Jackson County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the southwestern corner of 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 sove ...
of
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
2010 census, the population was 26,446.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Altus
Altus or ALTUS may refer to:
Music
* Alto, a musical term meaning second highest musical or vocal type
*Altus (voice type), a vocal type also known as countertenor
Places
* Altus, Arkansas, US
**Altus AVA, a wine-growing region near Altus, Arka ...
.
According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', the county was named for two historical figures: President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
and Confederate General
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
.
[Wilson, Linda D]
"Jackson County,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015. One source states that the county was named only for the former President, while an earlier source states it was named only for General Stonewall Jackson.
Jackson County comprises the Altus, OK
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
After a dispute over the
Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, both the governments of the United States and the state of Texas claimed ownership of some in what was then operated as
Greer County, Texas
Greer County, a county created by the Texas legislature on February 8, 1860 (and was named for John Alexander Greer, Lieutenant Governor of Texas), was land claimed by both Texas and the United States. The region of Greer County is now in present ...
. Litigation followed, and in the case of ''United States v. State of Texas'' , issued on March 16, the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, having original jurisdiction over the case, decided in favor of the United States. Greer County was then assigned to the Oklahoma Territory on May 4, 1896. When Oklahoma became the 46th
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 sove ...
(November 16, 1907), old "Greer County" was divided into
Greer, Jackson, and part of
Beckham counties.
Altus was originally designated as the seat of Jackson County. Olustee vied in an unsuccessful bid to replace Altus as the seat in an election on July 18, 1908.
Geography
According to the
U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
Most of the county is within the
Red Bed Plains physiographic region. The western part lies in the Gypsum Hills and the northeastern part is in the
Wichita Mountains
The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the principal relief system in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, being the result of a failed continental rift. The mountains are a northwest-south ...
. The county is drained by the
Red River and its tributaries, the
North Fork of the Red River
The North Fork Red River, sometimes called simply the "North Fork", is a tributary of the Red River of the South about long, heading along the eastern Caprock Escarpment of the Llano Estacado about southwest of Pampa, Texas.United States Board ...
and the
Salt Fork of the Red River.
Major highways
*
U.S. Highway 62
U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canada–United States border, Canadian border. It is the only east-west ...
*
U.S. Highway 283
*
State Highway 5
*
State Highway 6
*
State Highway 34
Adjacent counties
*
Greer County (north)
*
Kiowa County (northeast)
*
Tillman County (east)
*
Wilbarger County, Texas
Wilbarger County ( ) is a county located in the North Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,887. The county seat is Vernon. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1881. Wilbar ...
(south)
*
Hardeman County, Texas
Hardeman County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,549. The county seat and largest city is Quanah. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1884. It is named for two br ...
(southwest)
*
Harmon County (west)
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 28,439 people, 10,590 households, and 7,667 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 35 people per square mile (14/km
2). There were 12,377 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.14%
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 ...
, 8.03%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
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 ...
, 1.74%
Native American, 1.16%
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 ...
, 0.17%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 9.34% 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 3.42% from two or more races. 15.63% of the population were
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 ...
or
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.
There were 10,590 households, out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were
married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.20% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 19.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,737, and the median income for a family was $38,265. Males had a median income of $28,240 versus $19,215 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 county was $15,454. About 13.60% of families and 16.20% 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 20.70% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Economy
The county's economy has been based on farming and livestock since its inception. The major crops include cotton, wheat, corn, alfalfa, and hay. Barley and sorghum became major crops in the late 1940s. Livestock consisted of horses, cattle, mules, swine and sheep.
Altus Air Force Base
Altus Air Force Base (Altus AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma.
The host unit at Altus AFB is the 97th Air Mobility Wing (97 AMW), assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF ...
is the county's largest non-farm employer. There were 16 manufacturers in the county by 2000. These included Altus Athletic Manufacturing, the Bar-S Foods Company, and the Republic Gypsum plant.
(The Luscombe Aircraft manufacturing plant, later Quartz Mountain Aerospace, went bankrupt in 2009.)
Education
The
Western Oklahoma State College
Western Oklahoma State College is a public community college in Altus, Oklahoma.
History
Western Oklahoma State College was founded in 1926 under the name Altus Junior College. In 1974 state legislature changed its name to the present Western Ok ...
(WOSC) and the
Southwest Technology Center
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (ODCTE, commonly known and branded as CareerTech) is an agency of the state of Oklahoma located in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
CareerTech oversees a statewide system of career and technology e ...
, both in Altus, offer higher education opportunities in Jackson County.
Communities
*
Altus
Altus or ALTUS may refer to:
Music
* Alto, a musical term meaning second highest musical or vocal type
*Altus (voice type), a vocal type also known as countertenor
Places
* Altus, Arkansas, US
**Altus AVA, a wine-growing region near Altus, Arka ...
(county seat)
*
Blair
*
East Duke
*
Eldorado
El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
*
Elmer
Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English ''æþel'' (noble) and ''mær'' (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United State ...
*
Friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
*
Headrick
*
Martha
Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...
*
Olustee Olustee may refer to:
* Olustee, Alabama, a populated place near in Pike County, Alabama
* Olustee, Florida, a town in Baker County, Florida
**Battle of Olustee, the largest battle fought in Florida during the American Civil War
** Olustee Creek, ...
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Jackson County, Oklahoma
References
External links
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Jackson CountyOklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control
1907 establishments in Oklahoma
Populated places established in 1907