Albion, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Albion is a town in Pushmataha County
, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census
.
Prior to Oklahoma's statehood Albion was located in Wade County, Choctaw Nation
.
In its early days Albion—named by John T. Bailey, an Englishman
, using the [Ancient Greek] name for England—was a sawmill
town in the Indian Territory
. Later it became a trading center in an agricultural region in which cotton
and other crops were grown.
During the 1880s the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
, more popularly known as the “Frisco”, built a line from north to south through the Choctaw Nation
, connecting Fort Smith, Arkansas
with Paris, Texas
. The railroad paralleled the Kiamichi River
throughout much of its route in present-day Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Train
stations were established every few miles to aid in opening up the land and, more particularly, to serve as the locations of section houses. Supervisors for their respective miles of track lived in the section houses to administer the track and its right-of-way. These stations also served as points at which the trains could draw water.
The site of Albion was selected because of its proximity to the Kiamichi River, with its abundant water supply. Adjacent station stops were established at Talihina, Oklahoma
to the north, and Kiamichi, Oklahoma
to the south.
The sparsely populated area, at that time known as Wade County, Choctaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, was home to Choctaw Indians who farmed or subsisted on the land.
Few roads or trails existed. Transportation was provided by the Frisco Railroad, which offered six trains per day—three in each direction—until it closed to passenger traffic during the late 1950s. It continued freight operations until 1981, when it closed altogether and its rails were removed. The loss of passenger rail fortunately coincided with the construction of U.S. Highway 271.
Albion has more in common economically with Talihina, Oklahoma, the town to its north. Planners of the proposed State of Sequoyah
, who in 1905 proposed a state to be formed from the Indian Territory, realized this, and called for Albion to be the southernmost town in a county, Wade County, which was also to include Talihina and towns to its north, and stretch far to the north and west. Instead, Sequoyah was not admitted to the Union by Congress, and in the State of Oklahoma which followed it Albion became the northeastern-most town of a county whose geographic and population centers are far to Albion’s southwest.
Albion prospered during its first few decades. Most business was centered around a town square
, with residential neighborhoods ringing it. During recent decades, however, it has diminished greatly. United States Census
returns show it dropping from a high of 300 residents in 1920 to just 88 in 1990. More information on Albion may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
.
Albion became home to an internationally known poet and author when Mato Kosyk
, or Kossick, moved to the town in 1912. Locating there because its climate
was considered healthy and its views of the Kiamichi Mountains
were scenic, Kosyk lived for the next 28 years there, until his death in 1940. Kosyk, a Lutheran minister, immigrated to the United States from Werben
, Lower Lusatia
, Germany in 1883. He is considered one of the most significant writers in Sorbian
, a Slavic language, and his 150th birthday was celebrated by his followers in Europe in 2003. Unfortunately Kosyk may not have fared well during his years in Albion; according to accounts he was swindled and defrauded by unscrupulous residents.
During recent years the Mato Kosyk House
in Albion has been entered into the National Register of Historic Places
. It is considered significant in being the only surviving structure associated with the famous poet.
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 143 people, 53 households, and 34 families residing in the town. The population density
was 593.0 people per square mile (230.1/km²). There were 63 housing units at an average density of 261.3 per square mile (101.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.92% White, 12.59% Native American, and 3.50% from two or more races.
There were 53 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.56.
In the town the population was spread out with 36.4% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 70.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $14,464, and the median income for a family was $17,750. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $13,125 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $6,800. There were 20.0% of families and 33.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 43.2% of under eighteens and 8.7% of those over 64.
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...
, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
A United States Post Office opened at Albion, Indian Territory on December 6, 1887 and is still in operation.Prior to Oklahoma's statehood Albion was located in Wade County, Choctaw Nation
Wade County, Choctaw Nation
Wade County was a political subdivision of the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory. The county formed part of the nation’s Apukshunnubbee District, or First District, one of three administrative super-regions....
.
In its early days Albion—named by John T. Bailey, an Englishman
Englishman
Englishman may refer to:*English people*Grey Partridge*Jason Englishman, Canadian rock music singer and guitarist*Jenny-Bea Englishman, real name of the Canadien singer Esthero*Erald Briscoe, reggae musician who records under the name Englishman...
, using the [Ancient Greek] name for England—was a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
town in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. Later it became a trading center in an agricultural region in which cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and other crops were grown.
During the 1880s the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
The St. Louis – San Francisco Railway , also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to 1980.-History:...
, more popularly known as the “Frisco”, built a line from north to south through the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
, connecting Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
with Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
. The railroad paralleled the Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
throughout much of its route in present-day Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
stations were established every few miles to aid in opening up the land and, more particularly, to serve as the locations of section houses. Supervisors for their respective miles of track lived in the section houses to administer the track and its right-of-way. These stations also served as points at which the trains could draw water.
The site of Albion was selected because of its proximity to the Kiamichi River, with its abundant water supply. Adjacent station stops were established at Talihina, Oklahoma
Talihina, Oklahoma
Talihina is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States, its name originating from two Choctaw words, tully and hena, meaning iron road. Iron road is reference to the railroad that the town was built around. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to the north, and Kiamichi, Oklahoma
Kiamichi, Oklahoma
Kiamichi is a former community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, six miles east of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.A United States Post Office was established at Kiamichi, Indian Territory on September 27, 1887 and operated until September 14, 1962. The community and post office took its name from the...
to the south.
The sparsely populated area, at that time known as Wade County, Choctaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, was home to Choctaw Indians who farmed or subsisted on the land.
Few roads or trails existed. Transportation was provided by the Frisco Railroad, which offered six trains per day—three in each direction—until it closed to passenger traffic during the late 1950s. It continued freight operations until 1981, when it closed altogether and its rails were removed. The loss of passenger rail fortunately coincided with the construction of U.S. Highway 271.
Albion has more in common economically with Talihina, Oklahoma, the town to its north. Planners of the proposed State of Sequoyah
State of Sequoyah
The State of Sequoyah was the proposed name for a state to be established in the eastern part of present-day Oklahoma. In 1905, faced by proposals to end their tribal governments, Native Americans of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory proposed such a state as a means to retain some...
, who in 1905 proposed a state to be formed from the Indian Territory, realized this, and called for Albion to be the southernmost town in a county, Wade County, which was also to include Talihina and towns to its north, and stretch far to the north and west. Instead, Sequoyah was not admitted to the Union by Congress, and in the State of Oklahoma which followed it Albion became the northeastern-most town of a county whose geographic and population centers are far to Albion’s southwest.
Albion prospered during its first few decades. Most business was centered around a town square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
, with residential neighborhoods ringing it. During recent decades, however, it has diminished greatly. United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
returns show it dropping from a high of 300 residents in 1920 to just 88 in 1990. More information on Albion may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
Pushmataha County Historical Society
The Pushmataha County Historical Society is a historical society devoted to collecting and preserving the history of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma...
.
Albion became home to an internationally known poet and author when Mato Kosyk
Mato Kósyk
Mato Kosyk was a Sorbian poet and minister. He was born in Werben, Prussia, emigrated from Lower Lusatia to the United States, and died at his rural home near Albion, Oklahoma.- Youth :...
, or Kossick, moved to the town in 1912. Locating there because its climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
was considered healthy and its views of the Kiamichi Mountains
Kiamichi Mountains
The Kiamichi Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Oklahoma. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore, Pushmataha, and McCurtain counties near the towns of Poteau and Albion...
were scenic, Kosyk lived for the next 28 years there, until his death in 1940. Kosyk, a Lutheran minister, immigrated to the United States from Werben
Werben
Werben is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe River, approximately seven kilometres west of Havelberg. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Arneburg-Goldbeck...
, Lower Lusatia
Lower Lusatia
Lower Lusatia is a historical region stretching from the southeast of the Brandenburg state of Germany to the southwest of the Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Important towns beside the historic capital Lübben include Calau, Cottbus, Guben , Luckau, Spremberg, Finsterwalde, Senftenberg and Żary...
, Germany in 1883. He is considered one of the most significant writers in Sorbian
Sorbian
Sorbian may refer to more than one article:* Sorbs, a Slavic people in modern day Germany* Sorbian languages, a group of closely related West Slavic languages-See also:...
, a Slavic language, and his 150th birthday was celebrated by his followers in Europe in 2003. Unfortunately Kosyk may not have fared well during his years in Albion; according to accounts he was swindled and defrauded by unscrupulous residents.
During recent years the Mato Kosyk House
Mato Kosyk House
The Mato Kosyk House is a private residence in Albion, Oklahoma. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.- Mato Kosyk :...
in Albion has been entered into the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is considered significant in being the only surviving structure associated with the famous poet.
Geography
Using the statewide grid commonly in use in Oklahoma, Albion's coordinates are T2-2N-R21E. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 143 people, 53 households, and 34 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 593.0 people per square mile (230.1/km²). There were 63 housing units at an average density of 261.3 per square mile (101.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.92% White, 12.59% Native American, and 3.50% from two or more races.
There were 53 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.56.
In the town the population was spread out with 36.4% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 70.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $14,464, and the median income for a family was $17,750. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $13,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $6,800. There were 20.0% of families and 33.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 43.2% of under eighteens and 8.7% of those over 64.
Notable residents
- Mato KosykMato KósykMato Kosyk was a Sorbian poet and minister. He was born in Werben, Prussia, emigrated from Lower Lusatia to the United States, and died at his rural home near Albion, Oklahoma.- Youth :...
, Sorbian writer (see h t t p: // www. flickr. com/photos/25600678%40N08/3354733435).
External links
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Albion
- For photographs of Albion taken in 2009, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/koknor/3354579547/in/set-72157615018429253/