
|1990= 400
|2000= 349
|2010= 250
|2020= 174
|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>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Taft town, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Taft town, Oklahoma |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US4072050&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Taft town, Oklahoma |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4072050&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Taft town, Oklahoma |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4072050&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|13
|16
|style='background: #ffffe6; |14
|3.72%
|6.40%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.05%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|297
|205
|style='background: #ffffe6; |137
|85.10%
|82.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |78.74%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|4
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9
|1.15%
|3.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.17%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|33
|9
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13
|9.46%
|3.60%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.47%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|2
|12
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|0.57%
|4.80%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.57%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''349'''
|'''250'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''174'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000,{{update after|2012|8|20}} there were 349 people, 136 households, and 87 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|227.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 155 housing units at an average density of {{convert|101.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 85.39% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 3.72% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.15% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.29% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 9.46% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 136 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.0% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $18,889, and the median income for a family was $26,500. Males had a median income of $20,417 versus $17,813 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $11,278. About 23.0% of families and 33.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 44.4% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* [[Sarah Rector]], once called the “world’s richest Negro girl” because of oil wealth off her [[Creek Freedmen]] allotment, was born and grew up in and around Taft.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.okhistory.org/learn/african-americans |title=African Americans in Oklahoma Before 1954|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society|accessdate=July 30, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/09/03/sarah-rector-richest-black-girl/ |title= 'World's Richest Negro Girl' inspired media ridicule, fascination, alarm|publisher=The Washington Post, September 3, 2022|accessdate=July 30, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Boley, Oklahoma|Boley]], [[Brooksville, Oklahoma|Brooksville]], [[Clearview, Oklahoma|Clearview]], [[Grayson, Oklahoma|Grayson]], [[Langston, Oklahoma|Langston]], [[Lima, Oklahoma|Lima]], [[Redbird, Oklahoma|Redbird]], [[Rentiesville, Oklahoma|Rentiesville]], [[Summit, Oklahoma|Summit]], [[Tatums, Oklahoma|Tatums]], [[Tullahassee, Oklahoma|Tullahassee]], and [[Vernon, Oklahoma|Vernon]], other "All-Black" settlements that were part of the [[Land Run of 1889]].<ref name="eohc-all-blacktowns">{{cite encyclopedia| url= http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=AL009 | title=All-Black Towns| first= Larry |last=O'Dell| publisher= [[Oklahoma Historical Society]]| accessdate=August 19, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

{{Muskogee County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Muskogee County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Muscogee (Creek) Nation]]
[[Category:Populated places in Oklahoma established by African Americans]]
[[Category:Indian Territory]]