LeFlore County is a county along the eastern border of the U.S state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, its population was 48,129. Its county seat is Poteau. The county honors a Choctaw family named LeFlore. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma is the federal district court with jurisdiction in LeFlore County.

History

The Choctaw Nation signed the Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820, ceding part of their ancestral home in the Southeastern U.S. and receiving a large tract in Indian Territory. They signed the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830, which ceded the remainder of their original homeland. Most of the remainder of the Choctaw were removed to Indian Territory, escorted by federal military troops, in several waves.

The Arkansas River forms the northern boundary of the county, while its tributaries, the Poteau and James Fork Rivers drain much of the county into the Arkansas. The Kiamichi, Little and Mountain Fork Rivers drain the rest of the county into the Red River. The Ouachita Mountains extend into the southern part of the county, along with associated ranges: Winding Stair Mountains and Kiamichi Mountains. Cavanal Hill is partly in the northern part of the county. The Ouachita National Forest, in the county's southern half, and Heavener Runestone State Park are tourist attractions.

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2021 estimates

According to 2021 estimates, its median household income was $43,049 and the county had a poverty rate of 23.5%.

The racial makeup of the county was 67.8% White, 1.8% Black or African American, 14.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 3.8% from some other race, and 11.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.4% of the population. The population density was . The 20,142 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 80.35% White, 2.21% African American, 10.72% Native American, 0.21% Asian], 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 5.03% from two or more races. About 3.84% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. By ancestry, 22.7% were of American, 10.1% Irish, 9.6% German, and 7.7% English.

Of the 17,861 households, 33.4% had children under 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were not families. About 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.05. In the county, the age distribution was 26.1% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,278, and for a family was $32,603. Males had a median income of $26,214 versus $19,792 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,737. About 15.4% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under 18 and 16.5% of those 65 or over.

Politics

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023

|-

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 7,944

| align = center | 28.27%

|-

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| Republican

| align = center | 15,442

| align = center | 54.95%

|-

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| Libertarian

| align = center | 198

| align = center | 0.70%

|-

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| Unaffiliated

| align = center | 4,520

| align = center | 16.08%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 28,104

! align = center | 100%

|}

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Communities

Cities

  • Heavener
  • Poteau (county seat)

Towns

  • Arkoma
  • Bokoshe
  • Cameron
  • Cowlington
  • Fanshawe (partly in Latimer County)
  • Fort Coffee
  • Howe
  • LeFlore
  • Panama
  • Pocola
  • Rock Island
  • Shady Point
  • Spiro
  • Talihina
  • Wister

Census-designated places

  • Hodgen
  • Monroe
  • Whitesboro

Other unincorporated communities

  • Big Cedar
  • Milton
  • Muse
  • Octavia
  • Page
  • Skullyville

NRHP sites

These sites in LeFlore County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

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  • Arkoma School, Arkoma
  • Choctaw Agency (Walker's Station), Spiro
  • Peter Conser House, Hodgen
  • Dog Creek School, Shady Point
  • Hotel Lowrey, Poteau
  • Jenson Tunnel, Cameron
  • Lake Wister Locality, Lake Wister
  • LeFlore County Courthouse, Poteau
  • Old City Hall, Theater and Masonic Lodge, Heavener
  • Old Military Road, Talihina
  • Overstreet House, Cowlington
  • Poteau Community Building, Poteau

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  • Poteau School Gymnasium-Auditorium, Poteau
  • James E. Reynolds House, Cameron
  • Shady Point School, Shady Point
  • Skullyville County Jail, Panama
  • Spiro Mound Group, Redland
  • State Line Marker, Whitesboro
  • Summerfield School (Oklahoma), Summerfield
  • Terry House (Poteau, Oklahoma), Poteau
  • Trahern's Station, Shadypoint
  • Tucker School (Spiro, Oklahoma), Spiro
  • Twyman Park, Poteau
  • Williams School (Cameron, Oklahoma), Cameron

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References