Taft
Located in eastern Oklahoma, Taft boasted a predominately black market for farmers in the early 20th century. The town was previously named Twine after the well-known lawyer, editor, and politician W.H. Twine. Taft was renamed in honor of president William Howard Taft in 1908. The all-Black city, founded in 1903, has since lost some of its economic stronghold but exists today as a town that profits from being an employee of the state of Oklahoma; Taft employs nearly 1600 people at the Jess Dunn correctional facility and the Eddie Warrior facility for women combined. However, the town itself is only home to a few hundred inhabitants. In addition, Taft boasts the first elected African-American female mayor in the nation, Lelia Foley- Davis.
City Hall
208 W. Seminole
Taft, OK 74463
918-683-0568
918-686-9459 (Fax)
- Jess Dunn and Eddie Warrior correctional facilities: http://www.doc.state.ok.us
- City of Taft: http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/okcountytaft.htm
| About the Center | Tulsa Race Riot of
1921 | Materials for Teachers |
| Historic All-Black Towns | Web Sites |
African-American Firsts Challenge |
| This Month in History |
African-American Authors |
African-American Inventions |
| Back to African- American Resource Center Home Page |