Tatums is a historic Freedmen's town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. Landmarks include Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Tatums is the birthplace of Maurice Young, baseball player.
Tatums, Oklahoma gifts and souvenirs: 20 designs made from Tatums's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Tatums Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Tatums Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Tatums Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Tatums Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Tatums Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Tatums Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
Population 2010: 151 → 2020: 111
From Wikidata (CC0).
According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Tatums was founded in Indian Territory in 1895 by Lee and Mary Tatum, though Oklahoma Place Names states that the town was not incorporated until May 9, 1896, And a hotel was built in 1899, a blacksmith shop in 1900, a cotton gin and sawmill in 1910, and a motor garage in 1918. Oil wells were drilled in the area in the 1920s, bringing wealth to several of Tatumses farmers and landowners.
The town was one of more than fifty all-black towns founded in Oklahoma, and is one of thirteen still in existence. Lee Tatum was the first postmaster, ran a grocery store, and was a U.S. Marshal. Travelers who came through Tatums could stay at the home of Henry Taylor, who owned the largest home in town. Over the next few decades, other businesses were added to the town, including a church, school, hotel, blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, sawmill, and a motor garage. In the 1920s, oil wells were drilled around Tatums, and several residents richly profited from them.
A brick school funded by the Rosenwald Fund was completed in 1926. In 1927, Norman Studios filmed a silent movie, Black Gold, in Tatums. Marshal L. B. Tatums played a role in the film. No copy of the film is known to exist, but the script and camera are held by the Autry National Center in California.
The Great Depression greatly damaged Tatums' economy, so many residents migrated to urban areas. Amid the Depression, the Works Progress Administration built a new brick school in 1936.
The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, completed in 1919, is an historic Baptist church in Tatums, and is included on the NRHP listings for Carter County.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Tatums, Oklahoma, revision 1375123418 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Tatums sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
1 free coloring page of Tatums, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Tatums's population was 111 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 151 in 2010.
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church