Mill Creek is a town in Johnston County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. The population was 293 as of the 2020 Census. Mill Creek Community is an unincorporated area of Johnston County that surrounds the town and claims to have about 1,000 residents, including those who live within the town limits. Local residents consider the town as the focal point of the community."Mill Creek." 2014.
Accessed May 14, 2017.

History

In 1852, when the post office was first established, the town was named Mineral Hill and was within the

Choctaw Nation The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. The 1855 Treaty of Separation between the Choctaws and Chickasaws established the latter as a separate nation, effective March 4, 1856. Mill Creek then fell within the Chickasaw Nation boundaries. The post office was renamed Harris Mill in 1859, after Chickasaw Governor Cyrus Harris built a large grist mill on the local creek. The name changed back to Mill Creek in 1879. In 1902, the town of Mill Creek incorporated in Indian Territory, and after statehood, became Mill Creek, Oklahoma, on November 16, 1907. The town's history is closely linked to the railroad. The St. Louis, Oklahoma, and Southern Railway laid tracks through the Mill Creek area from 1900 to 1901. However, the tracks were approximately east of town, so many residents moved closer to the railroad. Soon, the town became one of the largest shipping points for cattle in the region. The population peaked in 1907, at 644.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 340 people, 125 households, and 93 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 147 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 59.12%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 30.00% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 9.12% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. There were 125 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $24,479, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $16,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $10,661. About 23.4% of families and 28.7% 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 43.0% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', the main economic activity now is extraction of gravel and granite. The granite is noted for its pink color and is marketed under the trade name "Autumn Rose."

Notable people

Cyrus Harris (1817-1888), was a native of Mississippi but moved to Mill Creek in 1855. He became the first governor of the

Chickasaw Nation The Chickasaw Nation () is a federally recognized Indigenous nation with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma, in the United States. The Chickasaw Nation descends from an Indigenous population historically located in the southeastern United States, in ...

and was re-elected to the position four more times. He made his home near the present town of Mill Creek and was buried in Old Mill Creek Cemetery.

Jess Larson Jess Larson (June 22, 1904 – February 25, 1987) was an American lawyer who served as the first Administrator of General Services, the administrator of the War Assets Administration, and as chairman and president of the Air Force Association ...

, 1st Administrator of General Services, the administrator of the

War Assets Administration The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Or ...

, and as chairman and president of the

Air Force Association The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is " ...

, was born in Mill Creek in 1904.

Notes

References

{{authority control Towns in Johnston County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1852