Poteau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of LeFlore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Poteau had a population of 8,807.
History
In 1719, Bernard de la Harpe led a group of French explorers through this area, and gave the river its present name. The present-day city was founded in 1885, its name derived from the nearby Poteau River. During the late 1700s, a large French outpost was at Belle Point (Ft. Smith). Further up the Poteau River was a secondary post at the base of Cavanal Mountain. Because of this, the river was named the "Post River", or Poteau River, and the outpost was simply called the post, or "Poteau". Poteau is a French word meaning post.
The Poteau Chamber of Commerce has written that the community was founded in 1885 as a few houses and Bud Tate's general store. At the time of its founding, Poteau was in Sugar Loaf County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation. It was incorporated as a town in the Indian Territory by the federal government on October 8, 1898. The first stone public building, a school, was also built in 1898. The location was a subject of extensive coal mining in the first half of the 20th century, and a railway, eventually called the Poteau and Cavanal Mountain Railroad, served the mines. The summit elevation of the hill is above sea level, while the hill rises above the Poteau River on the east side of Poteau.
Climate
Poteau is tied with several other towns for the highest recorded temperature in the state of Oklahoma.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Poteau had a population of 8,807. The median age was 34.2 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.4 males age 18 and over. 86.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,239 households in Poteau, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.9% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Of those households, 2,224 were family households.
! Race !! Percent
|-
| White || 63.7%
|-
| Black or African American || 1.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 13.8%
|-
| Asian || 0.9%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.2%
|-
| Some other race || 7.7%
|-
| Two or more races || 12.4%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 13.4%
|}
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, Other city facilities include the Poteau Area Recreational Complex for sports events, as well as Bill J. Barber Park and Dunbar Park. Lake Wister and Lake Wister State Park are located in Poteau.
Government
Poteau has a mayor-council type of city government, with eight members on the council. The mayor and council members are elected by the citizens to four-year terms. The city police department consists of a chief, elected by citizen voters, and 12 officers who report to the chief. The city has an all-volunteer fire department, which has a fire chief, an assistant chief, captain, and 13 firemen. Pansy Kidd Middle School is named in honor of Pansy Ingle Kidd (1890–1978), who taught in Poteau for over 40 years and was nicknamed the "Dean of Poteau's Teachers".
In 1955, Dr. John Montgomery, a Black veterinarian, petitioned the Poteau Public School Board to eliminate the racial segregation of its schools. The board approved his petition, resulting in the integration of the school system and marking Poteau as the first city in Oklahoma to allow African Americans to learn alongside White students in its primary and secondary schools. Robert S. Kerr Airport (KRKR; FAA ID: RKR), about 2 miles south of town, has a 4007 x 75 ft paved runway.
Police
The LeFlore County Sheriff's office in Poteau has six highway patrol officers and an inspector.