Talihina (pronounced "tah-luh-HEE-nuh") is a town in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, United States. Located on the Choctaw Reservation, its name originates from two Choctaw words, tully and hena, meaning "iron road," a reference to the railroad around which the town was built. The population was 925 at the time of the 2020 Census.

History

The community was founded as a station stop on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, which opened through the Indian Territory in June 1887. A post office opened at Talihina, Indian Territory on November 30, 1887. Talihina is the Choctaw Indian word for "Ironroad."

At the time of its founding, Talihina was located in Wade County, a part of the Apukshunnubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.

The railroad opened the surrounding area to ship cattle, timber, and cotton to Eastern markets and facilitated growth of the town. When Talihina incorporated in 1905, the town claimed a population of 400. Two major hospitals, the Choctaw-Chickasaw Tuberculosis Sanatorium and the Eastern Oklahoma State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, were built here between 1915 and 1921. By 1920, the population had grown to 690.

There were 384 households in Talihina, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 30.5% were married-couple households, 21.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 41.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 402 || 43.5%

|-

| Black or African American || 12 || 1.3%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 408 || 44.1%

|-

| Asian || 7 || 0.8%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 1 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 6 || 0.6%

|-

| Two or more races || 89 || 9.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 27 || 2.9%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Notable people

The following were born in Talihina:

  • Lane Adams, who played Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves, among others, before retiring in 2022
  • JD McPherson, rockabilly singer, songwriter and musician
  • Bob Neighbors, Major League Baseball player, killed in the Korean War
  • Shawn Pittman, blues rock singer and songwriter

The song Talihina Sky by Kings of Leon was featured as a hidden track on the band's 2003 debut album, Youth and Young Manhood. The three brothers and cousin who comprise the band Kings of Leon have roots in Talihina, along with Nashville, Tennessee. "Talihina Sky" also became the name of their DVD documentary, about their upbringing, featuring the annual Followill Talihina reunion.

References

  • http://www.talihinacc.com
  • Talihina Public Library
  • Talihina Main Street
  • Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory