Mangum

History

Beginning in 1876, the nearby Great Western Cattle Trail was used to drive cattle north from Texas to market. The community of Mangum began in 1882 when Henry Clay Sweet established it on land granted to A. S. Mangum by the state of Texas. The Mangum post office was established April 15, 1886. This part of Texas (old Greer County) was given to Oklahoma in 1896.}} Other early businesses in or around Mangum included the Oklahoma Granite Company, which opened in 1904, the Mangum Star newspaper, first published in 1887, and the Mangum Brick Plant, established in 1903 by D. J. Doyle. The newspaper still publishes in the 21st century. The brick plant, now owned by Jed Winters, also still operates and has greatly expanded production. It burnt out on Friday, December 13, 2019 after a power outage, as it was not attached to any special electrical supply. Mangum is the setting for the 2008 movie Beer for My Horses, starring Toby Keith and Rodney Carrington. On May 20, 2019, Western Mangum was hit hard by a destructive EF2 tornado during a tornado outbreak that impacted central Oklahoma. When the tornado entered Mangum, the tornado damaged the roof of an apartment building before dissipating. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic Mangum made national news when a local church was instrumental in spreading COVID-19 throughout the town, resulting in several fatalities. The Mayor at the time, Mary Jane Scott, put the town on lockdown following direction from state governor Kevin Stitt. After the lockdown was lifted and many states reopened, the safety measures in place in Mangum were also removed.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Lake Altus-Lugert is to the east-northeast. Mangum is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, strongly suggesting that the coldest night of each year averages between 0 °F (-18 °C) and 5 °F (-15 °C). On February 11, 2017, Mangum reached a high of 99.41 °F (37.45 °C). This is the Oklahoma state record high for meteorological winter (December through February). What's even more remarkable is that this occurred just three days before snow fell on Mangum.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• EDISON ES
  Elementary · Mangum · 239 students · 18.4:1 ratio
• MANGUM HS
  High · Mangum · 175 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• GRANITE ES
  Elementary · Granite · 158 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• MANGUM MS
  Middle · Mangum · 156 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• GRANITE HS
  High · Granite · 78 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Mangum Early Childhood Center
  Elementary · Mangum · 74 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• LAKESIDE SCHOOL
  High · Granite · 48 students