Locust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Locust Grove is located at 36°11′50″N 95°10′1″W / 36.19722°N 95.16694°W / 36.19722; -95.16694 (36.197290, -95.166993)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,200 people, 519 households, and 363 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,606.7 people per square mile (620.5/km²). There were 567 housing units at an average density of 666.9/sq mi (257.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 57.32% White, 32.50% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.81% from other races, and 9.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population.
There were 519 households out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.1% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,655, and the median income for a family was $24,821. Males had a median income of $25,500 versus $16,389 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,191. About 22.1% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Locust Grove was the site of a small Civil War battle on July 3, 1862, in which approximately 250 Union troops surprised and destroyed a similar-sized Confederate contingent, killing about 100 and capturing another 100 while sustaining only minimal losses. The escaping Confederates retreated toward Tahlequah, leading to a loss of morale and desertions among the Cherokee Confederate supporters.)[4] Named for the grove of locust trees where this battle took place, a post office was established March 26, 1873. The existing townsite was established in 1912 and incorporated March 4, 1913 in connection with the construction of the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway.[5]
In 1977, this small rural community received national attention as the location of the Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, in which three young girls were raped and murdered as they were camping at the nearby Camp Scott. Gene Leroy Hart was arrested for the crime but never proven guilty. The case remains open.
A popular restaurant in the community was linked to a highly publicized August 2008 outbreak of E. coli O111, a rare strain of the bacterium. The outbreak resulted in more than 100 cases of gastrointestinal food poisoning and one death;[6] subsequent studies were unclear about the source of the bacteria, leading Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson to accuse the state health department of having "botched" the investigation.[7]
Native American Cherokee sculptor Willard Stone lived near Locust Grove; a museum dedicated to his work is now located on the site.[8][9]
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ John D. May, "Locust Grove, Battle of" at Oklahoma Historical Society Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (retrieved March 23, 2009).
- ^ Betty Lou Harper Thomas, "Locust Grove" at Oklahoma Historical Society Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (retrieved March 23, 2009).
- ^ Kim Archer and Michael Overall, "Locust Grove's economic powerhouse now silent", Tulsa World, August 31, 2008.
- ^ Barbara Hoberock, "Edmondson: Locust Grove E. coli investigation 'botched'", Tulsa World, March 9, 2009.
- ^ David C. Hunt, "Stone, Willard" at Oklahoma Historical Society Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (retrieved March 20, 2009).
- ^ "Stone Family History" at Willard Stone Museum official website (retrieved March 21, 2009).
External links
