Oklahoma

Oklahoma, The Sooner State

Famous for being the center of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, when the term “Okie” was coined and used to describe many who were looking to resettle further west. Some parts of the state are still seeing high numbers of outward migration.

The Oklahoma panhandle county of Cimmaron lost 21% of their population between 2000-2010. As of 2018, only 2,153 residents live in the 1,841 square mile area, putting it on the path to shrink another 13% for the decade spanning 2010-20.

The state has had some interesting demographics in its history. For those of us playing the license plate game, we all know Oklahoma is synonymous with Native Americans. The state actually boast the 2nd highest population of Native Americans with 533,000 (California has 800,000) and is 2nd also in percentage of the population that is Native American (13.5% behind Alaska at 20%).

Another truly fascinating demographic of Oklahoma is the formation of black rural towns. These small enclaves popped up mostly in central OK between 1865 & 1920. There were once as many as 50 towns, but as of 2020 only 13 are still active. They too, have suffered under rural flight.

Lost Americana was in Oklahoma in 2008, 2016, 2019, & 2020.

Images from Oklahoma

Posts about Oklahoma

Rural Matters: This Building Is Worth Saving

January 12, 2019 / Vincent D. Johnson

As Rural Towns Struggle, A New Generation Looks To The Past To Keep Them Alive From coast to coast small rural towns have been fading away since the turn of

Population Decline; The Hardest Hit Counties In Each State Since 1990

April 11, 2017 / Vincent D. Johnson

Since 1990 These Counties Are The Hardest Hit By Population Decline In Their State The 1990s are a significant time for Lost Americana, which goes beyond the fact that during that decade

Lost Americana is about telling the stories of the people who live in rural America.

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