Tatums

Carter County · at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tatums

Tatums is one of 13 All-Black towns, out of more than 50 that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Tatums was established in 1895 and is named for Lee Tatum, the first postmaster and a US marshal. Oil wells were drilled in the vicinity during the 1920s. The silent movie Black Gold was filmed in Tatums in 1927.

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

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Marker data: Oklahoma Historical Society, Historical Marker Program. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's marker database, reproduced with the Society's written permission.
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On the National Register nearby

Bethel Missionary Baptist Church30 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.