Rentiesville is a town in McIntosh 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. It was founded in 1903 and named for William Rentie, a local landowner. It was one of 50 all-black towns in Oklahoma and one of 13 that still survives.O'Dell, Larry. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Rentiesville. Accessed August 27, 2012

/ref> The population was 128 at the 2010 census, an increase of 25.5 percent from 102 in 2000 United States Census, 2000.

History

The Civil War

Battle of Honey Springs The Battle of Honey Springs, also known as the Affair at Elk Creek, on July 17, 1863, was an American Civil War Engagement (military), engagement and an important victory for Union forces in their efforts to gain control of the Indian Territory ...

was fought about a half mile east of present-day Rentiesville and south of Oktaha, near the county line; the

Honey Springs Battlefield The Battle of Honey Springs, also known as the Affair at Elk Creek, on July 17, 1863, was an American Civil War engagement and an important victory for Union forces in their efforts to gain control of the Indian Territory. It was the largest c ...

is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Muskogee County, Oklahoma. Honey Springs was Oklahoma's largest Civil War

engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...

. Rentiesville was founded as an all-black town in 1903 on land owned by William Rentie and Phoebe McIntosh. The post office opened May 11, 1904, and the town became a flag stop on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. William Rentie was the town's only lawman until 1908, when he was shot and killed by a man he had arrested for being drunk and disorderly. In 1990, the population was 69.

Geography

Rentiesville is located five miles north-northeast of Checotah, a short distance east of

U.S. Route 69 U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major north–south United States highway in the central United States. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's ...

. The Honey Springs Battlefield is less than a mile north of town, off 11th Street. 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

2020 census

2000 census

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 102 people, 42 households, and 27 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 51 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 64.71%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 27.45%

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 ...

, 4.90% Native American, and 2.94% from two or more races. There were 42 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% 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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $6,250 versus $36,250 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 $21,862. There were 26.9% of families and 24.4% of the population living 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 24.0% of under eighteens and 23.1% of those over 64.

Notable people

John Hope Franklin John Hope Franklin (January 2, 1915 – March 25, 2009) was an American historian of the United States and former president of Phi Beta Kappa, the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, the American Studies ...

, (1915–2009) Professor Emeritus of Duke University, historian, and author of numerous books, including "From Slavery to Freedom"Scholar Takes On His Toughest Study of Race - New York Times
/ref> was born in Rentiesville. His father, B. C. Franklin, served as the second postmaster of Rentiesville. * D.C. Minner, (1935–2008) Blues singer, was born in Rentiesville. He owned the 'Down Home Blues Club' in Rentiesville, where he and his wife Selby Minner founded the long-running annual blues festival, the 'Dusk 'til Dawn Blues Festival'.blues festival
- accessed Sep 2010

References

{{authority control Towns in McIntosh County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Muscogee (Creek) Nation Populated places in Oklahoma established by African Americans Populated places established in 1903 1903 establishments in Indian Territory