Jackson County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. 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 ...

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, Ark ...

. 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. 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 (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 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 secondary ...

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 on ...

and the

Salt Fork of the Red River The Salt Fork Red River is a sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about north of Claude of Armstrong County, Texas, flowing east across the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma to join the Red River ab ...

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 62 * 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 (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 inc ...

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 RosenberPopu ...

was 35 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 12,377 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). 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 ...

, 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 ha ...

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, 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, and 3.42% from two or more races. 15.63% of the population were

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 for ...

or Latino 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 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 ...

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 ...

, 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 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 ed ...

, both in Altus, offer higher education opportunities in Jackson County.

Communities

(county seat) *

Blair Blair is an English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or "field", frequently a “ba ...

* East Duke * Eldorado *

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 of ...

* Headrick * Martha *

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 Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida ...

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Jackson County

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control 1907 establishments in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1907