The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

LOTSEE.

The incorporated town called Lotsee lies in Tulsa County, west of Sand Springs and south of U.S Highway 412. Lotsee occupies two thousand acres, approximately 0.2 square miles of land, which constitutes the Flying G Ranch. In 1963 George Campbell, an attorney who owned the ranch, incorporated Lotsee in order to stave off annexation of his property into the city limits of Tulsa or Sand Springs, which are situated very nearby. He named the town for his daughter. Since his death, his descendants, the Spradling family, have owned the property.

Lotsee’s economy generally has been driven by cattle and horse raising and pecan growing. The town has also hosted such youth groups as the Scouts. In the twenty-first century the ranch and town have partnered with Tulsa Global Alliance to bring in a select clientele of international visitors. Public amenities, available by request, have included a landing strip for small airplanes. A public swimming pool, which was built for use by nearby residents, no longer operates. U.S. Censuses recorded a population of 16 in 1970, 7 in 1980, 7 in 1990, 11 in 2000, and 2 in 2010. The April 2020 census reported a population of 6 for the community. Although tiny, Lotsee does not hold the record for the state’s smallest town; that distinction belongs to Hoot Owl, a formerly incorporated place with a population of 1 (one) in 2010.

Dianna Everett