Tillman County, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tillman County
U.S. county
Tillman County Courthouse in September 2014
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1907
Seat	Frederick
Largest city	Frederick
Area
• Total	879 sq mi (2,280 km2)
• Land	871 sq mi (2,260 km2)
• Water	8.1 sq mi (21 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,968
• Density	7.927/sq mi (3.0607/km2)
Congressional district	4th

Tillman County is a county located in the southwestern part of Oklahoma, United States. It is a place known for its farming and interesting history. The main town and county seat is Frederick. In 2020, about 6,968 people lived in Tillman County.

The Story of Tillman County: Its History

The land where Tillman County is today has a long history. In 1867, the Medicine Lodge Treaty created a special area, called a reservation, for the Kiowa, Apache, and Comanche Native American tribes. This was in what was then called Indian Territory.

Later, in the 1890s, the government began to prepare some of this land for new settlers. In 1901, the first "lottery" was held. This was a way for people to get a chance to claim land. Another lottery, called the "Big Pasture" Lottery, happened in 1906.

Tillman County was officially created in 1907, the same year Oklahoma became a state. It was named after Senator Benjamin Tillman from South Carolina. Before 1907, this area was part of Comanche County in Oklahoma Territory. Frederick was chosen as the county seat right away. Later, in 1910 and 1924, some parts of Kiowa County were added to the north side of Tillman County.

Where is Tillman County? Its Geography

Tillman County is located right next to the Texas border. The U.S. government data shows that the county covers about 879 square miles in total. Most of this area, about 871 square miles, is land. The rest, about 8.1 square miles (or 0.9%), is covered by water, like rivers or lakes.

Neighboring Counties: Who Are Tillman County's Neighbors?

Tillman County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Kiowa County to the north
• Comanche County to the northeast
• Cotton County to the east
• Wichita County, Texas to the south
• Wilbarger County, Texas to the southwest
• Jackson County to the northwest

Who Lives in Tillman County? Population Changes

The number of people living in Tillman County has changed over the years. For example, in 1930, there were over 24,000 people. By 2020, the population was 6,968.

In 2010, there were 7,992 people living in the county. About 24.7% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age of people in the county was about 40.9 years old.

How People Make a Living: The Economy of Tillman County

Since Oklahoma became a state, Tillman County's economy has mostly relied on farming and raising animals. Farmers in the county grow crops like cotton, corn, wheat, oats, and sorghum. Many farms have become larger over time. For example, in 1930, there were 1,724 farms, but by 2000, there were 587. However, the average size of these farms grew from about 188 acres to 819 acres.

Raising cattle also became important in the 1880s. Big ranchers from Texas would rent land from the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes to let their cattle graze.

During World War II, the U.S. military built Frederick Army Air Field in 1941. This base was used to train pilots to fly planes like the Cessna UC-78 Bobcats and North American B-25 Mitchells. After the war, the base became a regular airport for civilians. Today, it is known as Frederick Regional Airport.

Towns and Cities in Tillman County

Tillman County has a few cities and towns where people live and work.

Cities

• Frederick (This is the county seat, meaning it's the main town for county government.)
• Grandfield

Towns

• Chattanooga (Most of this town is actually in Comanche County.)
• Davidson
• Hollister
• Loveland
• Manitou
• Tipton

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Tillman para niños