Tillman County is a county located in the southwestern part of Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,968. The county seat is Frederick. The county is named for former South Carolina governor and senator Benjamin Tillman, who had no relation to the county. The Comanche people arrived in the area in the 14th to 15th century, although they too did not establish any major settlements in Tillman. While there is a possibility that Spanish and French explorers arrived in the area in the 1600s, no records remain.
In 1819, the United States, which had recently acquired the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase, settled a boundary with the Spanish Empire along the Red River of the South, Tillman County's southern border. The first major expedition to the area came in 1852, when captain Randolph B. Marcy set out to survey the river. Tillman and Southwest Oklahoma remained entirely unsettled and undisturbed throughout the American Civil War, after which negotiations involving the area began. At the turn of the century, the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railway was built through the county, further increasing its attractiveness. and later by the Katy Railroad, around which many of the smaller towns in the county emerged.
The county was founded at the time of Oklahoma statehood in 1907, and was named for Senator Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina. It had previously been part of Comanche County, Oklahoma Territory. Frederick was designated as the county seat at the time of statehood. In 1910 and 1924 portions of Kiowa County were added to the north side of the county. It is located along the Texas border.
Adjacent counties
- Kiowa County (north)
- Comanche County (northeast)
- Cotton County (east)
- Wichita County, Texas (south)
- Wilbarger County, Texas (southwest)
- Jackson County (northwest)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,968. Of the residents, 24.5% were under the age of 18 and 20.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.4 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.4% White, 7.1% Black or African American, 3.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 11.5% from some other race, and 12.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 27.6% of the population. there were 7,992 people, 3,216 households, and 2,136 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 4,077 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 73.5% white, 7.7% Black or African American, 3.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, 11% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Just over 23% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
There were 3,216 households, out of which 31.5% included children under the age of 18, 48.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 30.3% of households and individuals age 65 years or older living alone accounted for 14%. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,437, and the median income for a family was $40,616. Males had a median income of $32,885 versus $29,757 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,541. Sixteen percent of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Since statehood, Tillman County's economy has depended mainly on agriculture, including the raising of livestock. The main farm crops are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, sorghum and milo (a variety of commercial sorghum). Many farms have consolidated throughout the 20th century, from 1,724 in 1930 to 587 in 2000; however, the average size increased from to during the same period.
Cattle ranching became prominent during the 1880s, when prominent Texas ranchers (principally Daniel and William Thomas Waggoner and Samuel Burk Burnett) leased grazing land from the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes.
- The Tillman County Jr. Livestock Show, started in 1936, gathers students from 4-H and Future Farmers of America, and features a livestock judging event for swine, cattle, chickens, and various other forms of livestock.
- The Frederick Oyster Fry and Craft Show, started in 1952 and celebrated as a premier event for Southwest Oklahoma, usually includes a massive oyster fry and various arts and crafts vendors.
- The World War II Airborne Demonstration Team, started in 1996, is a volunteer parachutist team that reenacts World War II C-47 jumps semiannually at Frederick Regional Airport. The team occasionally provides training to active-duty soldiers at nearby Fort Sill.
Media
Newspapers
- The Frederick Press-Leader is the main local newspaper of record.
Television
- KJTL, a Wichita Falls, Texas-based FOX affiliate serving western Texoma.
- KSWO-TV, a Lawton-based ABC and Telemundo affiliate serving western Texoma.
- KAUZ-TV, a Wichita Falls, Texas-based CBS affiliate serving western Texoma.
Government and politics
<!-- PresRow should be -->
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="6" | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 11, 2025
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
|
| Democratic
| align="center" | 1,196
| align="center" | 28.85%
|-
|
| Republican
| align="center" | 2,278
| align="center" | 54.94%
|-
|
| Others
| align="center" | 672
| align="center" | 16.21%
|-
! colspan="2" | Total
! align="center" | 4,146
! align="center" | 100%
|}
Government
At the federal level, Tillman County is represented in the United States Senate by James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, both Republicans. It is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Oklahoma's 4th congressional district by Republican Tom Cole. At the state level, Tillman County is in the Oklahoma Senate's 38th district, represented by Republican Brent Howard. It is in the Oklahoma House of Representatives's 63rd district, represented by Republican Trey Caldwell. Judicially, Tillman County lies within the 3rd judicial district. It also has a board of commissioners and several elected county officials.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Office
!Name
!Party
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
|Commissioner, District 1
|Roger Hoover
|Republican
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
|Commissioner, District 2
|Joe Don Dickey
|Republican
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
|Commissioner, District 3
|Levi Krasser
|Republican
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Office
Highways
Education
The county is home to a branch of Great Plains Technology Center, based in Frederick.
The county is served by 6 school districts, as well as small portions of 2 neighboring school districts.
- Frederick Public Schools
- Snyder Public Schools
- Tipton Public Schools
- Chattanooga Public Schools
- Davidson Public Schools
- Grandfield Public Schools
- Indiahoma Public Schools (mainly in Comanche County)
- Big Pasture School District (mainly in Cotton County)
Communities
Cities
- Frederick (county seat)
- Grandfield
Towns
- Chattanooga (mostly in Comanche County)
- Davidson
- Hollister
- Loveland
- Manitou
- Tipton
Ghost towns
- Eschiti
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tillman County, Oklahoma
References
External links
- Tillman County Website
- Lyrics to 'Tillman County' by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
- Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory