Oaks, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oaks, Oklahoma
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 Oaks, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
Oaks, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| Counties | Delaware, Cherokee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2) |
| • Land | 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,030 ft (310 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 267 |
| • Density | 311.55/sq mi (120.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
74359
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| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-53550 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413069 |
Oaks is a small town in the state of Oklahoma, USA. It is located in both Cherokee and Delaware counties. In 2020, about 267 people lived there. This number was a bit lower than in earlier years.
Contents
History of Oaks
Early Mission and Community Beginnings
In 1842, a group of missionaries called the Moravian Brethren started a new mission. They named it New Springplace. This mission was created to replace their old one in Georgia. The Cherokees had been forced to move to Indian Territory (which is now Oklahoma).
The mission worked in its new spot until the American Civil War began. In 1862, some soldiers and Native American fighters killed a Cherokee missionary named James Ward. They took his wife and baby sons, but let them go about 20 miles away. The mission then closed for the rest of the war.
Mission Reopens and Changes
The Moravians started their mission work again in October 1866. Later, they decided to stop their work with the Cherokees. They asked Niels Nielsen, a minister from another church, to help the New Springplace group. Nielsen took over the mission in 1902 and changed its name.
The town of Oaks officially began when George Miller opened a post office there. This happened on July 18, 1881. A plan for the town was made on December 10, 1906. All the land was owned by William Israel.
Oaks Indian Mission Today
In 1924, Reverend Christian Adolphus Vammen took over the mission. Two years later, he started a children's home called Oaks Indian Mission. This mission is still helping children today.
Geography of Oaks
Oaks is found in the southern part of Delaware County. A small piece of the town also goes into Cherokee County. It is about 3 miles southwest of the town of Kansas. Oaks is also about 24 miles north of Tahlequah. Tahlequah is the main town in Cherokee County.
The town of Oaks covers an area of about 0.86 square miles (2.22 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population in Oaks
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 219 | — | |
| 1980 | 591 | 169.9% | |
| 1990 | 431 | −27.1% | |
| 2000 | 412 | −4.4% | |
| 2010 | 288 | −30.1% | |
| 2020 | 267 | −7.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 412 people living in Oaks. These people lived in 125 homes, and 86 of these were families. The town had about 256 people per square mile.
Many different groups of people lived in Oaks. About 13.59% were White, and 72.57% were Native American. Some people were from two or more races. About 2.43% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Many homes had children under 18 living there. About 44.8% of homes had married couples. Some homes had a single mother. About 28% of homes were single people or friends living together. The average home had almost 3 people.
The age of people in Oaks varied. About 38.3% were under 18 years old. About 9% were 65 years or older. The average age in town was 25 years old.
New Springplace Indian Mission
Starting the Mission in Georgia
In 1801, members of the Moravian Church from North Carolina decided to start a mission. They wanted to help the Cherokee people. At that time, the Cherokees lived in Georgia and Tennessee. So, the Moravians set up Springplace Mission in Georgia.
The mission worked there until the Cherokees had to sign the Treaty of New Echota. This treaty forced the Cherokees and other Native American tribes to leave their homes. They had to move to Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma. Because of this, Springplace Mission had to close and move with the Cherokees.
Moving to Indian Territory
When they arrived in Indian Territory, the Moravians chose a new place. It was north of Tahlequah, the new capital of the Cherokee Nation. They called it New Springplace Indian Mission. This new mission was near where Oaks is today.
The area they chose was very pretty. It had many oak trees, which is probably how Oaks got its name. There was also a spring creek nearby, now called Spring Creek. The mission was also on a main road that went from Fort Gibson to St. Louis, Missouri.
Mission Changes and Schools
The American Civil War caused the mission to close for a while. But the work started again after the war. In 1902, a group of Danish Lutherans took over the mission.
Also in 1902, Oaks-Mission School was created. This school helped educate the Native American children living at the mission. Later, another nearby school joined with Oaks. It became Oaks-Mission Public School.
In 1980, the mission's name changed to Oaks Indian Center. The word "mission" was removed from the school's name. But in the 1990s, "mission" was added back to the school's name. In 2004, the Oaks Indian Center went back to its original name: Oaks Indian Mission.
Today, the Oaks Indian Mission still provides homes and help for Native American children. It continues the work that began long ago with Springplace and New Springplace.
See also
In Spanish: Oaks (Oklahoma) para niños
