Langston, Oklahoma

Langston is a town in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,724 at the 2010 census, an increase of 3.2 percent from 1,670 at the 2000 census.[5] Langston is home to Langston University, the only historically black college in Oklahoma.

Langston, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Langston, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°56′29″N 97°15′28″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Logan
Government
• Mayor	Sheila D. Stevenson
• Town Administrator	Charlotte Brown
Area [1]
• Total	4.36 sq mi (11.29 km^2)
• Land	3.95 sq mi (10.23 km^2)
• Water	0.41 sq mi (1.06 km^2)
Elevation	958 ft (292 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,724
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	1,860
• Density	470.77/sq mi (181.79/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	73050
Area code(s)	405
FIPS code	40-41550[3]
GNIS feature ID	1094506[4]
Website	cityoflangston.com

History

Langston was founded on April 22, 1890, by Edward P. McCabe, an African-American political figure from Kansas. McCabe helped lead a migration of black settlers from southern U.S. states who hoped to escape discrimination by creating a majority-black state in what was then the Territory of Oklahoma.[lower-alpha 1] He named the town for John Mercer Langston, a black member of the 51st United States Congress from Virginia.[6][lower-alpha 2] McCabe used traveling salesmen and African-American newspapers to advertise lots for sale in Langston, and the deeds which accompanied the sale of these lots stipulated that their re-sale could only be to other African-Americans.[7]

By 1891, Langston had a population of 200, which included a preacher, doctor, and schoolteacher.[7] By 1892, the town had 25 businesses, with a bank and a public school. A Roman Catholic mission was established in 1893 by Rev. Bishop Theophile Meerschaert and the Benedictine Sisters. The town had a telephone system in service in 1895. In 1897, the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature passed a law creating the Colored Agricultural and Normal University at Langston (which later became Langston University).[6]

Geography

Langston is 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Guthrie, the Logan County seat, on State Highway 33.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	251		—
1910	339		35.1%
1920	259		−23.6%
1930	351		35.5%
1940	514		46.4%
1950	685		33.3%
1960	136		−80.1%
1970	486		257.4%
1980	443		−8.8%
1990	1,471		232.1%
2000	1,670		13.5%
2010	1,724		3.2%
Est. 2019	1,860	[2]	7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,670 people, 199 households, and 92 families residing in the town. The population density was 896.5 people per square mile (346.7/km²). There were 246 housing units at an average density of 132.1 per square mile (51.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 3.29% White, 93.29% African American, 1.26% Native American, 0.24% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.

There were 199 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 16.1% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.3% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 7.6% under the age of 18, 75.3% from 18 to 24, 8.4% from 25 to 44, 4.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $14,722, and the median income for a family was $26,042. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $20,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,602. About 23.5% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 40.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the 2016 presidential election, the city gave over 90% of the vote to the Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. Despite Logan County voting over 70% for Republican Donald Trump, the heavy black majority in Langston carried the city for Clinton.[9]

Notable native

• Joseph D. Elsberry, U.S. Air Force captain with the Tuskegee Airmen, who shot down three German aircraft in one day.[10]

See also

• Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Lima, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, Tullahassee, and Vernon, other "All-Black" settlements that were part of the Land Run of 1889.[11]

See also

• Langston University

Notes

1. McCabe founded of the Langston City Herald newspaper in October 1890.[6]
2. The townsite was actually owned by a white man, Charles Robbins, who surveyed and filed a plat in 1891. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture asserts that the two men collaborated in promoting the town.[6]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. CensusViewer: Population of the City of Langston, Oklahoma
6. Larry O'Dell, "Langston," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed May 30, 2015.
7. Rummel, Jack (2003). African-American Social Leaders and Activists. Jack Rummel.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. http://oklahomawatch.org/2016/11/09/how-oklahoma-voted-interactive-maps-with-precinct-level-results/
10. Francis, Charles E. (1997). The Tuskegee Airmen: The Men who Changed a Nation. Branden.
11. O'Dell, Larry. "All-Black Towns". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2012-08-19.

External links

• Official website
• From Sodom to the Promised Land: E.P. McCabe and the Movement for Oklahoma Colonization
• All-Black Towns in Oklahoma from the Oklahoma Historical Society
• Langston City Herald newspaper hosted by the Gateway to Oklahoma History