Tatums is a historic Freedmen's town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tatums had a population of 111. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
History
According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Tatums was founded in Indian Territory in 1895 by Lee and Mary Tatum, though Oklahoma Place Names states that the town was not incorporated until May 9, 1896, And a hotel was built in 1899, a blacksmith shop in 1900, a cotton gin and sawmill in 1910, and a motor garage in 1918. Oil wells were drilled in the area in the 1920s, bringing wealth to several of Tatumses farmers and landowners.
At the time of its founding, Tatums was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation.
The town was one of more than fifty all-black towns founded in Oklahoma, and is one of thirteen still in existence. Marshal L. B. Tatums played a role in the film.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Tatums town, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|13
|7
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|10
|7.56%
|4.64%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|9.01%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|135
|118
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|100
|78.49%
|78.15%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|90.09%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|8
|10
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0
|4.65%
|6.62%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.00%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.00%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.00%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.00%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|14
|11
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0
|8.14%
|7.28%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.00%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|2
|5
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|1
|1.16%
|3.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|0.90%
|-
|Total
|172
|151
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|111
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6;'|100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Tatums had a population of 111. The median age was 52.5 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 30.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.7 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 51 households in Tatums, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 27.5% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 49.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The racial makeup of the town was 79.5% African American, 4.6% White, 8.6% Native American, and 7.3% from two or more races. The median age was 48.8 years. The per capita income for the town was $10,509.