Haskell County, Oklahoma

Haskell County
Haskell County
County
	Haskell County Courthouse in Stigler
	Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
	Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 35°14′N 95°07′W / 35.23°N 95.11°W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1907
Named for	Charles N. Haskell
Seat	Stigler
Largest city	Stigler
Area
• Total	625 sq mi (1,620 km2)
• Land	577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	49 sq mi (130 km2) 7.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	11,561
• Density	18/sq mi (7.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Haskell County is a county located in the southeast quadrant of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,561.^[1] Its county seat is Stigler.^[2] The county is named in honor of Charles N. Haskell, the first governor of Oklahoma.

History

The area now comprising Haskell County was created at statehood primarily from the former Sans Bois County of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory. Sans Bois County was part of the Moshulatubbee District, one of three administrative super-regions comprising the Choctaw Nation. Small portions of present-day Haskell County fell within Gaines County and Skullyville County, Choctaw Nation.

In 1908 county voters picked Stigler over Keota and Whitefield as the county seat.^[3]

Underground coal mining was undertaken here in the early 20th century, creating jobs and attracting railroad construction to southern Haskell County. The San Bois Coal Company built more than four hundred company houses in McCurtain and Chant (two towns that eventually merged into one) for their miners. In 1912 a large, underground explosion rocked the Number Two mine at McCurtain, killing 73 (seventy-three) miners and bankrupting the San Bois Company.^[3] The McCurtain disaster and the declining demand for coal in the 1920s halted underground coal mining in the county.

Strip mining continued. The Lone Star Steel Company became the county's leading coal producer. Haskell County was the source of 20 percent of Oklahoma's coal production between 1950 and 1980.^[4]

Agriculture was the most important component of the county economy in the early 20th century. Cotton was the most important crop, followed by corn and oats. The collapse of cotton prices and the Great Depression caused a drop in population as well as farm acreage. In 1934 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration helped over 85 percent of Haskell County's population. Ranching supplanted farming, which was forced to diversify. By 1964, livestock accounted for about 70 percent of the county's revenues.^[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 625 square miles (1,620 km²), of which 577 square miles (1,490 km²) is land and 49 square miles (130 km²) (7.8%) is water.^[5] The county elevation varies because of the Sans Bois Mountains in the southern part of the county from 500 to 1,500 feet (150 to 460 m).^[3]

The relatively large water area results from the presence of Eufaula Lake and the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. The South Canadian River forms the northern border with McIntosh and Muskogee counties before draining into the Arkansas River at the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. The Arkansas is the northeastern border with Sequoyah County.^[3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Muskogee County (north)
Sequoyah County (northeast)
Le Flore County (east)
Latimer County (south)
Pittsburg County (west)
McIntosh County (northwest)

National protected area

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	18,875	—
1920	19,397	2.8%
1930	16,216	−16.4%
1940	17,324	6.8%
1950	13,313	−23.2%
1960	9,121	−31.5%
1970	9,578	5.0%
1980	11,010	15.0%
1990	10,940	−0.6%
2000	11,792	7.8%
2010	12,769	8.3%
2020	11,561	−9.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6] 1790-1960^[7] 1900-1990^[8] 1990-2000^[9] 2010^[10]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,769 people living in the county. 74.9% were White, 15.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Black or African American, 1.2% of some other race and 7.0% of two or more races. 3.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 8.4% were of American, 7.3% German, 6.4% Irish and 5.0% English ancestry.^[11]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 11,792 people, 4,624 households, and 3,380 families living in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km²). There were 5,573 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.24% White, 0.61% Black or African American, 14.60% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 5.81% from two or more races. 1.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,624 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,553, and the median income for a family was $29,872. Males had a median income of $25,493 versus $17,462 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,775. About 16.10% of families and 20.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.10% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Despite the county being home to a significant Native American population and a Democratic registration advantage well into the 2010s, Haskell County has not voted that way in presidential elections in the 21st century. Unlike other Native-administered counties, however, the rightward shift only increased after the 2004 election, with the GOP hitting well over 70% of the vote in the county in the Barack Obama era and topping out with 83.1% for Donald Trump in 2020.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023^[13]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	2,549	37.31%
	Republican	3,600	52.70%
	Others	682	9.98%
Total		6,831	100%

United States presidential election results for Haskell County, Oklahoma^[14]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,156	84.20%	718	14.55%	62	1.26%
2020	4,165	83.07%	783	15.62%	66	1.32%
2016	3,701	78.11%	882	18.62%	155	3.27%
2012	3,069	72.31%	1,175	27.69%	0	0.00%
2008	3,207	68.51%	1,474	31.49%	0	0.00%
2004	2,946	55.33%	2,378	44.67%	0	0.00%
2000	2,039	44.06%	2,510	54.24%	79	1.71%
1996	1,442	30.01%	2,762	57.48%	601	12.51%
1992	1,461	26.34%	3,069	55.34%	1,016	18.32%
1988	1,822	37.73%	2,963	61.36%	44	0.91%
1984	2,417	48.52%	2,535	50.89%	29	0.58%
1980	2,024	40.39%	2,874	57.35%	113	2.26%
1976	1,401	29.08%	3,388	70.32%	29	0.60%
1972	2,815	63.12%	1,408	31.57%	237	5.31%
1968	1,516	37.05%	1,563	38.20%	1,013	24.76%
1964	1,355	34.77%	2,542	65.23%	0	0.00%
1960	1,858	52.04%	1,712	47.96%	0	0.00%
1956	1,758	42.47%	2,381	57.53%	0	0.00%
1952	1,872	41.68%	2,619	58.32%	0	0.00%
1948	1,390	30.24%	3,206	69.76%	0	0.00%
1944	2,102	41.70%	2,924	58.00%	15	0.30%
1940	2,661	40.53%	3,896	59.34%	9	0.14%
1936	2,182	35.51%	3,961	64.47%	1	0.02%
1932	1,439	24.83%	4,357	75.17%	0	0.00%
1928	2,580	53.95%	2,172	45.42%	30	0.63%
1924	1,935	40.18%	2,480	51.50%	401	8.33%
1920	2,673	52.67%	2,201	43.37%	201	3.96%
1916	976	33.13%	1,486	50.44%	484	16.43%
1912	902	30.32%	1,388	46.66%	685	23.03%

Communities

City

Stigler (county seat)

Towns

Census-designated places

Haskell County Courthouse

Stigler is home to the Haskell County Courthouse, which has become notable for erecting marble statues of the Ten Commandments and the Mayflower Compact on the front lawn (see Separation of church and state in the United States). In the seventh commandment, the word "adultery" is misspelled.

A unanimous federal appeals court ruled that county commissioners in Haskell County, Oklahoma unconstitutionally sought to promote their personal religious beliefs by erecting a Ten Commandments monument on the front lawn of the county's courthouse. The decision by the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals comes in a challenge filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Oklahoma on behalf of a local resident.

After the court decision, the marble statue was moved approximately 600 feet east to private property. Therefore, the statue was still displayed on the main street, available to anyone who desired to view and read the information.

NRHP sites

The following sites in Haskell County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Cotton Storage House, Kinta
Haskell County Courthouse, Stigler
Kinta High School, Kinta
McCurtain, Edmund, House, Kinta
McCurtain, Green, House, Kinta
Mule Creek Site, Stigler
Otter Creek Archeological Site, Keota
Scott Store, Kinta
Stigler School Gymnasium--Auditorium, Stigler
Tamaha Jail and Ferry Landing, Stigler

References

^ "Haskell County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Larry O'Dell, "Haskell County." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.] Retrieved October 2, 2013.
^ "Focus on Haskell County." Oklahoma Ad Valorem Forum. Vol. 21, Issue 6. June 2012. p. 6 Accessed October 17, 2016.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
^ ""American FactFinder"". Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
^ "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.