Fanshawe is a town in Latimer and Le Flore counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. As of the 2020 Census, the town had a total population of 317. The Le Flore County portion of Fanshawe is part of the

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

-Oklahoma

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

A post office was established at Fanshawe, Indian Territory on March 31, 1891. The town was named after John R. Fanshawe, an employee of the

Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (CO&G), known informally as the "Choctaw Route," was an American railroad in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The company, originally known as the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company, completed its main li ...

, which built through the area in 1889–90; however, the town had no role in choosing the name. Railroad executives and investors made an inspection trip on the newly built line; at each designated station a name was drawn from a hat, and that name was used to designate the new town. At the time of its founding, Fanshawe was located in the

Moshulatubbee District Moshulatubbee District was one of three administrative super-regions comprising the former Choctaw Nation in the Indian Territory. Also called the First District, it encompassed the northern one-third of the nation. In some historic records it is ...

of the

Choctaw Nation The Choctaw Nation ( Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American territory covering about , occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

.Morris, John W. ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'' (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986), plate 38.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 22.7 square miles (58.8 km²), of which 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (0.57%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 384 people, 146 households, and 102 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 168 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 78.65%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 17.97% Native American, 0.78%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 2.60% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 146 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.23. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had a median income of $29,286 versus $23,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,583. About 26.3% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Fanshawe

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control Towns in Latimer County, Oklahoma Towns in LeFlore County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Fort Smith metropolitan area