OKLAHOMA CITY – Hochatown, the small, wildly popular tourist spot in southeastern Oklahoma, could be much closer to getting its ZIP code back after two U.S. senators stepped in to help.
On Wednesday, Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford said he filed legislation to direct the U.S. Postal Service to restore Hochatown’s ZIP code. Lankford’s bill would also assign a ZIP code to North Enid in Garfield County.
“I’m hopeful unique ZIP codes for Hochatown and North Enid will bring clarity for postal deliveries and online sales tax collections— and, most importantly, ensure clear communication with first responders during emergencies,” Lankford said in a media statement.
The bill – S.3176 – drew support from U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Mullin, a Republican, is listed as a cosponsor of the measure.
Lankford said he also filed companion legislation, S.3175, which would create a pilot program for ZIP code boundary changes. Under the program, if a requested boundary change is denied solely due to cost, the requester must be notified in writing, provided a cost estimate, and offered the opportunity to offset those costs.
The move drew praise from Oklahoma attorney and historian Bob Burke.
Bruke, who has fought for the ZIP code and whose family hails from Hochatown, told Southwest Ledger he was extremely grateful to both lawmakers and their staffs for listening to Hochatown town leaders and residents who need their own post office.
“Hochatown had a working post office until Broken Bow Lake was impounded and the original Hochatown was flooded. In fact, my great uncle, Arnold Kincaid, was the postmaster for decades. The government forced him to retire when the post office was closed,” he said. “It is only right that the people of Hochatown now have hope provided by Senator Lankford that the town can have its post office restored.”
Echoing Burke, Hochatown’s former mayor, Dian Jordan – another principal in the fight for the ZIP code – said she was grateful to both Lankford and Mullin.
“Everyone said we couldn’t do it. Everyone said it would take an act of Congress-- that it would be difficult,” Jordan said. “I did agree it would be difficult, but I don’t agree it’s impossible.”
The senators, Jordan said, understood why Hochatown needs a ZIP code.
“We are very pleased,” she said. “There are compelling reasons for restoring the ZIP code.”
Jordan and others have been fighting for years to get the town’s ZIP code restored.
Two years ago in March, Jordan and Sara Jane Smallwood- Cocke, an official with the Choctaw Nation, sent a joint letter to postal officials asking that Hochatown’s ZIP code be reinstated.
The letter was also copied to three members of the state’s congressional delegation: Lankford, Mullin and U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen.
“In November 2022, residents of Hochatown, Oklahoma, voted to officially incorporate as the Town of Hochatown. It is the newest old town, having been established two hundred years ago as a Choctaw tribal settlement. The USPS has a long history of service to this area,” the pair’s letter said. “With incorporation, we are in the unusual position of not specifically asking for a new ZIP code boundary review. One of our first steps in helping our town is to reinstate our previous ZIP code, 74742. There are several critical arguments for the Hochatown ZIP code to be reinstated.”
A year later, the Postal Service answered.
The letter, which listed an unknown person’s name in the greeting and not Jordan, said the Postal Service was denying Hochatown’s request to reinstate its ZIP code.
“After a review of your request and the documentation, granting a change of the assigned ZIP code would not have any appreciable positive impact on our operations or service to your community at this time,” the letter said.
“ZIP code boundaries rarely mirror exact city, county or township boundaries.”
The letter was signed by Diane Ingland, the Postal Service's district manager for the Oklahoma and Arkansas region. Ingland said the agency would hear an appeal to her decision if that appeal was made within 45 days.
On Aug. 8, the pair sent an appellate letter but that appeal also was denied. Jordan said she received notification of the denial on Friday, Dec. 18, 2023.
'They used the same excuses as last time,' she said. 'And they also said it would be too expensive.'
Since then, the battle over the ZIP code has continued. Lankford’s move, Jordan said, injects some much-needed influence into the issue.
“It makes us hopeful,” she said.
Both measures have been assigned to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Lankford holds a seat. Should S.3176 become law, the USPS would have up to 270 days to designate the new ZIP codes.