2 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁were ▁below ▁the ▁pover ty ▁line , ▁including ▁half ▁( 4 5 . 3 %) ▁of ▁those ▁under ▁age ▁ 1 8 ▁and ▁ 1 3 . 6 % ▁of ▁those ▁age ▁ 6 5 ▁or ▁over . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁Econom y ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁separated ▁econom ically ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Oklahoma ▁by ▁what ▁the ▁econom ists ▁call ▁the ▁“ O u ach ita ▁bar rier ”. ▁ ▁The ▁K iam ichi ▁Mountains ▁and ▁the ▁mountains ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁them , ▁all ▁sub r anges ▁of ▁the ▁O u ach ita ▁Mountains , ▁cause ▁commerce ▁with ▁points ▁to ▁their ▁north ▁to ▁be ▁difficult . ▁ ▁Mc Al ester , ▁Oklahoma , ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁regional ▁trad ing ▁center ▁for ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County , ▁instead ▁seems ▁very ▁remote ▁from ▁it . ▁▁▁ ▁When ▁the ▁nation ’ s ▁Federal ▁Reserve ▁System ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁the ▁country ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁regional ▁federal ▁reserve ▁districts , ▁P ush m ata ha , ▁Cho ct aw ▁and ▁McC ur tain ▁count ies ▁all ▁fell ▁within ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Dallas ▁Federal ▁Reserve ▁Bank ▁and ▁its ▁regional ▁district . ▁ ▁The ▁rest ▁of ▁Oklahoma ▁falls ▁within ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Kansas ▁City ▁Federal ▁Reserve ▁Bank ▁and ▁its ▁regional ▁district . ▁ ▁This ▁dich ot omy ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁what ▁econom ists ▁realized ▁then , ▁and ▁remains ▁the ▁case — the ▁county ’