In 1923 Marlow was the site of a notorious lynching incident. Albert Berch, a white hotel owner, hired a black man named Robert Johnigan to work as a porter and sleep in the hotel. Both were soon killed by a mob of enraged residents on December 17, 1923. Berch was killed with a single shot to the head, while Johnigan was severely beaten and shot before dying the next day. As late as 1990, Marlow was a sundown town with a sign bearing the command "Negro, don't let the sun go down on you here." warning African Americans against being present in town after dark. While Oklahoma is 7% black, in the 2000 census 0.2% of the population of Marlow was black.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,662 people, 1,862 households, and 1,257 families residing in the city. The population density was 657 people per square mile. There were 2,119 housing units at an average density of 298.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 87.2% white, 0.2% African American, 5.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos were 4.4% of the population, having doubled since 2000. There were 1,862 households out of which half were married couples, a third included children under the age of 18, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. of households were made up of individuals; 14.5% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3. In the city, the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 88 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,221, and the median income for a family was $57,713. Males had a median income of $34,325 versus $29,21 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,299. An estimated 10.7% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
Entertainment
Entertainment in Marlow includes:
Redbud Park located in the eastern part of the town that includes; the Hideout, a trail through the park, a stage for concerts, and the Outlaw cave
The Life Center, a church funded recreational center that includes a basketball court, a walking track, and several rooms that can be rented
Miller Park in the western part of the town that includes the public pool, Miller Pond, and the Mile trail
Education
The City of Marlow is serviced by the Marlow Public School District. Marlow High School is located near the center of town, and Marlow Elementary School and Marlow Middle school are also located in town.
