Hartshorne (pronounced "Hearts-orn") is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the third largest city in the county. The population was 1,947 at the time of the 2020 United States census.

Description

The community was named for Dr. Charles Hartshorne, a wealthy investor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was attracted by the potential profits offered by coal deposits in the area.

History

The present-day city of Hartshorne began as a coal mining community about 1850. Coal mine operators in the Indian Territory recruited European immigrants to work the mines. The first workers were probably English and Irish, but other ethnic groups soon joined them. These included Italians and eastern Europeans. Like many other such communities, this was a company town, built very close to the mine, with rudimentary houses and a company store.

A post office opened at Hartshorne, Indian Territory on March 5, 1850. It was named for Dr. Charles Hartshorne, a railroad official. Jones Academy was established southwest of Hartshorne in 1881. At the time of its founding, Hartshorne was located in Gaines County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.

The Choctaw Coal and Railway (CC&R) line, acquired by the town, was incorporated in 1887 and began building a line between Wister and South McAlester. In 1894, the CC&R was reorganized and renamed the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (CO&G). The Wister - South McAlester line was completed in 1900, and also linked to Wilburton, Alderson and Hartshorne. In 1902, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway gained control of the CO&G.

The community incorporated in Tobucksy County of the Choctaw Nation by order of the U.S. District Court, Central District, Indian Territory, on March 1, 1900.

The Holy Rosary Church, complete with a rectory, a convent, and a parochial school, was built in 1895 by Russian and other Eastern European immigrants. Other churches constructed before the 20th Century were: Baptist, Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, and Episcopal. The Saints Cyril and Methodius Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church remains a town landmark and is included on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. Completed in 1916, it replaced an earlier 1897 version that immigrants from Russia and other eastern European countries constructed.

The Saints Cyril and Methodius church had been owned by the Sts. Cyril Methodius Orthodox Church, Inc. On March 20, 2016, a man named Bill Melancon filed a quitclaim deed in the Pittsburg County Clerk's office, transferring ownership of the property to Melancon. The quitclaim deed had been signed by Bill O'Nesky, a church member, who Melancon claimed was a church trustee. Melanin also presented a Special Warranty Deed dated in 2010, by Bill O’Nesky, Tanya O’Nesky, and Foy Ledbetter, identified as successor trustees of the church. A group of church members first learned about the alleged sale soon afterward, when they found strangers on and inside the property. They filed suit in District Court. The case came before Judge James Bland in April 2016.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hartshorne had a population of 1,947 and the median age was 41.0 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.8 males age 18 and over.

0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 814 households in Hartshorne, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.6% were married-couple households, 21.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 63.6%

|-

| Black or African American || 1.5%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 20.9%

|-

| Asian || 0.2%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0%

|-

| Some other race || 0.8%

|-

| Two or more races || 13.0%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 2.4%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census

The previous mayor had resigned his position after serving less than five months of his four-year term, citing personal reasons.

Notable people

  • Ed Jeffers, former professional football player
  • Richard Lerblance, Oklahoma state senator
  • Warren Spahn, Hall of Fame baseball player
  • Anna Wallis Suh, the original voice of "Seoul City Sue" during the Korean War

See also

& List of cities and towns in Oklahoma

Notes

References

  • Hartshorne Public Library
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Hartshorne