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Wetumka is a city in northern Hughes 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 1,282 at the 2010 census, a decline of 11.7 percent from the figure of 1,451 recorded in 2000. First settled by the Muscogee Creek after removal in the 1830s, they named it for their ancestral town of
Wetumpka Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is ...
, in
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. ''Wetumka'' is a
Muskogee language The Muscogee language (Muskogee, ''Mvskoke'' in Muscogee), also known as Creek, is a Muskogean language spoken by Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole people, primarily in the US states of Oklahoma and Florida. Along with Mikasuki, when it is spoken by ...
word meaning "rumbling waters."Linda D. Wilson, "Wetumka". ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed January 17, 2013
In the 21st century, it is the headquarters for two federally recognized tribes, the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town and the
Kialegee Tribal Town The Kialegee Tribal Town is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma, as well as a traditional township within the former Muscogee Creek Confederacy in the American Southeast. Tribal members pride themselves on retaining their tr ...
. The town holds Sucker Day annually, on the last Saturday in September.


History

The St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railway built a line from
Sapulpa, Oklahoma Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated popul ...
through Wetumka to the Red River in 1900-1901. Wetumka prospered as a major shipping point for cotton, corn, pecans, and livestock produced by farmers in the surrounding area. By 1909, the community had three banks, two cotton gins, three blacksmith shops, two liveries, and a tin shop. Early newspapers included the ''Wetumka News-Herald'', the ''Wetumka News'', the ''Wetumka Herald'', and the ''Wetumka Gazette''. A two-story building constructed in 1912 housed the city hall and the Masonic Lodge. By 1918, four cotton gins, a mill and elevator, a wagonyard, an ice company, and a water and light company had joined the list of businesses open in Wetumka. The 1920 census reported that the population had jumped from 231 in 1910 to 1422 in 1920. Growth would continue through 1950. Since then a long-term decline has lasted through the 2010 census as agriculture has needed fewer workers. The Wetumka oil field opened in 1919. A crowd of oil workers poured into town. The ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' estimates the number of temporary workers brought the total city population to about four thousand. However, the 1920 census does not support this number. There was sufficient activity to cause the railroad to build a large freight warehouse in April 1925. A three-story hotel opened in June of that year. With the booming economy, the city paved the streets and added three rooms to the school building. Perhaps the most significant sign of growth was that the citizens petitioned Governor Jack C. Walton to designate Wetumka as a city of the "first class". Walton signed the proclamation on May 21, 1923, and the city held an election on June 26, 1925 for a mayor, a city marshal, and council members. By 1930, oil and agriculture were the dominant employers in Wetumka's economy, with five cotton gins and twelve oil companies operating. The city had added nine churches, a park, a lake, and a junior college. Railey Manufacturing Company provided employment to workers who crafted wood flooring and doors. Municipal plants provided water and electricity, Oklahoma Natural Gas supplied gas, and Southwestern State Telephone furnished phone service. But in the 1930s, cotton production began a major decline. During World War II, the Army operated a prisoner-of-war camp for German prisoners. This closed in 1945 after the end of the war. The city-owned Wetumka General Hospital opened in March 1960. In March 1973 a municipal complex opened to replace city hall, which had been destroyed by fire on November 13, 1971. By the 1970s all cotton gins were defunct.


Geography

Wetumka is located at (35.238849, -96.239851). It is approximately northeast of Holdenville, the county seat. 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 20% 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 1,451 people, 591 households, and 346 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 760.8 people per square mile (293.3/km). There were 700 housing units at an average density of 367.0 per square mile (141.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 58.37%
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 ...
, 5.65%
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 ...
, 31.63% Native American, 0.07%
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 ...
, 0.21% 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 4.07% 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 ...
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 were 2.55% of the population. There were 591 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% 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, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $17,000.00, and the median income for a family was $21,645. Males had a median income of $18,194 versus $14,091 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 $9,455. About 31.3% of families and 39.6% 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 48.4% of those under age 18 and 29.8% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The first school in Wetumka was the Levering Manual Labor Mission School, which opened on September 1, 1881. It was operated by the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, partly funded by the Creek Nation and educated Creek children. The town had a public school system by 1902 The
Wes Watkins 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 ...
is located in Wetumka. Opened in 1992, it offers vocational training.


Activities

Wetumka was conned by a man named F. Bam Morrison in 1950, and the town laughs about it each year through a celebration called Sucker Day. The event has arts and crafts, music, and a parade of antique cars, tractors, and horses. There is also a ”
poker run A poker run is an organized event in which participants, usually using motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, horses, on foot or other means of transportation, must visit five to seven checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each on ...
” for motorcyclists and other participants. Wetumka Lake, a/k/a Lake Wetumka, offering boat ramps/docks, a fishing dock, picnic areas, a playground, and primitive camping sites, is to the north. Brooks Lake is to the southeast.


Transportation

The town is at the intersection of
U.S. Route 75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canada–United States border, Canadian border, wh ...
and
Oklahoma State Highway 9 State Highway 9, abbreviated as SH-9, OK-9, or simply Highway 9, is a major east–west highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Spanning across the central part of the state, SH-9 begins at the Texas state line near Madge, Oklahoma, and ends at ...
. Wetumka is home to Petes Airpark (FAA Identifier: 8OL1), a privately-owned facility. At least six other airports, including Okmulgee Regional and McAlester Regional, are within a 35-mile radius.


Notable person

*
John Herrington John Bennett Herrington (born September 14, 1958, in Chickasaw Nation) is a retired United States Naval Aviator, engineer and former NASA astronaut. In 2002, Herrington became the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in spac ...
, astronaut


Notes


References

{{authority control Cities in Hughes County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma