Tecumseh ( sac, Takamithîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie 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. The population was 6,457 at the 2010 census, a 5.9 percent increase from the figure of 6,098 in 2000. It was named for the noted

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

chief,

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

, and was designated as the county seat at Oklahoma's statehood. A county-wide election moved the seat to

in 1930.Glenn Dale Carter and Don Holland, "Tecumseh." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed May 22, 2015.

History

A 320-acre (129.5 hectare) site was opened for settlement September 23, 1891, as a result of the land run into reservations of the Sac and Fox, Kiowa, Kickapoo, Shawnee and Pottawatomi peoples. The townsite, named Tecumseh by a U.S. Army Major, had been designated as the seat of County "B" in the newly formed

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as th ...

by the Department of the Interior on July 17, 1891. A post office was established in the town on September 18, 1891. In 1903 the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

began serving Tecumseh's surrounding agricultural region, in which cotton was the main crop. Cotton production dropped in the 1920s because of depressed prices and a boll weevil infestation. The population declined for a time after 1930, because many townspeople moved away to earn a living elsewhere. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court evaluated whether it was lawful to require students from Tecumseh schools to take drug tests in order to participate in extracurricular activities. In a 5–4 decision, the court ruled that the tests were allowable in ''

Board of Education v. Earls ''Board of Education v. Earls'', 536 U.S. 822 (2002), was a case by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held, 5–4, that it does not violate the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for public schools to conduct manda ...

''.

Geography

Tecumseh is located at (35.262346, -96.934830). 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.57%) 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 6,098 people, 2,344 households, and 1,654 families residing in the city. 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 405.5 people per square mile (156.5/km). There were 2,565 housing units at an average density of 170.6 per square mile (65.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 78.98%

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 ...

, 2.05%

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 ...

, 12.87% Native American, 0.18%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.46% from other races, and 5.44% 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 1.77% of the population. There were 2,344 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,202, and the median income for a family was $32,235. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $20,820 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 city was $14,300. About 15.0% of families and 16.6% 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 20.3% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city of Tecumseh has a home rule charter form of government. The Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COJC), located in Tecumseh, is an

Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) is an agency of the state of Oklahoma headquartered in Oklahoma City that is responsible for planning and coordinating statewide juvenile justice and delinquency prevention services. OJA is also re ...

correctional facility that holds both boys and girls. is located on a plat of land and occupies of it. The school opened in 1917 and was under the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs since 1995; previously it was in the

Oklahoma Department of Human Services The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, OKDHS is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in nee ...

. It previously served as an orphanage and mental health center in addition to being a juvenile correctional facility. Known by its current name since 1992, it was previously known as Girls Town, the Oklahoma State Industrial School for Incorrigible Girls, the State Industrial School for White Girls, Russell Industrial School, and Central Oklahoma Juvenile Treatment Center.About COCJ
" Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center. Retrieved on December 16, 2015.

2010 Tornado

On Monday May 10, 2010, the city was struck by an EF3 tornado. The city's southeast side sustained the most damage, with several homes along East Highland Street were severely damaged or destroyed. Three churches were also damaged. The tornado was the first to strike the town since the May 17, 1981 tornado that hit the rural southern part of the town, and was the first tornado to go through the city proper since records have been kept in 1950.

Notes

References

External links

City of Tecumseh/Chamber of Commerce

Tecumseh Public Schools

Tecumseh Countywide News

Tecumseh Public Library
{{authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma 1891 establishments in Oklahoma Territory Populated places established in 1891 Cities in Oklahoma