Roger Mills County, Oklahoma: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:38, 1 May 2025

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Roger Mills County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,442,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fourth-least populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is Cheyenne.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1891.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Roger Mills county is located above the petroleum-rich Panhandle-Hugoton Field, making it one of the leading sources of oil, natural gas, and helium. The county also overlies part of the Ogallala Aquifer.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C>Wilson, Linda D. "Roger Mills County,' Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015.</ref>

History

Roger Mills County takes its name from Roger Q. Mills, an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and later senator from Texas.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C/><ref>"Origin of County Names in Oklahoma." Chronicles of Oklahoma. Volume 2, Number 1. March 1924.</ref> The town of Cheyenne in Roger Mills County is the location of the Battle of Washita River (also called Battle of the Washita; Washita Battlefield and the Washita Massacre), where George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S. Cavalry attacked Chief Black Kettle’s Cheyenne village on the Washita River on November 26, 1868.<ref>Washita Battlefield National Historic Site. — National Park Service.</ref>

The area covered by Roger Mills County had been part of the Cheyenne Arapaho reservation until after Oklahoma Territory was created and County E was formed. County E was renamed Day County. Day County was abolished and Roger Mills County was created at statehood on November 16, 1907. The county's western boundary with Texas was moved eastward Template:Convert when the Supreme Court ruled that the 100th Meridian was farther east than originally supposed.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C/>

During the 1970s, Roger Mills County and the surrounding area were the site of natural gas and oil development in the Panhandle-Hugoton Gas Field, the largest-volume gas field in the United States, and the world's largest known source of helium. Between 1973 and 1993, the field produced over 8 trillion cubic feet (230,000,000 m³) of natural gas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.5%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The Canadian River forms the northern border of the county.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C/> The Washita River passes by Cheyenne and Strong City as it crosses the county from west to east. The historically significant Antelope Hills lie in the northeastern part of the county.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

Ellis County (north)
Dewey County (northeast)
Custer County (east)
Beckham County (south)
Wheeler County, Texas (southwest)
Hemphill County, Texas (northwest)

National protected areas

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> 3,436 people, 1,428 households, and 988 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 1,749 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 91.76% White, 0.29% African American, 5.47% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. About 2.65% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 1,428 households, 29.4% had children under 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were not families. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the age distribution was 23.8% under 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,078, and for a family was $35,921. Males had a median income of $22,224 versus $19,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,821. About 11.50% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those 65 or over.

Economy

The county economy has depended on agriculture, which has benefitted because it lies above the Ogallala Aquifer. Principal crops have included kaffir corn, broomcorn, wheat, cotton, corn, and alfalfa. Farms have been consolidating throughout the period since the Great Depression. In 1930, the 2,353 farms averaged 278.3 acres each. By 2000, the remaining 680 farms averaged 1,015.54 acres each.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C/>

Petroleum and natural gas production has become an important contributor since discovery of the Panhandle-Hugoton Field.<ref name=WilsonLD-OHS-EofOH&C/>

In 2010, Roger Mills County had a per capita income of $28,427 per resident compared to the United States per capita income of $27,334. The county had the highest per capita income of any in Oklahoma and was the only Oklahoma county in which the per capita income exceeded the national per capita income.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

Roger Mills County is heavily Republican, like most of rural western Oklahoma. It has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1980, and in all but three elections since 1952.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Democratic	564	24.32%
Template:Party color cell	Republican	1,549	66.80%
Template:Party color cell	Others	206	8.88%
Total		2,319	100%