Harmon County, Oklahoma
Harmon County | |
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UTC−5 (CDT) | |
Congressional district | 3rd |
Harmon County is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 2,488,[1] making it the second-least populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Cimarron County. It has lost population in every census since 1930. The county seat is Hollis.[2]
History
Following an election on May 22, 1909, Harmon County was created by proclamation of Governor Lee Cruce on June 2. Carved from adjacent Greer County, the new county was named in honor of Judson Harmon, who was Governor of Ohio at the time.[3] The area now covered by Harmon County had been a part of Texas until the U. S. Supreme Court awarded it to Oklahoma Territory in 1896.[4]
Another election held September 1, 1909, confirmed Hollis as the county seat. There were two other contestants: the towns of Harmon and Rosser. County offices operated in rented space until a courthouse was built in Hollis in 1926. In 1930, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma was actually 3,800 feet (1,200 m) farther east than originally believed. It returned the disputed land to Texas, reducing the county's area to its present size.[4]
A railroad built from Altus, Oklahoma to the Texas state line came to Hollis and Gould in 1910. The line was built by the Altus, Wichita Falls and Hollis Railway (later acquired by the
Geography
According to the
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 62
- State Highway 5
- State Highway 9
- State Highway 30
Adjacent counties
- Beckham County (north)
- Greer County (northeast)
- Jackson County (southeast)
- Hardeman County, Texas (south)
- Childress County, Texas (west)
- Collingsworth County, Texas (northwest)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 11,328 | — | |
1920 | 11,261 | −0.6% | |
1930 | 13,834 | 22.8% | |
1940 | 10,019 | −27.6% | |
1950 | 8,079 | −19.4% | |
1960 | 5,853 | −27.6% | |
1970 | 5,136 | −12.3% | |
1980 | 4,519 | −12.0% | |
1990 | 3,793 | −16.1% | |
2000 | 3,283 | −13.4% | |
2010 | 2,922 | −11.0% | |
2020 | 2,488 | −14.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010[10] |
As of the
There were 1,266 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,365, and the median income for a family was $29,063. Males had a median income of $21,530 versus $16,658 for females. The
Population decline
Common to many rural counties in the Great Plains the population of Harmon county has declined steadily since 1930. Between 1930 and 2020, Harmon County lost a greater percentage of its population than any other Oklahoma county, from 13,834 in 1930 to 2,488 in 2020, a decrease of 82.1%.[12]
Politics
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023[13] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
Democratic | 508 | 38.46% | |||
Republican | 633 | 47.92% | |||
Others | 180 | 13.63% | |||
Total | 1,321 | 100% |
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 747 | 80.06% | 177 | 18.97% | 9 | 0.96% |
2016 | 715 | 73.18% | 225 | 23.03% | 37 | 3.79% |
2012 | 659 | 71.40% | 264 | 28.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
2008 | 757 | 69.45% | 333 | 30.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
2004 | 838 | 70.30% | 354 | 29.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
2000 | 692 | 57.43% | 507 | 42.07% | 6 | 0.50% |
1996 | 448 | 33.76% | 729 | 54.94% | 150 | 11.30% |
1992 | 496 | 30.79% | 783 | 48.60% | 332 | 20.61% |
1988 | 611 | 40.63% | 890 | 59.18% | 3 | 0.20% |
1984 | 1,009 | 55.90% | 785 | 43.49% | 11 | 0.61% |
1980 | 676 | 40.48% | 961 | 57.54% | 33 | 1.98% |
1976 | 666 | 32.57% | 1,371 | 67.04% | 8 | 0.39% |
1972 | 1,319 | 68.38% | 568 | 29.45% | 42 | 2.18% |
1968 | 644 | 30.04% | 1,097 | 51.17% | 403 | 18.80% |
1964 | 602 | 26.55% | 1,665 | 73.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,142 | 47.44% | 1,265 | 52.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 837 | 32.44% | 1,743 | 67.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 1,057 | 35.70% | 1,904 | 64.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 266 | 10.21% | 2,340 | 89.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
1944 | 503 | 20.56% | 1,933 | 79.03% | 10 | 0.41% |
1940 | 731 | 24.04% | 2,292 | 75.37% | 18 | 0.59% |
1936 | 331 | 11.37% | 2,570 | 88.26% | 11 | 0.38% |
1932 | 189 | 5.85% | 3,042 | 94.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 1,431 | 56.85% | 1,060 | 42.11% | 26 | 1.03% |
1924 | 339 | 23.28% | 1,049 | 72.05% | 68 | 4.67% |
1920 | 643 | 34.18% | 1,123 | 59.70% | 115 | 6.11% |
1916 | 147 | 9.84% | 1,091 | 73.03% | 256 | 17.14% |
1912 | 197 | 14.25% | 895 | 64.76% | 290 | 20.98% |
Economy
Agriculture has been the main component of the county economy. Cotton, wheat and sorghum have been the principal crops. By 1930, farmers had sizable holdings of cattle, poultry, horses, mules, swine, sheep and goats.[4]
Communities
See also
References
- ^ "Harmon County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Joseph Nathan Kane, The American Counties (4th Ed.), (The Scarecrow Press, 1983), p149; Arrell Morgan Gibson, Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries (University of Oklahoma Press, 1981), p208.
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, Linda D. "Harmon County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Oklahoma: Population of Counties by Dicennial Census," https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/files/ok190090.txt, accessed May 11, 2018
- ^ "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.