Redbird is a town in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 137 at the 2010 census, a 10.5 percent decline from the figure of 153 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. Founded at the turn of the 20th century, it was one of more than fifty all-black towns in Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory and is one of thirteen surviving black communities in Oklahoma.

History

Redbird, also called Red Bird, originated with the settlement by the family of E. L. Barber, who founded the First Baptist Church in 1889. Other families soon moved into the area. By 1902, Red Bird had obtained a post office. More than 600 people showed up at the official opening of Red Bird on August 10, 1907. The town advertised in newspapers all across the South to encourage black families to relocate there. Redbird's population attained a peak of 336 in 1920. Declining cotton prices caused residents to move away, even before the Great Depression. It rebounded after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and at one point had seven churches, a couple of general stores, eight

juke joint Juke joint (also jukejoint, jook house, jook, or juke) is the vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern United States. A juke joint ...

s, and a gas station.

Urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...

in later years lost the town population again, and the post office closed; however, the town is experiencing something of a rebirth as families buy homes in the area to enjoy a low crime rate and a quieter pace of life.

Geography

Redbird is located at (35.888676, -95.588211). 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 t ...

, 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 in ...

of 2000, there were 153 people, 64 households, and 33 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 76 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 87.58%

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 ...

, 5.88% Native American, 4.58%

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 o ...

, 0.65% 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 1.31% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.96% of the population. There were 64 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.26. In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.3% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $15,139, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $25,833 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 $8,944. About 27.3% of families and 36.6% 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 44.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 43.5% of those 65 or over.

Education

Redbird residents are assigned to schools in the

Porter Consolidated Schools Porter Consolidated Schools is a school district headquartered in Porter, Oklahoma. It serves portions of Wagoner County, including Porter, Redbird, and Tullahassee.Red Bird Public Schools Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

.Welcome to Red Bird, Oklahoma

Archive
. Town of Redbird. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.

References

External links