Dewey County, Oklahoma

Dewey County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,810.[1] Its county seat is Taloga.[2] The county was created in 1891 as "County D".[3] In an 1898 election, county voters chose the name Dewey,[4] honoring Admiral George Dewey.[5]

Not to be confused with Dewey, Oklahoma.
Dewey County
U.S. county
Dewey County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°59′N 99°00′W
Country United States
State Oklahoma
Founded1891
SeatTaloga
Largest citySeiling
Area
 • Total1,008 sq mi (2,610 km2)
 • Land999 sq mi (2,590 km2)
 • Water8.8 sq mi (23 km2)  0.9%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
4,894
 • Density4.8/sq mi (1.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd

History

Lands assigned to the Choctaw and Seminole tribes extended into the area now occupied by Dewey County. Under the Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 the Choctaw and Chickasaw ceded their western domain to the United States. Known as the Leased District, part of the area became the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation.[6]

Dewey County was created in Oklahoma Territory in 1891 and was opened to non-Indian settlement on April 19, 1892. It was then named as County D by an act of Congress, and did not receive its present name until a general election in 1898. A wooden structure in Taloga was used as the county courthouse from 1909 until 1926, when the present courthouse was built.[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,008 square miles (2,610 km2), of which 999 square miles (2,590 km2) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km2) (0.9%) is water.[7]

Most of the county is in the Gypsum Hills physiographic region, except that the western one-fourth of the county is in the High Plains region. It is drained by the Canadian and North Canadian Rivers. Canton Lake, built on the Canadian River in 1966, is the only significant lake or reservoir in the county.[6]

Major highways
  • U.S. Highway 60
  • U.S. Highway 183
  • U.S. Highway 270
  • U.S. Highway 281
  • State Highway 34
  • State Highway 47
  • State Highway 51

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19008,819—
191014,13260.2%
192012,434−12.0%
193013,2506.6%
194011,981−9.6%
19508,789−26.6%
19606,051−31.2%
19705,656−6.5%
19805,9224.7%
19905,551−6.3%
20004,743−14.6%
20104,8101.4%
Est. 20184,894[8]1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[1]
Age pyramid for Dewey County, Oklahoma, based on census 2000 data.

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 4,743 people, 1,962 households, and 1,336 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 2,425 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.16% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 4.64% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,962 households out of which 26.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 5.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.30% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,172, and the median income for a family was $36,114. Males had a median income of $26,675 versus $18,548 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,806. About 11.40% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 15, 2019[14]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
Democratic 812 27.66%
Republican 1,852 63.08%
Others 272 9.27%
Total 2,936 100%
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 87.4% 1,965 9.9% 222 2.7% 61
2012 85.6% 1,792 14.4% 301
2008 84.3% 1,857 15.7% 346
2004 81.9% 1,843 18.1% 408
2000 72.4% 1,607 27.0% 599 0.6% 14
1996 51.2% 1,179 35.5% 816 13.3% 306
1992 44.7% 1,244 30.4% 845 24.9% 693
1988 60.5% 1,543 37.8% 963 1.8% 45
1984 75.6% 2,098 23.9% 664 0.5% 15
1980 67.6% 1,943 28.7% 826 3.7% 107
1976 43.5% 1,230 54.5% 1,540 2.0% 55
1972 74.8% 2,106 22.2% 626 3.0% 84
1968 53.5% 1,508 27.4% 773 19.1% 540
1964 47.1% 1,438 52.9% 1,617
1960 66.2% 2,115 33.8% 1,082
1956 56.7% 1,896 43.3% 1,448
1952 66.9% 2,583 33.2% 1,281
1948 42.2% 1,494 57.8% 2,049
1944 54.3% 2,166 45.4% 1,808 0.3% 13
1940 51.9% 2,613 47.5% 2,391 0.7% 34
1936 38.0% 1,846 61.3% 2,980 0.8% 37
1932 21.4% 1,051 78.6% 3,855
1928 65.4% 2,486 30.9% 1,175 3.8% 143
1924 44.4% 1,539 32.5% 1,126 23.1% 799
1920 51.8% 1,738 29.6% 995 18.6% 625
1916 29.4% 796 36.6% 992 34.1% 923
1912 36.8% 1,086 36.4% 1,075 26.8% 792

Economy

The county economy has centered on agriculture since it began to be settled. Principal crops have included corn, cotton, wheat, broomcorn, Kaffir corn, and oats. Truck farmers in the eastern part of the county grew tomatoes, watermelons, apples, blackberries, and other small fruits. Livestock (cattle, horses, mules, sheep and goats) raising had become important by the 1930s. These products were still economically important by the turn of the 21st Century.[6]

Mineral extraction included oil and gas production (mainly in the 1940s and 1950s), bentonite, gypsum, clay and sand. In 2000, Dewey County had only two manufacturing businesses that employed more than ten people.[6]

Communities
gollark: What do you actually want help with?
gollark: Okay... what is it?
gollark: Well, yes, indeed.
gollark: Yes, but I mean it's easy to have the computer do redstone IO.
gollark: If you just want to toggle them on and off that's just redstone and easy.

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "Oklahoma: Individual County Chronologies". Oklahoma Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  4. "Origin of County Names in Oklahoma." Chronicles of Oklahoma. Volume 2, Number 1. March 1924. Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 105.
  6. Wilson, Linda D. "Dewey County". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  14. "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-29.

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