Talihina, Oklahoma | |
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Town | |
historic downtown Talihina
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Location of Talihina, Oklahoma |
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Coordinates: 34°45′6″N 95°2′28″W / 34.75167°N 95.04111°WCoordinates: 34°45′6″N 95°2′28″W / 34.75167°N 95.04111°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Oklahoma |
County | Le Flore |
Area | |
• Total | 0.8 sq mi (2.2 km2) |
• Land | 0.8 sq mi (2.2 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,114 |
• Density | 1,392.5/sq mi (506.4/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
FIPS code | 40-72250 |
GNIS feature ID | 1098731 |
Website | http://www.talihinacc.com |
Talihina (pronounced "tah-luh-HEE-nuh") is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States, its name originating from two Choctaw words, tully and hena, meaning iron road. Iron road is reference to the railroad that the town was built around. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,114 at the 2010 census, a loss of 8.0 percent from 1,211 at the 2000 census.
Talihina received its name in 1886–1887 when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (Frisco) built a line through the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory. The railroad opened the surrounding area to ship cattle, timber, and cotton to Eastern markets and facilitated growth of the town. When Talihina incorporated in 1905, the town claimed a population of 400. Two major hospitals, the Choctaw-Chickasaw Tuberculosis Sanatorium and the Eastern Oklahoma State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, were built here between 1915 and 1921. By 1920, the population had grown to 690.
Tourism and recreation have been a major economic stimulus since the 1920s. Six lakes have been built in the Kiamichi Valley, attracting sportsmen and campers. Talimena State Park and Old Military Road historic site (National Register of Historic Places, NR 76002155) are 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Talihina. This is the western end of Talimena Scenic Drive, which runs to Mena, Arkansas and attracts many people to view the fall foliage.
The Choctaw Nation Health Center was constructed in Talihina in 1999.
Talihina is located at 34°45′6″N 95°2′28″W / 34.75167°N 95.04111°W (34.751602, −95.041207). It is in the Kiamichi Valley between the Kiamichi and Winding Stair Mountains, about 39 miles (63 km) southwest of Poteau, the Le Flore County seat.