Gans is a town in Sequoyah County,

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 ...

, United States. It 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 ...

. The population was 312 at the 2010 census, an increase of 50 percent over the figure of 208 recorded in 2000.

History

Gans was originally a dispersed settlement in the Sequoyah District of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory known as Jack Town. It was renamed Gann in the late 19th century for three brothers, Charlie, Swimmer, and Tom Gann, who settled there. The

Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad The Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad was a railway company that began operations in the 1890s and owned a main-line between Kansas City, Missouri, and Port Arthur, Texas. It was led by Arthur Stilwell before being thrown into receivership ...

built a line through the area during 1895-6 and requested that the name be changed to Gans, since it already had two other locations named Gann.Larry O'Dell, "Gans," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''
Accessed March 18, 2015. Gans incorporated in the Cherokee Nation in 1902. It lost this status in 1933. It reincorporated in 1953. The town was seriously damaged by a tornado in 1957, but later rebuilt.

Geography

Gans is located at (35.387207, -94.693871). It is southeast of Sallisaw. The post office, established in 1896, was also renamed Gans. 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 , all land.

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 208 people, 79 households, and 57 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 87 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 70.67%

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 ...

, 0.96%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 26.44% Native American, 0.48% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.44% 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 0.48% of the population. There were 79 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% 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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% 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 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $17,344, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $12,188 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 $8,922. About 25.9% of families and 27.1% 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 36.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 25.8% of those 65 or over.

Notable people

Cal Smith Calvin Grant Shofner (April 7, 1932 – October 10, 2013), known professionally as Cal Smith, was an American country musician, most famous for his 1974 hits " Country Bumpkin" and " It's Time to Pay the Fiddler". Career Calvin Grant Shofner wa ...

, country music star * Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, played in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

for the

Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along w ...

from 1995 to 2001.

References

External links

''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Gans
{{authority control Towns in Oklahoma Towns in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma Fort Smith metropolitan area