Holdenville is a city in and the county seat of Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,934 at the time of the 2020 United States census.

History

Holdenville traces its origin to a Creek settlement called echo, when translated means "deer". George B. Fentress operated a general store there. A post office called "Fentress" opened there on May 24, 1895. The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad was constructed in the 1890s from Arkansas to Indian Territory. Between 1895 and 1897, the construction passed through the Creek Nation. During this period, a railroad camp was set up to service the railroad construction. The railroad workers called the camp "Holden" in honor of J.F. Holden, the Auditor and Traffic Manager of Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad. The St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railway (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) constructed a line between 1900 and 1901 from Sapulpa to the Red River that passed through Holdenville.

On April 27, 2024, an EF3 tornado struck the town as part of a larger tornado outbreak that affected the Great Plains region, causing two fatalities and extensive damage.

Geography

Holdenville is located about from Oklahoma City.

|date=October 2, 2010

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Holdenville had a population of 5,934. The median age was 35.8 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 152.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 169.7 males age 18 and over.

There were 1,653 households in Holdenville, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.2% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 56.8%

|-

| Black or African American || 10.8%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 18.1%

|-

| Asian || 0.3%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0%

|-

| Some other race || 5.0%

|-

| Two or more races || 8.9%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 7.2%

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,732 people, 1,966 households, and 1,236 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,302 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.06% White, 3.44% African American, 14.48% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.99% from other races, and 5.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population. and the tribe broke ground on a new 67,000-square-foot medical facility on February 18, 2026.

Recreation

Since May 1934 nearby Holdenville Lake has offered outdoor recreational activities. which provides primary and secondary education.

Some areas outside of the city limits are in Moss Public Schools.<!--Relevance to the Holdenville city limits?-->

Infrastructure

Highways

  • 20px U.S. Route 270
  • 20px State Highway 48

Airports

The Holdenville Municipal Airport is about 1 mile northwest of the town. It has existed since 1943,

Commercial air service is available out of Will Rogers World Airport, about 81 miles west-northwest.

Railroads

  • BNSF Railway
  • Union Pacific Railroad

Notable people

  • Daren Brown, Seattle Mariners manager
  • Jackie Brown, Major League Baseball pitcher and pitching coach (uncle of Daren Brown)
  • Zora Kramer Brown, breast cancer awareness advocate
  • Dave Cox, California State Senator
  • "Dizzy" Dean, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Clu Gulager, actor
  • Sterlin Harjo, filmmaker
  • Jack Jacobs, Canadian Football League quarterback
  • Constance N. Johnson, Oklahoma State Senator
  • Richard Jordan, NFL player
  • Velma Middleton, jazz singer
  • T. Boone Pickens, billionaire oil and gas businessman
  • Dave Redding, NFL assistant coach
  • Bjo Trimble, Science fiction fan and writer

See also

  • List of sundown towns in the United States

References

  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Holdenville