Tahlequah, Oklahoma
| Tahlequah, Oklahoma | |
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| — City — | |
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| Motto: " City Of Firsts " | |
 Tahlequah, Oklahoma
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| Coordinates: 35°54′46″N 94°58′17″W / 35.91278°N 94.97139°WCoordinates: 35°54′46″N 94°58′17″W / 35.91278°N 94.97139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Cherokee |
| Cherokee Nation | founded 1838; second capital city |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jason Nichols (politician) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.0 sq mi (31.1 km2) |
| • Land | 12.0 sq mi (31.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 797 ft (243 m) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 16,021 |
| • Density | 1,312.75/sq mi (506.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 74464-74465 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-72100[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1098721[2] |
Tahlequah (/ˈtælɨkwɑː/ TAL-ə-kwah; Cherokee: ᏓᎵᏆ)[3] is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears.
The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.96 percent from 14,458 at the 2000 census.[4] It is the county seat of Cherokee County[5]. The main campus of Northeastern State University is located in the city. Tahlequah is the capital of the two federally recognized Cherokee tribes in Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the modern Cherokee Nation.
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Origin of the name [edit]
Many linguists believe the word 'Tahlequah' (Tah-le-quah) and the word 'Teh-li-co' are the same as 'di li gwa,' the Cherokee word for grain or rice. (See Cherokee Nation Lexicon (dikaneisdi) at cherokee.org under culture/language. Scholars report the Cherokee word 'di li gwa' describes a type of native grain with a red hue that grew in the flat open areas of east Tennessee. One particular area, Great Tellico (Tellico Plains, Tennessee), was named for the grass with the red seed tops. Others interpret a word 'tel-i-quah' as 'plains;' however, there is no word for 'plains' in the Cherokee lexicon, and the word 'tel-i-quah' is not found in the lexicon. The idea that 'tahlequah' means 'plains' lends weight to the belief that the name refers to the wide open grassy areas of Great Tellico. When the Cherokee first arrived in the Tahlequah, Oklahoma area, they saw the native grasses that grew in the open areas around the foothills of the Ozarks. It reminded them of the grassy open ‘Overhill’ areas of Tellico, so they called their new home 'di li gwa' (tah-le-quah or teh-li-co), the open place where the grass grows.
Local legend states the name is derived from Cherokee words meaning 'just two' or 'two is enough.' Supposedly three tribal elders had planned to meet to determine the location of the Cherokee Nation's permanent capital. Two elders arrived and waited for the third. As dusk approached, they decided that 'two is enough.' According to tribal elders and Cherokee County elders, this legend first began to circulate in the 1930s. Tahlequah was a settlement as early as 1832 and the Eastern and Western Cherokees joined their governments at Tahlequah in 1839. Tahlequah had a name long before it was chosen as the Cherokee capital.
Cherokee Nation capital [edit]
In 1839, Tahlequah was designated the capital of both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Initially the government buildings were a complex of log or framed structures. Most of these buildings were destroyed during the Civil War, which divided the Cherokees into two bitterly opposing sides. After the war, a brick capitol was built and first occupied in 1870. It was converted into the Cherokee County courthouse at the time of Oklahoma statehood in 1907.[6]
Several markers of Cherokee and Native American heritage can be found in town: street signs and business signs appear in the Cherokee language along with English, mostly in the syllabary created by Sequoyah, a Cherokee scholar of the 1820s.
The Cherokee Supreme Court Building, located in downtown Tahlequah and constructed in 1844, is the oldest public building in Oklahoma.[7]
Geography [edit]
Tahlequah is located at 35°54′46″N 94°58′17″W / 35.91278°N 94.97139°W (35.912869, -94.971526)[8].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31.1 km²), all land.
Demographics [edit]
As of the 2010 census,[9] there were 15,753 people, 6,111 households, and 3,351 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,312.75 per square mile (506.5/km²). There were 6,857 housing units at an average density of 571.4 per square mile (220.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.8% White, 2.4% African American, 30.0% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 8.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.
There were 6,111 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 23.6% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.8 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.[10]
The median income for a household in the city was $25,478, and the median income for a family was $35,633. Males had a median income of $27,583 versus $26,502 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,909. About 22.4% of families and 32.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.[11]
Notable residents [edit]
- Roy Boney, Jr., animator, artist, graphic novelist, language advocate
- Robert J. Conley, author
- Butch Davis, Head football coach, University of North Carolina (2007–2011), Former Head Coach, University of Miami (1995–2000)
- Bill Harrelson, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Stacy Leeds, tribal judge and Indian law professor
- Ronald G. Lewis, social worker and professor
- Wilma Mankiller, first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
- Sonny Sixkiller, football player
- Chad "Corntassel" Smith, author, lawyer, and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
- Bill John Baker, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
- Merle Travis, country singer and musician, 1917–1983
In media [edit]
- Tahlequah is featured in the book, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
- Tahlequah was once named as the fictional "home office" for the Top Ten Lists on Late Night with David Letterman.
- Tahlequah is mentioned several times in Mark Twain's 1892 novel The American Claimant as the origin of a bank robber named One-Armed Pete.
References [edit]
- ^ "US Census QuickFacts". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "Geographic Names Information System". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ Cowen, Agnes Spade and Jane B. Noble. Comptemporary Cherokee Language Book. Tahlequah, OK: Heritage Printing, 1996: 77
- ^ Cenus Viewer:Population of the City of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Harrington, Beth. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Talequah." Accessed May 12, 2012.[1]
- ^ Martindale, Robert. "Cherokee Nation places three historical buildings in trust", Tulsa World, 28 June 2003
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "2010 U.S. Census: Profile of General Population and Housing". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "2010 U.S. Census: Age Groups and Sex". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: Economic Characteristics". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
External links [edit]
- http://www.mypulsemag.com The Pulse Magazine Tahlequah & Green Country Events & News
- Tahlequah, OK webpage
- The Cherokee Nation
- Northeastern State University
- Northeastern State University Alumni Community
- Lakes Country 102.1FM
- Tahlequah Tourism
- Tahlequah information, photos and videos on TravelOK.com Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
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