Kiowa County, Oklahoma

Not to be confused with Kiowa, Oklahoma.

Kiowa County
County
Kiowa County Courthouse in Hobart
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°55′N98°59′W / 34.92°N 98.98°W / 34.92; -98.98
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	July 8, 1901
Seat	Hobart
Largest city	Hobart
Area
• Total	1,031 sq mi (2,670 km2)
• Land	1,015 sq mi (2,630 km2)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km2)  1.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,509 [1]
• Density	9.3/sq mi (3.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Kiowa County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,509. ^[1] Its county seat is Hobart. ^[2] The county was created in 1901 as part of Oklahoma Territory. ^[3] It was named for the Kiowa people. ^[4]

History

In 1892, the Jerome Commission began enrolling the Kiowas, Comanches and Apaches to prepare for the opening of their reservation to settlement by whites. Dennis Flynn, the territorial representative to the U. S. Congress, proposed holding a lottery for opening the reservation. He argued successfully that the lottery would be safer and more orderly than land runs used earlier. Individuals could register at offices in Lawton or El Reno. 165,000 individuals registered for 13,000 160-acre claims. The drawing was held August 6, 1901. After the opening, the area was designated as Kiowa County in Oklahoma Territory. The town of Hobart, named for Vice President Garrett A. Hobart, was designated as county seat. ^[5]

Plat book of Kiowa County, Oklahoma (1913)

By 1908, residents of the southern part of the county were already agitating for a new county to be formed. In 1910, Governor Charles N. Haskell proclaimed that parts of Kiowa and Comanche Counties would become the new Swanson County. The new county became defunct in 1911, after the Oklahoma Supreme Court voided the change. ^[5] Ownerships of land parcels from 1913 are to be found in plat books.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,031 square miles (2,670 km²), of which 1,015 square miles (2,630 km²) is land and 15 square miles (39 km²) (1.5%) is water. ^[6] The county is largely composed of flatlands, although the southern border is covered by the Washita Mountains. ^[5]

The North Fork of the Red River serves as the southern and western boundaries of Jackson County. Water bodies include Lake Altus-Lugert which impounds the North Fork of the Red River, ^[7] and Tom Steed Reservoir on Otter Creek. Other streams in the county are the Washita River and Elk Creek. ^[5]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 62
• U.S. Highway 183
• State Highway 9
• State Highway 19
• State Highway 44

Adjacent counties

• Washita County (north)
• Caddo County (east)
• Comanche County (southeast)
• Tillman County (south)
• Jackson County (southwest)
• Greer County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	27,526		—
1920	23,094		−16.1%
1930	29,630		28.3%
1940	22,817		−23.0%
1950	18,926		−17.1%
1960	14,825		−21.7%
1970	12,532		−15.5%
1980	12,711		1.4%
1990	11,347		−10.7%
2000	10,227		−9.9%
2010	9,446		−7.6%
2020	8,509		−9.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010 [12]

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 10,227 people, 4,208 households, and 2,815 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km²). There were 5,304 housing units at an average density of 5 units per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.54% White, 4.67% Black or African American, 6.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.68% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. 6.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,208 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 30.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 20.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,053, and the median income for a family was $34,654. Males had a median income of $25,552 versus $19,497 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,231. About 15.00% of families and 19.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023 [14]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	1,493	31.51%
	Republican	2,622	55.30%
	Others	626	13.20%
Total		4,741	100%

Political Culture

United States presidential election results for Kiowa County, Oklahoma ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,569	78.37%	658	20.07%	51	1.56%
2020	2,673	78.00%	699	20.40%	55	1.60%
2016	2,596	74.32%	767	21.96%	130	3.72%
2012	2,316	67.68%	1,106	32.32%	0	0.00%
2008	2,537	67.42%	1,226	32.58%	0	0.00%
2004	2,610	64.88%	1,413	35.12%	0	0.00%
2000	2,173	57.95%	1,544	41.17%	33	0.88%
1996	1,638	39.68%	1,973	47.80%	517	12.52%
1992	1,635	33.30%	2,143	43.65%	1,132	23.05%
1988	2,030	46.58%	2,296	52.68%	32	0.73%
1984	2,951	59.08%	2,016	40.36%	28	0.56%
1980	2,636	51.44%	2,372	46.29%	116	2.26%
1976	1,971	36.37%	3,403	62.79%	46	0.85%
1972	3,711	69.81%	1,495	28.12%	110	2.07%
1968	2,418	43.22%	2,219	39.67%	957	17.11%
1964	2,206	37.44%	3,686	62.56%	0	0.00%
1960	3,515	57.13%	2,638	42.87%	0	0.00%
1956	2,713	44.59%	3,371	55.41%	0	0.00%
1952	4,100	54.03%	3,489	45.97%	0	0.00%
1948	1,530	26.41%	4,263	73.59%	0	0.00%
1944	2,081	33.14%	4,175	66.48%	24	0.38%
1940	2,539	35.01%	4,679	64.52%	34	0.47%
1936	1,684	22.88%	5,624	76.40%	53	0.72%
1932	966	15.66%	5,204	84.34%	0	0.00%
1928	4,116	63.54%	2,270	35.04%	92	1.42%
1924	1,688	34.78%	2,635	54.29%	531	10.94%
1920	2,649	47.22%	2,518	44.88%	443	7.90%
1916	1,017	22.98%	2,279	51.49%	1,130	25.53%
1912	1,167	29.55%	1,831	46.37%	951	24.08%

Communities

Cities

• Hobart (county seat)
• Snyder

Towns

• Cooperton
• Gotebo
• Lone Wolf
• Mountain Park
• Mountain View
• Roosevelt

Unincorporated communities

• Babbs
• Cambridge
• Lugert
• Saddle Mountain

Notable people

• Tommy Franks (1945- ), U. S. Army general (retired) and Commander of U. S. Central Command during the Iraq War; lives in Roosevelt, Oklahoma since his army retirement.
• Dale Meinert (1933-2004), an All-Pro linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals, was born at Lone Wolf.
• N. Scott Momaday (1934-2024), 1969 Pulitzer Prize winner for House Made of Dawn, is from Mountain View.
• Angela R. Riley, chief justice of Citizen Potawatomi Nation (2010-present)
• Col. Jack Treadwell (1919-1977) of Snyder, who served in the 180th Infantry, Forty-fifth Infantry Division, during World War II, received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
• Lt. Gen. La Vern E. Weber (1923-2004), born at Lone Wolf, served as chief of the National Guard Bureau.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kiowa County, Oklahoma
• Zodletone Mountain

References

1. "Kiowa County Oklahoma". Quick Facts. U.S. Bureau of the Census. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Oklahoma: Individual County Chronologies". Oklahoma Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  176.
5. Cole, Burna. "Kiowa County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015.
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
7. "Lake Altus-Lugert". TravelOK.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.

34°55′N98°59′W / 34.92°N 98.98°W / 34.92; -98.98