Liberty, Oklahoma

For the unincorporated community in Sequoyah County, see Liberty, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.

Liberty
Town
Location within Tulsa County and the state of Oklahoma
Location within Tulsa County and the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°51′06″N 95°58′47″W / 35.85167°N 95.97972°W / 35.85167; -95.97972
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyOkmulgee and Tulsa
Area
[1]
 • Total
6.14 sq mi (15.91 km2)
 • Land6.14 sq mi (15.91 km2)
Elevation
[2]
673 ft (205 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
153
 • Density24.91/sq mi (9.62/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code40-42860
GNIS feature ID2412894[2]

Liberty is a town that sits astride the line dividing Okmulgee and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.[3] As of the 2020 census, the population is 153.[4]

History

The earliest settler recorded in this area was Wallace W. Baird, a farmer from Illinois, who arrived in Tulsa County in 1912, and settled on a 40-acre (16 ha) farm. Liberty was incorporated as a dispersed rural community on October 1, 1978. It incorporated a second time on June 29, 1982.[3]

Geography

Liberty is east of Mounds, south of both Tulsa and Glenpool, and north of both Okmulgee and Preston, directly on the east side of U.S. Route 75.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km2), all land.

Demographics

According to the 2020 census, Liberty has a population of 153 people in 77 households. 62% of the town's population is White. Liberty has 24.9 inhabitants per square mile (9.6/km2). The town's median income is $54,417, and 5.1% of its population is below the poverty line.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
198019—
1990155715.8%
200018418.7%
201022019.6%
2020153−30.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

Economy

Agriculture has been the base of the town economy. By 2000, over 86 percent of the inhabitants commuted to work in other towns.[3]

"Liberty Mounds"

The signs on US Route 75 pointing in the direction of Liberty east of the highway refer to "Liberty Mounds". The Liberty town name was taken from the nearby Liberty School District. Given the district's proximity to Mounds, Oklahoma on the west side of US-75, a former school superintendent referred to the district as "Liberty Mounds" to distinguish it from another Liberty school district near Morris in Okmulgee County. So the highway signs reference the school, although both the town and the school district are actually named Liberty.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Liberty, Oklahoma
  3. ^ a b c Everett, Dianna. "Liberty". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "Liberty town, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  5. ^ "Liberty, Oklahoma". Google Maps. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "Liberty Found in Hearts, Souls of Locals". P.J. Lassek, Tulsa World, October 24, 1994. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "Liberty". Dianna Everett, Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

Further reading