Mangum is a city in and county seat of Greer County, Oklahoma, United States.[4] The population was 2,762 as of the 2020 United States census.[5] Mangum was originally part of Old Greer County in the Texas panhandle. The community was named for A. S. Mangum, who owned the land on which the town was founded in 1882.[a] It became part of the Oklahoma Territory in 1896, and thus part of the state of Oklahoma on November 16, 1907.[7]
History
Beginning in 1876, the nearby Great Western Cattle Trail was used to drive cattle north from Texas to market. The community of Mangum began in 1882 when Henry Clay Sweet established it on land granted to A. S. Mangum by the state of Texas. The Mangum post office was established April 15, 1886. This part of Texas (old Greer County) was given to Oklahoma in 1896.[7] During Mangum's early days, the community's economy largely depended on very large cattle ranches owned or leased by land companies such as the Day Land and Cattle Company of Texas and the Franklyn Land and Cattle Company, an English syndicate.[7] The local cowboys called Mangum "Tin City" because so many tin cans were unrolled and nailed over the wooden planks that served as sidewalks.[6]
The Kiser Salt Works, named for owner Ben Kiser and located on the Elm Fork of the Red River was one of the earliest production operations in what would become western Oklahoma.[7][b]
Other early businesses in or around Mangum included the Oklahoma Granite Company, which opened in 1904, the Mangum Star newspaper, first published in 1887, and the Mangum Brick Plant, established in 1903 by D. J. Doyle. The newspaper still publishes in the 21st century. The brick plant, now owned by Jewett Scott, also still operates and has greatly expanded production.[7]
By statehood, Mangum had a population of 2,672. It had two school buildings, an opera house and a county courthouse later listed in the National Register of Historical Places, NR 85000682. By 1930, the population had expanded to 4,806 (the highest recorded in the U.S. census). Agriculture had largely displaced the old cattle ranches, so the city could also boast of seven cotton gins, one cotton oil mill, one cotton compress, and one flour mill.[7]
On May 20, 2019, Western Mangum was hit hard by a destructive EF2 tornado during a tornado outbreak that impacted central Oklahoma.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic Mangum made national news when a local church[10] was instrumental in spreading COVID-19 throughout the town, resulting in several fatalities. The Mayor at the time, Mary Jane Scott, put the town on lockdown following direction from state governor Kevin Stitt. After the lockdown was lifted and many states reopened, the safety measures in place in Mangum were also removed.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land.
Mangum, Oklahoma's climate is humid subtropical (KöppenCfa, TrewarthaCf), giving the area mild winters and hot, humid summers.[12] Mangum is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, strongly suggesting that the coldest night of each year averages between 0 °F (-18 °C) and 5 °F (-15 °C).[13]
On February 11, 2017, Mangum reached a high of 99.41 °F (37.45 °C). This is the Oklahoma state record high for meteorological winter (December through February). What's even more remarkable is that this occurred just three days before snow fell on Mangum.[14]
Climate data for Mangum, Oklahoma (1981-2010 normals)
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,924 people, 1,236 households, and 765 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,673.2 inhabitants per square mile (646.0/km2). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 888.7 per square mile (343.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.44% White, 6.74% African American, 1.37% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 4.51% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.41% of the population.
There were 1,236 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,064, and the median income for a family was $30,547. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $16,198 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,392. About 20.2% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Cultural attractions include the Old Greer County Museum and Pioneer Hall of Fame, which occupies a 1907 hospital building and features over 60 rooms of artifacts relevant to the history of Old Greer County.[16] The hospital was built by Dr. Fowler Border [1] before Oklahoma reached statehood.
The Margaret Carder Library, founded in 1922, contains 14,318 volumes and circulates 11,794 items per year.[17]
The annual Mangum Rattlesnake Derby, typically in April, features not only a rattlesnake hunt, but also a festival and large flea market.[18]
Mangum has a civil airport named Scott Field located on the western edge of the city, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the city center.[19] No scheduled passenger airlines serve this airport.
^A. S. Mangum is notable in Texas history because he fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas rewarded his service to the state with a land grant in Greer County.[6]
^The Minerals Handbook suggests that salt production began about 1914 in Harmon County, Oklahoma (originally part of Old Greer County)[8]
