View source for Oklahoma panhandle

{{Short description|Strip in north-western Oklahoma, U.S.}}
{{redirect|Neutral Strip|the area in Louisiana known as the Sabine Free State or Neutral Strip|Neutral Ground (Louisiana)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
| native_name            = 
| conventional_long_name = Oklahoma panhandle
| common_name            = "Cimarron Strip" or "No-man's Land"
| nation                 = the United States
| subdivision            = [[Territories of the United States#Formerly unorganized territories|Incorporated and unorganized territory]]
| coordinates            = {{Wikidatacoord|Q1414375|region:US-OK|display=inline,title}}
| event_start            = Texas surrenders claim; Panhandle becomes "unattached" territory
| date_start             = 
| year_start             = 1850
| event_end              = Attached to [[Oklahoma Territory]]
| date_end               = 
| year_end               = 1890
| event1                 = First petition for territorial status sent to Congress
| date_event1            = February 1887
| event2                 = Second petition for territorial status sent to Congress
| date_event2            = December 1887
| event_pre              = [[Republic of Texas]] founded; includes Panhandle area
| date_pre               = March 2, 1836|
| p1                     = Texas
| flag_p1                = Flag of Texas.svg
| s1                     = Oklahoma
| flag_s1                = Flag of Oklahoma (1911–1925).svg
| image_map              = Map of Oklahoma highlighting Panhandle.svg
| image_map_caption      = The three counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle|
| capital                = 
| government_type        = Provisional, unelected, unrecognized<ref>Richter, Sara and Tom Lewis. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI005 "Cimarron Territory,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172154/http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI005 |date=April 2, 2015 }} ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed July 1, 2015.</ref>
| title_leader           = 
| leader1                = Owen G. Chase
| year_leader1           = 1886–1887
| title_leader2          = 
| leader2                = 
| year_leader2           = 
| title_deputy           = 
| deputy1                = 
| year_deputy1           = 
| demonym                = 
| today                  = 
}}

The '''Oklahoma panhandle''' (formerly called '''No Man's Land''', the '''Public Land Strip''', the '''Neutral Strip''', or ''' Cimarron Territory''') is a [[Salient (geography)|salient]] in the extreme northwestern region of the U.S. state of [[Oklahoma]]. Its constituent counties are, from west to east, [[Cimarron County, Oklahoma|Cimarron County]], [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas County]] and [[Beaver County, Oklahoma|Beaver County]]. As with other salients in the United States, its name comes from the similarity of its shape to the handle of a pan. Its largest city is [[Guymon, Oklahoma|Guymon]] in Texas County. [[Black Mesa State Park]], located in Cimarron County, is the highest point in the state. Other points of interest include [[Beaver Dunes Park]], [[Optima Lake]], and the [[Optima National Wildlife Refuge]]. [[Oklahoma Panhandle State University]] is ten miles away from Guymon.

[[Paleo-Indian]] people settled in the region around 8450 BCE. Native American horticulturists inhabited the region before the European colonists arrived in the 16th century. The area became part of [[New Spain]] with the [[Adams–Onís Treaty]] of 1819, which set the western boundary of the [[Louisiana Purchase]] at the 100th meridian. The outcome of the [[Mexican War of Independence]] made the panhandle a part of Mexico in 1821. The area was part of the [[Texas Republic]] from its formation in 1836 until Texas became part of the United States in 1846, which left the area federal property. The area was incorporated into [[Oklahoma Territory]] and later split into three counties when Oklahoma obtained statehood in 1907.

As of the [[2020 United States census]], the region has a population of 28,729, and Texas County is the only county in Oklahoma to have a plurality of Hispanic residents, which make up 48.1 percent of the county's population.<ref name="Texas County">{{cite web |title=Texas County, Oklahoma |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/texascountyoklahoma |website=Census.gov |publisher=U.S. Bureau of the Census |access-date=April 15, 2023 }}</ref> Its economy is primarily agricultural, and its political elections sway in favor of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]].

==Geography==
[[File:Oklahoma.JPG|thumb|200 px|State welcome sign on the New Mexico state line of the panhandle]]
The panhandle, {{convert|166|mi}} long and {{convert|34|mi}} wide, is bordered by [[Kansas]] and [[Colorado]] at [[37th parallel north|37°N]] on the north, [[New Mexico]] at [[103rd meridian west|103°W]] on the west, [[Texas]] at [[Parallel 36°30′ north|36.5°N]] on the south, and the remainder of Oklahoma at [[100th meridian west|100°W]] on the east.

The largest town in the region is [[Guymon, Oklahoma|Guymon]], which is the [[county seat]] of Texas County. [[Black Mesa (Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico)|Black Mesa]], the highest point in Oklahoma at {{convert|4973|ft}}, is located in Cimarron County. The panhandle occupies nearly all of the true [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]] within Oklahoma, being the only part of the state lying west of the [[100th meridian west|100th meridian]], which generally marks the westernmost extent of moist air from the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The [[North Canadian River]] is named Beaver River or Beaver Creek on its course through the panhandle. Its land area is {{convert|5686|sqmi}} which is 8.28 percent of Oklahoma's land area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/ok_geography.htm |title=Oklahoma Geography from NETSTATE |website=www.netstate.com |access-date=March 13, 2011 |archive-date=June 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621044339/http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/ok_geography.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The area includes [[Beaver Dunes Park]] with sand dunes along the Beaver River and [[Optima Lake]], the home of the [[Optima National Wildlife Refuge]].

==History==
[[File:Okterritory.png|thumb|Map of Oklahoma Territory, Indian Territory and the "neutral strip"]]
[[File:Wpdms republic of texas.svg|thumb|The 1845 [[Texas annexation]] included the area of the future Oklahoma panhandle.]]
[[File:No Man's Land Monument.jpg|thumb|No Man's Land Monument, U.S. Highway 64 east of [[Gate, Oklahoma|Gate]] (Oklahoma panhandle)]]
What is now the Oklahoma panhandle has been occupied for millennia. The [[Paleo-Indians|Paleo-Indian]] people of the region were part of the Beaver River complex. A Paleo-Indian encampment, the Bull Creek site, dates back to approximately 8450 BCE, and the Badger Hole site dates to circa 8400 BCE.<ref>Leland Bement, [https://core.tdar.org/document/395221/beaver-river-complex-contribution-to-folsom-archaeology-an-update-and-future-directions "Beaver River Complex Contribution to Folsom Archaeology: An Update and Future Directions,"] The Digital Archaeological Record (2015).</ref>

Shortly before the arrival of European explorers,<ref>{{cite web |title=African Explorers of Spanish America |url=https://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/SpanishAmB.htm |website=Park Ethnography Program |publisher=US National Park Service |access-date=April 13, 2015 |archive-date=March 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331112504/http://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/SpanishAmB.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> the panhandle was home to [[Southern Plains villagers]]. From 1200 to 1500, the semi-sedentary [[panhandle culture]] peoples, including the [[Antelope Creek phase]],<ref name=antelope>{{cite web |last1=Lintz |first1=Christopher |title=Antelope Creek Phase |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/bba07 |website=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224100259/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/bba07 |url-status=live }}</ref> lived in the region in large, stone-slab and plaster houses in villages or individual homesteads. As horticulturists, they farmed maize and indigenous crops from the [[Eastern Agricultural Complex]]. Several Antelope Creek phase sites were founded near present-day Guymon, including the McGrath, [[Stamper site|Stamper]] and Two Sisters sites.<ref name=antelope /> The arrival of horses from Spain in the 16th century allowed [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian tribes]] to increase their hunting ranges. These Southern Plains villagers became the [[Wichita people|Wichita and Affiliated Tribes]].

The Western history of the panhandle traces its origins as being part of [[New Spain]]. The [[Adams–Onís Treaty]] of 1819 between Spain and the United States set the western boundary of this portion of the [[Louisiana Purchase]] at the 100th meridian. With Mexican independence in 1821, these lands became part of Mexico. With the formation of the [[Republic of Texas|Texas Republic]], they became part of Texas. When Texas joined the U.S. in 1846, the strip became part of the United States.<ref name="Gibson">Gibson, Arrell M. ''Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries''.  Retrieved May 11, 2013. Available on Google Books.[https://books.google.com/books?id=HiP-sWiqYL4C&dq=%22Oklahoma+Territorial+Government%22&pg=PA178]</ref>

The Cimarron Cutoff for the [[Santa Fe Trail]] passed through the area soon after the trade route was established in 1826 between the Mexicans in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and the Americans in [[St. Louis]]. The route was increasingly used during the [[California Gold Rush]]. The cutoff passed several miles north of what are now [[Boise City, Oklahoma]], and [[Clayton, New Mexico]], before continuing toward Santa Fe.<ref>[http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/mileagecharts/santa-fe-trail-map-00.jpg Map of the Santa Fe Trail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313202130/http://santafetrailresearch.com/mileagecharts/santa-fe-trail-map-00.jpg |date=March 13, 2016 }}. Retrieved February 14, 2015.</ref>

When Texas sought to enter the Union in 1845 as a [[Slave states and free states|slave state]], federal law in the United States, based on the [[Missouri Compromise]], prohibited slavery north of 36°30' north latitude. Under the [[Compromise of 1850]], Texas surrendered its lands north of 36°30', rather than have a portion of the state as "free" territory. The 170-mile strip of land, a "neutral strip", was left with no state or territorial ownership from 1850 until 1890. It was officially called the "'''Public Land Strip'''" and was commonly referred to as "No Man's Land."<ref>{{cite news |title=Oklahoma Panhandle: Badmen in No Man's Land |url=http://www.historynet.com/oklahoma-panhandle-badmen-in-no-mans-land.htm |access-date=November 30, 2012 |newspaper=Wild West magazine |date=June 12, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="EOHC-NML">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Turner |first=Kenneth R. |title=No Man's Land |url=http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=NO001 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=November 30, 2012 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402160744/http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=NO001 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Compromise of 1850 also established the eastern boundary of [[New Mexico Territory]] at the 103rd meridian, thus setting the western boundary of the strip. The [[Kansas–Nebraska Act]] of 1854 set the southern border of [[Kansas Territory]] as the 37th parallel. This became the northern boundary of "No Man's Land." When Kansas joined the Union in 1861, the western part of Kansas Territory was assigned to the [[Colorado Territory]] but did not change the boundary of "No Man's Land."<ref name="EOHC-NML" />

===Cimarron Territory===
After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], cattlemen moved into the area. Gradually they organized themselves into ranches and established their own rules for arranging their land and adjudicating their disputes. There was still confusion over the status of the strip, and some attempts were made to arrange rent with the [[Cherokee]]s, despite the fact that the [[Cherokee Outlet]] ended at the 100th meridian. In 1885, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the strip was not part of the Cherokee Outlet.<ref name="cimarron">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI005 Sara Richter and Tom Lewis,  "Cimarron Territory", ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172154/http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI005 |date=April 2, 2015 }} Accessed April 13, 2013.</ref>  In 1886, Interior Secretary [[Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar|L. Q. C. Lamar]] declared the area to be [[Public domain (land)|public domain]] and subject to "[[Adverse possession|squatter's rights]]".<ref name="Wardell, p. 83">Wardell, p. 83.</ref>

The strip was not yet [[Public Land Survey System|surveyed]], and as that was one of the requirements of the [[Homestead Acts|Homestead Act of 1862]], the land could not be officially settled. Settlers by the thousands flooded in to assert their "squatter's rights" anyway. They surveyed their own land and by September 1886 had organized a self-governing and self-policing jurisdiction, which they named the '''Cimarron Territory'''. Senator [[Daniel W. Voorhees]] of Indiana introduced a bill in [[United States Congress|Congress]] to attach the so-called territory to Kansas. It passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives but was not signed by President [[Grover Cleveland]].<ref name="cimarron"/>

The organization of Cimarron Territory began soon after Secretary Lamar declared the area open to settlement by squatters. The settlers formed their own [[vigilance committee]]s, which organized a board charged with forming a territorial government. The board enacted a preliminary code of law and divided the strip into three districts. They also called for a general election to choose three members from each district to form a government.<ref>Wardell, p. 84.</ref>

The elected council met as planned, elected Owen G. Chase as president, and named a full cabinet. They also enacted further laws and divided the strip into five counties (Benton, Beaver, Palo Duro, Optima, and Sunset), three senatorial districts (with three members from each district), and seven delegate districts (with two members from each district). The members from these districts were to be the [[legislature|legislative body]] for the proposed territory. Elections were held November 8, 1887, and the legislature met for the first time on December 5, 1887.<ref name="cimarron"/>

Chase went to Washington, D.C., to lobby for admission to Congress as the delegate from the new territory.  He was not recognized by Congress.<ref name=Interior-1904>{{cite book |title=Annual Reports of the Department of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1904 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qbpTAAAAIAAJ |access-date=November 30, 2012 |year=1904 |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior |pages=463–465 |chapter=Beaver County – No Man's Land }}</ref>  A group disputing the Chase organization met and elected and sent its own delegate to Washington.<ref>Wardell, p. 86.</ref> A bill was introduced to accept Chase but was never brought to a vote. Neither delegation was able to persuade Congress to accept the new territory.<ref name="Wardell, p. 83"/> Another delegation went in 1888 but was also unsuccessful.<ref name=Interior-1904/>

===Settlement and assimilation===
In 1889, the [[Unassigned Lands]] to the east of the territory [[Land Rush of 1889|were opened for settlement]], and many of the residents went there. The remaining population was generously estimated by Chase at 10,000 after the opening. Ten years later, an actual count revealed a population of 2,548.<ref>Wardell, p. 885</ref> The passage of the [[Oklahoma Organic Act|Organic Act in 1890]] assigned ''Public Land Strip'' to the new [[Oklahoma Territory]], and ended the short-lived Cimarron Territory aspirations.<ref name=Interior-1904/>

[[Image:Old Beaver County.png|580px|center|thumb|Beaver County encompassed the whole panhandle from 1890 until statehood.]]
In 1891, the government completed the survey, and the remaining squatters were finally able to secure their homesteads under the Homestead Act. The new owners were then able to obtain mortgages against their property, enabling them to buy seed and equipment. Capital and new settlers came into the area, and the first railroad, the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad|Rock Island]], built a line through the county from [[Liberal, Kansas]], to [[Dalhart, Texas]]. Agriculture began changing from subsistence farms to grain exporters.<ref name="EOHC-NML"/>

''"''No Man's Land''"'' became '''Seventh County''' under the newly organized Oklahoma Territory and was soon renamed Beaver County. Beaver City became the county seat. When Oklahoma Territory and [[Indian Territory]] were combined in 1907 as the state of Oklahoma, Beaver County was divided into Beaver, Texas, and Cimarron counties. The Oklahoma panhandle had the highest population at its first census in 1910, 32,433 residents, compared to 28,729 in the 2020 census.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://southcarolina1670.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/cimarron-concept-of-panhandle-state-nixed-by-political-squabbling/ |title=Cimarron: Concept of Panhandle state nixed by political squabbling |date=November 4, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221 |title=United States Census Bureau Quick Facts |access-date=January 30, 2022 |archive-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202181905/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Dust Bowl===
The panhandle was severely affected by the drought of the 1930s. The drought began in 1932 and created massive dust storms. By 1935, the area was widely known as being part of the [[Dust Bowl]]. The dust storms were largely a result of poor farming techniques and the plowing up of the native grasses that had held the fine soil in place. Despite government efforts to implement conservation measures and change the basic farming methods of the region, the Dust Bowl persisted for nearly a decade. It contributed significantly to the length of the [[Great Depression]] in the United States.<ref>[http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/ok/es_ok_dustbowl_1.html Library of Congress. "America's Story from America's Library: The Dust Bowl of Oklahoma] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602021926/http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/ok/es_ok_dustbowl_1.html |date=June 2, 2013 }}." Retrieved July 30, 2013.</ref> Each of the three counties experienced a major loss of population during the 1930s.{{citation needed|date = September 2024}}

The social impact of the dust bowl and the resulting emigration of tenant farmers from Oklahoma is the setting for the 1939 novel ''[[The Grapes of Wrath]]'' by Nobel Prize-winning author [[John Steinbeck]].{{citation needed|date = September 2024}}

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
|1910= 32433
|1920= 31459
|1930= 30960
|1940= 21598
|1950= 26235
|1960= 25623
|1970= 26779
|1980= 28181
|1990= 25743
|2000= 29112
|2010= 28751
|2020= 28729
|estref = 
|align-fn = center
|footnote = U.S. Decennial Census data for Cimarron,<br>Texas and Beaver Counties in Oklahoma.
}}

As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], there were a total of 28,751 people, 10,451 households, and 7,466 families in the three counties that comprise the Oklahoma panhandle.<ref name="wwwcensusgov">[https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |date=July 9, 2021 }}, United States Census Bureau. (accessed September 3, 2013)</ref> The racial makeup of the region was 80.26% [[White Americans|white]] (including persons of mixed race), 59.46% [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic white]], 1.34% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.21% Native American, 1.18% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.12% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 15.53% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#Race|other races]], and 2.78% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]].<ref name="wwwcensusgov"/> [[Hispanic and Latino Americans]] made up 35.85% of the population.<ref name="wwwcensusgov"/> The median income for a household in the region was $34,404, and the median income for a family was $40,006. Males had a median income of $27,444 versus $19,559 for females. The per capita income for the region was $16,447.

==Cities and towns==

===Largest municipalities===

{{legend2|#b4ddb4|[[County seat]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{dagger|alt=County seat}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Rank
!Name
!Type
!Population
! data-sort-type="number"|Area
!County
!Inc.
!Note
|- style="background-color:#b4ddb4;"
| 1
| [[Guymon, Oklahoma|Guymon†]]
| City
| 12,965
| 7.76 sq mi
| [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas]]
| 1901
| Only [[Hispanic]] majority city or town in Oklahoma.
|-
| 2
| [[Hooker, Oklahoma|Hooker]]
| City
| 1,802
| 1.11 sq mi
| [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas]]
| 
|
|- style="background-color:#b4ddb4;"
| 3
| [[Beaver, Oklahoma|Beaver†]]
| Town
| 1,280
| 1.15 sq mi
| [[Beaver County, Oklahoma|Beaver]]
| 
| Host to the annual World Cow Chip Throwing Championship.
|- style="background-color:#b4ddb4;"
| 4
| [[Boise City, Oklahoma|Boise City†]]
| City
| 1,166
| 1.48 sq mi
| [[Cimarron County, Oklahoma|Cimarron]]
| 1925
|
|-
| 5
| [[Goodwell, Oklahoma|Goodwell]]
| Town
| 951
| 2.22 sq mi
| [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas]]
| 1903
| Home to [[Oklahoma Panhandle State University]].
|-
| 6
| [[Texhoma, Oklahoma|Texhoma]]
| Town
| 856
| 0.64 sq mi
| [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas]]
| 1908
| [[Divided city]] with [[Texhoma, Texas]]. The two cities have a combined population of 1,114.
|-
| 7
| [[Tyrone, Oklahoma|Tyrone]]
| Town
| 729
| 0.4 sq mi
| [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas]]
|
|
|-
|8
| [[Forgan, Oklahoma|Forgan]]
| Town
| 450
| 0.39 sq mi
| [[Beaver County, Oklahoma|Beaver]]
| 
|
|-
| 9
| [[Turpin, Oklahoma|Turpin]]
| Census designated place
| 442
| 1.00 sq mi
| [[Beaver County, Oklahoma|Beaver]]
| 
|
|- 
| 10
| [[Little Ponderosa, Oklahoma|Little Ponderosa]]
| Census designated place
| 438
| 0.75 sq mi
| [[Beaver County, Oklahoma|Beaver]]
| 
|
|}

===Other communities===
* [[Adams, Oklahoma|Adams]]
* [[Balko, Oklahoma|Balko]]
* [[Felt, Oklahoma|Felt]]
* [[Floris, Oklahoma|Floris]]
* [[Gate, Oklahoma|Gate]]
* [[Hardesty, Oklahoma|Hardesty]]
* [[Kenton, Oklahoma|Kenton]]
* [[Keyes, Oklahoma|Keyes]]
* [[Knowles, Oklahoma|Knowles]]
* [[Optima, Oklahoma|Optima]]
* [[Wheeless, Oklahoma|Wheeless]]

==Economy==
The panhandle is rather thinly populated (when compared to the rest of Oklahoma) making the labor force in this region very small. Farming and ranching operations occupy most of the economic activity in the region, with ranching dominating the drier western end. The region's higher educational needs are served by [[Oklahoma Panhandle State University]] in Goodwell, 10 miles southwest of Guymon.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=dCWjHf71PFgC&dq=Guymon%2C+the+panhandle%27s+largest+city&pg=PA206 Goins, Charles Robert and Danney Goble. "The Oklahoma Panhandle, 2000." In: ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013031133/https://books.google.com/books?id=dCWjHf71PFgC&dq=Guymon%2C+the+panhandle%27s+largest+city&pg=PA206 |date=October 13, 2023 }} Available on Google Books.p. 206. Retrieved January 19. 2014.</ref>

==Politics==
The Oklahoma panhandle is one of the most universally Republican areas of what has become one of the most Republican states in the nation. Beaver and Texas counties last supported a Democrat for president in 1948, while Cimarron County last supported a Democrat in 1976.<ref name="elect">{{cite web |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=40&f=0&off=99 |title=Oklahoma |work=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |access-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024203558/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=40&f=0&off=99 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[2024 United States presidential election in Oklahoma|2024 U.S. presidential election]], the three counties gave a weighted average of 86.1% of their votes to [[Donald Trump]] and 12.3% to [[Kamala Harris]], with Trump carrying the state over Harris 66.2% to 31.9%.<ref name="elect"/>

In the [[2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election]], the Oklahoma panhandle counties were the only three where the majority voted against the successfully reelected Democratic incumbent, Governor [[Brad Henry]]. In [[2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2012]], Democratic voters in the panhandle voted for [[Randall Terry]], an [[Anti-abortion movement|anti-abortion]] activist, over incumbent Democrat Barack Obama in the [[2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic Presidential primary]].

{{Hidden begin
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff;
|title      = Presidential election results 
}}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+ '''Including the entirety of Cimarron,<br>Texas, and Beaver County'''
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! Others
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2024|2024]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''86.1%''' ''7,117''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|12.3% ''1,017''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|1.6% ''131''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2020|2020]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''85.0%''' ''7,443''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|13.2% ''1,154''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|1.8% ''156''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2016|2016]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''83.3%''' ''7,577''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|12.1% ''1,105''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|4.6% ''420''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2012|2012]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''86.9%''' ''8,074''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|13.1% ''1,221''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''86.6%''' ''8,654''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|13.4% ''1,340''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''85.7%''' ''8,964''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|14.3% ''1,497''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''82.6%''' ''8,286''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|16.5% ''1,650''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.9% ''92''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.3%''' ''7,018''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|21.1% ''2,108''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|8.5% ''855''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.3%''' ''6,723''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|21.5% ''2,462''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|19.8% ''2,269''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''72.4%''' ''8,137''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.4% ''2,964''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|1.2% ''132''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''83.4%''' ''10,077''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|15.9% ''1,928''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.7% ''80''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''76.9%''' ''9,337''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.8% ''2,520''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|2.3% ''281''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''57.2%''' ''6,592''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.4% ''4,766''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|1.4% ''162''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''80.3%''' ''9,638''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|14.7% ''1,769''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|5.0% ''601''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.2%''' ''6,965''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.3% ''2,236''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|16.5% ''1,820''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''57.3%''' ''6,546''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|42.7% ''4,886''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''72.0%''' ''8,072''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.0% ''3,132''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1956|1956]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.8%''' ''8,173''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.2% ''3,644''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1952|1952]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.1%''' ''8,072''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.9% ''3,439''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1948|1948]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.0% ''3,746''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''58.0%''' ''5,183''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1944|1944]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.1%''' ''4,466''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|48.3% ''4,220''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.6% ''58''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1940|1940]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.6% ''4,978''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.7%''' ''5,854''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.7% ''80''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1936|1936]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|30.5% ''3,118''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''69.0%''' ''7,073''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.5% ''53''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1932|1932]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|28.0% ''3,301''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''72.0%''' ''8,481''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|0.0% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1928|1928]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.3%''' ''6,625''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.6% ''2,693''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|1.1% ''110''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1924|1924]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''45.6%''' ''3,896''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|43.0% ''3,679''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|11.4% ''976''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1920|1920]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''56.2%''' ''4,365''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.8% ''2,939''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|6.0% ''458''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1916|1916]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.6% ''1,958''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.8%''' ''3,118''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|15.6% ''938''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1912|1912]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|40.9% ''2,016''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''41.2%''' ''2,032''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}|17.9% ''887''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}}|'''[[U.S. presidential election, 1908|1908]]'''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}}|45.7% 3,048
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}}|'''46.9%''' ''3,131''
|align="center" {{Party shading/None}}}|7.4% 497
|}
{{Hidden end}}

==Points of interest==
* [[Black Mesa State Park]] features a hiking trail to the top of Oklahoma's highest point.
* [[Beaver Dunes Park]] features massive sand dunes along the Beaver River – located just north of the town of Beaver.
* [[Optima Lake]] is home to the [[Optima National Wildlife Refuge]].

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Beck, T.E. "[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v007/v007p168.html Cimarron Territory]," ''Chronicles of Oklahoma'' 7:2 (June 1929) 168–169 (retrieved August 16, 2006).
* [https://www.census.gov Counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle] United States Census Bureau
* Wardell, Morris L. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630083212/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v001/v001p060.html "The History of No-Man's Land, or Old Beaver County"], ''Chronicles of Oklahoma'' 1:1 (January 1921) 60–89 (retrieved August 16, 2006).

==Further reading==
* Christman, Harry E. (editor-original manuscript by Jim Herron). ''Fifty Years on the Owl Hoot Trail: The First Sheriff of No Man's Land, Oklahoma Territory''. Sage Books: Chicago, 1969.
* Lowitt, Richard. ''American Outback: The Oklahoma Panhandle in the Twentieth Century'' (Texas Tech University Press, 2006) . xxii, 137 pp. {{ISBN|0-89672-558-8}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-okla.html Oklahoma article Encyclopedia.com]
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-CimarronTe.html Oklahoma Panhandle was formerly called Cimarron Territory]
* [http://www.cimarronbsa.org Cimarron Council of the Boy Scouts of America]
* [http://www.okhistorycenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=30 Oklahoma History Center: Education Programs]
* [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI005 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Cimarron Territory]

{{Territories of the United States}}
{{Oklahoma}}
{{American panhandles}}

[[Category:Oklahoma Panhandle| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Pre-statehood history of Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Geography of Beaver County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Geography of Cimarron County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Geography of Texas County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:1850 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:1890 disestablishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Territory]]