Gore, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gore, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Gore, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Sequoyah
Area
• Total	2.29 sq mi (5.92 km2)
• Land	2.28 sq mi (5.91 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	535 ft (163 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	951
• Density	416.56/sq mi (160.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74435
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-30300
GNIS feature ID	2412692
Website	www.townofgore.org

Gore is a small town in western Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, about 951 people lived there.

Gore is known as the "trout capital of Oklahoma". You can find great fishing in Lake Tenkiller, the Illinois River, and the Arkansas River.

History of Gore

This area started as a small settlement in what was then called Indian Territory. It was first known as Campbell. This name came from Dr. W. W. Campbell. He and Joe Lynch ran a ferry that helped people cross the Arkansas River.

A very important place for the Cherokee Nation–West was also nearby. Their capital, Tahlonteskee, was just two miles north of where Gore is today. In 1829, John Jolly, a chief of the Cherokee Nation–West, built his home here.

Early Days and the Railroad

The settlement was also called Illinois Station. It was a stop for stagecoaches traveling between Fort Gibson and Fort Smith. In 1888, a post office named Campbell opened at Dr. Campbell's store. That same year, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway built a train line through the settlement. This railway later became the Missouri Pacific Railway.

By 1909, the town was growing. It had a bank, two lumber companies, a flour mill, and places to buy things. It also had two hotels.

Name Change and Growth

The town's name changed to Gore on October 22, 1909. This was to honor Oklahoma Senator Thomas Gore. He was one of Oklahoma's U.S. senators right after Oklahoma became a state. Sadly, a fire destroyed most of the town's businesses in 1909. By 1910, Gore had a population of 319 people.

There was a plan in 1917 for a second train line. Congress approved building a bridge over the Arkansas River from Webbers Falls. However, this plan did not happen, and the railroad was stopped in 1918.

Population Information

In 2000, Gore had 850 people living there. There were 368 households, which are groups of people living together. Most households were families.

The people in Gore came from different backgrounds. About 68.6% were White, and 24.7% were Native American. A small number were from other groups. About 0.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Income

The population in Gore included people of all ages. About 23.9% were under 18 years old. About 18.5% were 65 years or older. The average age in the town was 42 years.

In 2000, the average income for a household in Gore was $27,266 per year. For families, the average income was $37,000 per year. About 16.6% of the people in Gore lived below the poverty line. This included 18.2% of those under 18 and 21.1% of those 65 or older.

Notable People from Gore

Many interesting people have connections to Gore:

• Agnes Cowen (1927–1999) was a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council.
• Thomas Gore, a U.S. Senator, is the person the town is named after.
• Joshua Morrow, an actor from the TV show The Young and the Restless, went to school in Gore for a short time.
• Steve Owens, a famous football player who won the Heisman Trophy in 1969, was born in Gore.
• G. Steven Rowe, who became the Attorney General for the State of Maine, is from Gore.
• John Whisenant, a professional basketball coach, was born and grew up in Gore.