Porum, Oklahoma
| Porum, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location of Porum, Oklahoma |
|
| Coordinates: 35°21′30″N 95°15′57″W / 35.35833°N 95.26583°WCoordinates: 35°21′30″N 95°15′57″W / 35.35833°N 95.26583°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Muskogee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.8 sq mi (2.0 km2) |
| • Land | 0.8 sq mi (1.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 725 |
| • Density | 964.3/sq mi (372.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74455 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-60250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1096845 |
Porum is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named for John Porum Davis, a rancher, Civil War veteran, and Cherokee Nation councilman from the Canadian District in Indian Territory. The community was first known as Porum Gap, which united with another village named Starvilla in 1905. The product of this union became the present town of Porum. The population was 727 at the 2010 census, an 0.3 percent increase from 725 at the 2000 census.
The area is rich in history, including that of the Starr clan who were of the Cherokee "Treaty faction" and became immersed in troubles during the early turbulent days of Cherokee Nation. They were attacked by, and counterattacked, men of the Ross faction. Tom Starr was alleged to have killed 100 men in his time, although the figure may be exaggerated. Tom was a half-blood, Irish and Cherokee, and had five sons, one of whom was Sam who became the husband of Belle Starr, forever linked with the history of Porum. In later years, Pony Starr who lived on the edge of Porum was involved in the Porum Range War and was regarded as the straightest shot and most fearless man of his clan.
A post office was established in Porum Gap March 25, 1890. The Midland Valley Railroad came to the Porum area in 1903. The town of Porum was formed in 1905, following the merger of Porum Gap and Starvilla.
Porum is located at 35°21′30″N 95°15′57″W / 35.35833°N 95.26583°W (35.358228, -95.265930). It is about 30 miles (48 km) south of Muskogee, the county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), of which, 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (2.56%) is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 725 people, 301 households, and 202 families residing in the town. The population density was 964.3 people per square mile (373.2/km²). There were 341 housing units at an average density of 453.6 per square mile (175.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 61.79% White, 1.52% African American, 28.83% Native American, 0.14% from other races, and 7.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
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