Texhoma, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Texhoma is a town in Texas County
Texas County, Oklahoma
Texas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Texas County was formed at Oklahoma statehood from the central one-third of "Old Beaver County" also known as "No Man's Land"...

, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 926 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

. Founded around the Rock Island Railroad laying tracks through the area, much of the town's local economy is from ranching and livestock. Texhoma is a divided city
Divided City
Divided City is a novel written by Theresa Breslin and published in 2005 by Doubleday. The novel is written for teenagers and adults concerning the problems of sectarianism in Glasgow and racism against asylum seekers....

 with the Texas-Oklahoma state border separating the town from Texhoma, Texas
Texhoma, Texas
Texhoma is a city in Sherman County, Texas, United States. The population was 371 at the 2000 census. Texhoma is a divided city with the Texas-Oklahoma state border separating the city from Texhoma, Oklahoma.-Geography:...

.

History

Before No Man's Land was opened for settlers in 1890, the area now known as the Oklahoma Panhandle
Oklahoma Panhandle
The Oklahoma Panhandle is the extreme western region of the state of Oklahoma, comprising Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. Its name comes from the similarity of shape to the handle of a cooking pan....

 was sparsely settled ranchland. After the opening some of the land was filed on near the ranch headquarters, mostly by the cowboys, and sold to the ranch as soon as proved up. Expansion of the Rock Island Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...

 tracks from Liberal, Kansas
Liberal, Kansas
Liberal is the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,525.- History :S.S. Rogers built the first house in what would become Liberal in 1872. Rogers became famous in the region for giving water to weary travelers...

 to Santa Rosa, New Mexico
Santa Rosa, New Mexico
Santa Rosa is a city in and the county seat of Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. It lies between Albuquerque and Tucumcari, situated on the Pecos River at the intersection of Interstate 40, U.S. Route 54, and U.S. Route 84...

 spurred the settlement's formation.

A post office named Loretta was established May 7, 1898, but the name and location was changed to Texhoma on November 12, 1901, as there was another Loretta, Oklahoma. Very few claims were filed on until the railroad was assured. The town grew quickly to a population near 1,000, serving as the closest railroad town to the people who lived as far north and west as present Boise City
Boise City, Oklahoma
Boise City is a city in and the county seat of Cimarron County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,266 at the 2010 census.'Boise' rhymes with 'voice'...

, and south into the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...

 to the present town of Gruver
Gruver, Texas
Gruver is a city in Hansford County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,162 at the 2000 census. Farwell, in the center of Hansford County about three miles east of what later became Gruver, was established in 1880 by the Canott family of Illinois and was the first town in the county...

.

The land was quickly homesteaded and proved to be a rich agricultural area.

Geography

Texhoma is located at 36°30′16"N 101°47′11"W (36.504421, -101.786517).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Roads

  • State Highway 95
    Oklahoma State Highway 95
    State Highway 95 is a state highway in the Panhandle region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. This route, which is only 42.1 miles long, runs entirely through western Texas County. SH-95 does not have any lettered spur routes.-Route description:SH-95 begins where Farm to Market Road 1290 crosses...

     runs from a southern terminus at the Texas state line 42.5 miles north to the Kansas state line.
  • U.S. Highway 54

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 935 people, 352 households, and 254 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,495.0 people per square mile (573.0/km²). There were 408 housing units at an average density of 652.3 per square mile (250.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.60% White, 0.96% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 14.76% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.76% of the population.

There were 352 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 113.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $23,229 versus $18,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $12,938. About 11.7% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Texhoma students are served jointly by an unusual bi-state arrangement. Kindergarten through fourth grade students are served by the Texhoma Independent School District
Texhoma Independent School District
Texhoma Independent School District is a public school district based in Texhoma, Texas .Located in Sherman County, the district extends into a small portion of Hansford County.The district operates one school serving grades K-4...

 http://www.texhomaisd.net/ in Texas, while fifth through twelfth grade students by Texhoma Public Schools in Oklahoma. It is the only city in Oklahoma where graduating students can attend either Oklahoma or Texas public universities at the in-state tuition rates for either.

Sites of interest

Texhoma High School is housed in a pair of monolithic dome
Monolithic dome
A monolithic dome is a structure cast in a one-piece form. The form may be permanent or temporary and may or may not remain part of the finished structure....

 structures.

Registered Historic Places in the Texhoma area:
  • Penick House
  • CCC (Three C) Ranch Headquarters (Osborn Homestead)
  • Johnson-Cline Archaeological Site

Notable natives

  • John Fischer, editor of Harper's Magazine, 1953–1967
  • Patience Latting, Oklahoma City mayor, 1971–1983
  • Leon Fields, OK Representative & State Senator
  • Wright Langum, Los Alamos scientist
  • Esther and J.B. Riffe, philanthropists
  • JPR Sewell, OK State Representative
  • Frank Sewell, OK State Representative
  • Andy Norton, Independent League Baseball Outfielder
  • Marian Settles, missionary in Africa
  • G.A. Acock, Representative
  • Charles Fred Krull, Agronomist
  • Ralph A. Hamilton, Musician/Engineer- Lockheed California company
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