Howe, Oklahoma
| Howe, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location of Howe, Oklahoma |
|
| Coordinates: 34°57′5″N 94°38′13″W / 34.95139°N 94.63694°WCoordinates: 34°57′5″N 94°38′13″W / 34.95139°N 94.63694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Le Flore |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.6 sq mi (4.0 km2) |
| • Land | 1.6 sq mi (4.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 489 ft (149 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 802 |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74940 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-36150 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1093983 |
Howe is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 802 at the 2010 census, a gain of 15.1 percent from 697 at the 2000 census. The town was once noted for producing coal and coke. Now its economy is mainly supported by agriculture.
This community was originally a Choctaw Nation town named Klondike. After the Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Gulf Railroad laid tracks through it in 1895-6, the residents renamed it for Dr. Herbert M. Howe, a railroad director. A post office opened in 1898. The Kansas City Southern Railroad bought the Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Gulf Railroad in 1900.
Howe contained 626 residents in 1900, but the number declined to 538 by the 1910 census. It had grown again to 711 in 1920. The population began a long-term decline from 692 in 1930, to 640 in 1940 and to 390 in 1960. The town had its own newspaper, the Howe Herald, four doctors, four drugstores, a bank, two hotels and two cotton gins.
In 1961, a tornado hit Howe and a neighboring village (Reichert).^ The source calls the village Reichter, but the actual name is apparently Reichert. Some accounts even refer to the village as Richards. Thirteen people died, fifty-seven were injured and at least fifty homes were destroyed. Despite this, Howe's population trend reversed again. There were 562 residents in 1980, 697 in 2000 and 802 in 2010.
Howe is located at 34°57′5″N 94°38′13″W / 34.95139°N 94.63694°W (34.951369, -94.636980).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all of it land. it is 8 miles (13 km) north of Heavener and 7 miles (11 km) south of Poteau.
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