Peggs is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in

Cherokee County Cherokee County is the name of eight counties in the United States: * Cherokee County, Alabama * Cherokee County, Georgia * Cherokee County, Iowa * Cherokee County, Kansas * Cherokee County, North Carolina * Cherokee County, Oklahoma * Cherokee Co ...

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 had a population of 813 at the 2010 census, compared to 814 at the 2000 census. A large minority of its residents are Native American, most of them members of 10 tribal groups such as the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...

and the

Muscogee Creek Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the Southe ...

History

The post office was established December 6, 1899. It was named for Thomas Pegg, acting principal chief of the

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. A

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

destroyed Peggs on May 2, 1920, killing 71 people, what was about 30 percent of the town's population at the time.National Weather Service. "Weather trivia for May."
Retrieved July 31, 2014. It is the deadliest tornado on record to have struck within NWS Tulsa's county warning area, and the third-deadliest in Oklahoma history (after Woodward in 1947 and Snyder pre-statehood in 1905). In May 2019 another tornado hit Peggs, but the EF-2 caused no fatalities, only damage to a few homes and businesses.

Geography

Peggs is located in northwestern Cherokee County, along

Oklahoma State Highway 82 State Highway 82, abbreviated to SH-82 or OK-82, is a state highway in Oklahoma. It runs for north–south during its southern segment; and north–south during its northern segment. Route description Southern section The southern SH- ...

, which leads southeast to

Tahlequah Tahlequah ( ; ''Cherokee'': ᏓᎵᏆ, ''daligwa'' ) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-century ...

, the

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 ...

, and northwest to Locust Grove in Mayes County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Peggs CDP has an area of , all land.

Demographics

Economy

There are three convenience stores and one post office in the small community. There is also a senior community center serving noon meals to senior citizens.

Education

Peggs currently has one elementary (Pre-K-8) school, with 9-12 grade either going to neighboring

, Hulbert, or Locust Grove to high school.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Cherokee County, Oklahoma Unincorporated communities in Oklahoma Cherokee towns in Oklahoma