Locust Grove, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Locust Grove, Oklahoma
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Town
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| Nickname(s):
The Wonder City
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Location of Locust Grove, Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Mayes |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.82 sq mi (4.72 km2) |
| • Land | 1.82 sq mi (4.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 669 ft (204 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,371 |
| • Density | 752.06/sq mi (290.39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
74352
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| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-43500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412908 |
Locust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2020, about 1,371 people lived there. The town's name comes from a group of locust trees.
Contents
History
Locust Grove was once the site of a small battle during the Civil War on July 3, 1862. Around 250 Union soldiers surprised a similar number of Confederate soldiers. The Union troops won, causing the Confederate supporters from the Cherokee tribe to lose hope and leave.
A post office was set up in Locust Grove on March 26, 1873. The town you see today was started in 1912 by O.W. Killiam. He was a lawyer and a businessman who bought land to help build the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway. He planned the town and officially made it a town on March 4, 1913.
In 2008, a local restaurant was linked to a health issue involving a type of bacteria. This caused many people to get sick. Later, in 2012, there were also two cases of meningitis in the area.
A famous Native American Cherokee sculptor named Willard Stone lived near Locust Grove. Today, there is a museum dedicated to his amazing artwork at his old home.
Locust Grove is also home to the Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry. This is one of only a few poetry museums in the United States.
Geography
Locust Grove is located in Oklahoma at coordinates 36°11′50″N 95°10′1″W / 36.19722°N 95.16694°W.
The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 0.9 square miles (2.3 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 587 | — | |
| 1930 | 510 | −13.1% | |
| 1940 | 545 | 6.9% | |
| 1950 | 730 | 33.9% | |
| 1960 | 828 | 13.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,090 | 31.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,179 | 8.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,326 | 12.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,366 | 3.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,423 | 4.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,371 | −3.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, the town had a population of 1,423 people. There were 519 households. About 38.9% of these households had children under 18 living with them.
The population was spread out by age. About 32.1% of the people were under 18 years old. About 13.6% were 65 years or older. The average age in Locust Grove was 29 years.
Education
Locust Grove is part of the Locust Grove Public Schools district. This district serves students from Locust Grove and other nearby communities.
The school system has four different schools:
- The Early Learning Center (for Pre-K through 1st Grade)
- The Upper Elementary (for 2nd through 5th grades)
- The Middle School (for 6th through 8th grades)
- The High School (for 9th through 12th grades)
Locust Grove High School has a special tradition. Every year, their first football game of the season is against Salina. This game is known as the "Battle of 82 (highway)".
Places to Visit
Locust Grove is about eight miles west of the Saline Courthouse. This is the only one of nine old rural Cherokee Nation courthouses from the 1880s that is still standing. The courthouse was being fixed up in 2019.
The Willard Stone Museum is currently at Willard Stone's old home in Locust Grove. The museum hopes to move to the historic building that was the town's first bank, built in 1912. This new location would be in downtown Locust Grove. The museum started a fundraising campaign in 2020 to help pay for the needed repairs.
Locust Grove is also close to several lakes. It is south of Lake Hudson, southwest of Lake W. R. Holway, and northeast of Fort Gibson Lake.
Famous People from Locust Grove
- Ally Carter, an author
- Bill Glass Jr., a Cherokee Nation ceramic artist and sculptor
- Jeffrey Rowland, an artist and CEO
- Willard Stone, an Art Deco sculptor
See also
In Spanish: Locust Grove (Oklahoma) para niños
