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History · Blackgum

Blackgum’s post office opened in 1895

Below: maps from 1898 on.

1895first post office
0on the National Register
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Quick answers

How Blackgum began, and where its name came from

When was Blackgum founded?

1895

The Blackgum post office opened in 1895, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 47131 years

How did Blackgum get its name?

Blackgum was named for the blackgum tree.

Founding year: the first Blackgum post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What stands out about Blackgum’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Blackgum are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18984 editions of the USGS map, 1898 to 1982. Watch Blackgum change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Blackgum’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Blackgum’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Blackgum on the map, 1898 to 1982

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Blackgum. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Blackgum on the 1898 USGS mapBlackgum on the 1901 USGS mapBlackgum on the 1972 USGS mapBlackgum on the 1982 USGS map1898Tahlequah sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Blackgum.

The story so far

Blackgum, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Blackgum yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Blackgum is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Blackgum had a population of 47. Oklahoma State Highway 100 passes through the community. Blackgum had a post office from June 17, 1895, until February 15, 1995. It was named for the blackgum tree.

Its first post office opened in 1895. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 51 to 47 (-8%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Blackgum, 1895 to 1955

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1895Post officeThe Blackgum post office opens
  3. 1898On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1955Post officeThe Blackgum post office closes
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Blackgum

Nobody well known was born in Blackgum itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
John JarmanSon of John Henry Jarman I and Gran. · b. 1915
Frederick F. HenryUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1919
B
Bob DunnAmerican musician · b. 1908
B
Brian FosterAmerican mixed martial arts fighter · b. 1984
J
John WhisenantAmerican basketball player and coach · b. 1945
S
Steve OwensAmerican football player and administrator · b. 1947
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Blackgum had its own post office from 1895 to 1955.

Blackgum
1895–1955
18901960today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Blackgum’s history

What year was Blackgum founded?

The Blackgum post office opened in 1895, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.