Hughes County, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hughes County
U.S. county
1909 map of Hughes County
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1907
Named for	W. C. Hughes
Seat	Holdenville
Largest city	Holdenville
Area
• Total	815 sq mi (2,110 km2)
• Land	805 sq mi (2,080 km2)
• Water	10 sq mi (30 km2)  1.3%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,367
• Density	16.401/sq mi (6.333/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Hughes County is a county in the south central part of Oklahoma, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 13,367 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Holdenville. The county is named after W. C. Hughes, who was a lawyer from Oklahoma City. He was also a member of the group that helped create Oklahoma's laws when it became a state.

History of Hughes County

The land that is now Hughes County was once part of the Indian Territory in the 1800s. Native American tribes lived here. The Creek Nation settled in the northern part, and the Choctaw Nation lived in the southern part.

In 1834, a place called Camp Holmes was set up. It was used as a base for an important trip by soldiers, known as the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition. This camp was near Edwards' Store, one of the first settlements in the area. Some groups of Quapaw people also lived near Camp Holmes.

Later, in 1895, a railroad called the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad was built. The Edwards' settlement moved closer to the railroad. This new town was first named Holden, after a railroad official. But the Post Office Department said the name was too much like another town. So, the town was renamed Holdenville. Its post office opened on November 15, 1895, and the town officially became a city in 1898.

Hughes County was officially created when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. It was named after W. C. Hughes, the lawyer who helped write Oklahoma's state laws.

Geography of Hughes County

Hughes County covers about 815 square miles (2,111 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 805 square miles (2,085 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers), is water.

The county is in a hilly area with lots of sandstone. Three rivers flow through it: the North Canadian River, the Canadian River, and the Little River. There are also two lakes in the county: Holdenville Lake and Wetumka Lake.

Main Roads

• 

  U.S. Highway 75
  U.S. Highway 75
• 

  U.S. Highway 270
  U.S. Highway 270
• 

  State Highway 9
  State Highway 9
• 

  State Highway 27
  State Highway 27
• 

  State Highway 48
  State Highway 48

Neighboring Counties

Hughes County shares borders with these counties:

• Okfuskee County (north)
• McIntosh County (northeast)
• Pittsburg County (east)
• Coal County (south)
• Pontotoc County (southwest)
• Seminole County (west)

People of Hughes County (Demographics)

In 2000, there were 14,154 people living in Hughes County. The population density was about 18 people per square mile. Most people in the county were White (about 72.77%). There were also African American (4.48%) and Native American (16.18%) residents. A small number of people were Asian (0.21%) or Pacific Islander (0.02%). About 5.36% of residents were from two or more races. About 2.49% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Most people (94.3%) spoke English at home. Some also spoke Muskogee (2.6%) or Spanish (2.5%).

About 28.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.42 people. The average family had 2.96 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 23.2% were under 18 years old. About 18.6% were 65 years or older. The average age was 39 years.

Economy of Hughes County

For a long time, farming and raising cattle have been very important to Hughes County's economy. Farmers grow crops like cotton, wheat, corn, oats, peanuts, and soybeans.

Other important employers in the county include the Davis Correctional Center, which is a prison. Tyson Foods, a large food company, also has operations here. The Wes Watkins Technology Center provides technical training. Aquafarms, a fish farming business, used to be a major employer but is no longer in business.

Healthcare in Hughes County

Hughes County has one hospital, Holdenville General Hospital. It opened in 1969. After a fire in 2002, it was rebuilt and reopened with 25 beds. It is now a Critical Access Hospital, which helps it get funding for healthcare in rural areas. In 2011, the hospital partnered with St. Anthony Hospital to improve services and help patients get more advanced care if needed.

Hughes County also has its own ambulance service, Hughes County EMS, which started in 1979. It provides advanced life support (ALS) with paramedics on every ambulance. They operate four ambulance units.

Communities in Hughes County

Cities

• Holdenville (the main town)
• Wetumka

Towns

• Allen (mostly in Pontotoc County)
• Atwood
• Calvin
• Dustin
• Gerty
• Horntown
• Lamar
• Spaulding
• Stuart
• Yeager

Education in Hughes County

Here are the school districts in Hughes County that serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade:

Historic Places (NRHP Sites)

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is a list of places in the United States that are important to history. Several sites in Hughes County are on this list:

• Dustin Agricultural Building, Dustin
• Holdenville Armory, Holdenville
• Holdenville City Hall, Holdenville
• Levering Mission, Wetumka
• Moss School Gymnasium, Holdenville
• Spaulding School Gymnasium--Auditorium, Spaulding
• Stuart Hotel, Stuart
• John E. Turner House, Holdenville
• Wetumka Armory, Wetumka
• Wetumka Cemetery Pavilion and Fence, Wetumka

Images for kids

• 

  U.S. Highway 75 sign

• 

  U.S. Highway 270 sign

• 

  Oklahoma State Highway 9 sign

• 

  Oklahoma State Highway 27 sign

• 

  Oklahoma State Highway 48 sign

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Hughes (Oklahoma) para niños