Boley, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Boley is a town in Okfuskee County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1903.
The Boley Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Sweetwater
for the smallest high school with 15 students. For a combined district, K-12, Boley finished first, just ahead of Clarita
(58) and Sweetwater (60), with 51 students. Boley is also home to BBQ equipment maker, Smokaroma, Inc, and the John Lilley Correctional Center. The Boley Historic District is a National Historic Landmark
. Currently Boley hosts The Annual Boley Rodeo
& Bar-B-Que Festival festival.
, the United States negotiated new treaties with tribes that allied with the Confederacy
. It required them to emancipate their slaves and give them membership in the tribes. Those formerly slaves were called the Creek Freedmen. At the time of allotments to individual households under the Dawes Commission, Creek Freedmen were registered as such on the Dawes Rolls (even if they were of mixed-race and also descended directly from Creek ancestors.) Creek Freedmen set up independent townships, of which Boley was one.
The coming of the Fort Smith & Western Railroad allowed agricultural land to be more profitably used as a townsite. Property owned by the Barnett family, among other Creek Freedmen, was midway between Paden
and Castle
, and ideal for a station stop. With the approval of the railroad management, Boley, Creek Nation, Indian Territory
was created. As there were no other African-American towns nearby, it became a center of regional business. During the early part of the 20th century, Boley was one of the wealthiest Negro towns in the US. It boasted the first nationally chartered bank owned by blacks, and its own electric company. Booker T. Washington
visited Boley in 1905, and was so impressed that he included Boley in his speeches.
Boley's development paralleled that of the railroad. After World War I
, a fall in agricultural prices and the bankruptcy of the railroad caused Boley's failure. It went bankrupt in 1939 during the Great Depression
. With the Second Great Migration
underway, by 1960 most of the population had left for other urban areas. So far the New Great Migration
has not benefited Boley.
Est. August 1903 - Inc. May 1905
Boley, Creek Nation, I.T.
, Established as all black town on land of Creek Indian Freedwoman Abigail Barnett. Organized by T.M. Hayes first townsite manager. Named for J.B. Boley, white roadmaster, who convinced Fort Smith & Western Railroad that blacks could govern themselves. This concept soon boosted population to 4,200. Declared National Historic Landmark District by Congress 5-15-1975. Oklahoma Historical Society
"Boley, Indian Territory, is the youngest, most enterprising, and in many ways the most interesting of the Negro towns in the US."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,126 people, 136 households, and 79 families residing in the town. The population density
was 684.6 people per square mile (265.1/km²). There were 153 housing units at an average density of 93.0 per square mile (36.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 35.61% White, 54.71% African American, 4.97% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 1.51% from other races
, and 3.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.11% of the population.
There were 136 households out of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples
living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% 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 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 7.6% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 51.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 407.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 490.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,042, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $9,304. About 25.0% of families and 40.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.5% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.
Okfuskee County, Oklahoma
Okfuskee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 11,814. Its county seat is Okemah.-Geography:...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1903.
The Boley Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Sweetwater
Sweetwater, Oklahoma
Sweetwater is a town in Beckham and Roger Mills counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It was incorporated in 2003. Named for nearby Sweetwater Creek, the town is at the junction of State Highway 30 and State Highway 152...
for the smallest high school with 15 students. For a combined district, K-12, Boley finished first, just ahead of Clarita
Clarita, Oklahoma
Clarita is a small unincorporated community in Coal County, Oklahoma, United States. The post office was established January 19, 1910.Clarita's school district, Olney Public School District, is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma...
(58) and Sweetwater (60), with 51 students. Boley is also home to BBQ equipment maker, Smokaroma, Inc, and the John Lilley Correctional Center. The Boley Historic District is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. Currently Boley hosts The Annual Boley Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
& Bar-B-Que Festival festival.
History
This area was settled by Creek Freedmen, whose ancestors had been held as slaves of the Creek at the time of Indian Removal in the 1830s. After the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the United States negotiated new treaties with tribes that allied with the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. It required them to emancipate their slaves and give them membership in the tribes. Those formerly slaves were called the Creek Freedmen. At the time of allotments to individual households under the Dawes Commission, Creek Freedmen were registered as such on the Dawes Rolls (even if they were of mixed-race and also descended directly from Creek ancestors.) Creek Freedmen set up independent townships, of which Boley was one.
The coming of the Fort Smith & Western Railroad allowed agricultural land to be more profitably used as a townsite. Property owned by the Barnett family, among other Creek Freedmen, was midway between Paden
Paden, Oklahoma
Paden is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 446 at the 2000 census. It is named for Paden Tolbert, a U.S. Deputy Marshall who served the area in the early 1900s.-History:...
and Castle
Castle, Oklahoma
Castle is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 122 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Castle is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, and ideal for a station stop. With the approval of the railroad management, Boley, Creek Nation, 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...
was created. As there were no other African-American towns nearby, it became a center of regional business. During the early part of the 20th century, Boley was one of the wealthiest Negro towns in the US. It boasted the first nationally chartered bank owned by blacks, and its own electric company. Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
visited Boley in 1905, and was so impressed that he included Boley in his speeches.
Boley's development paralleled that of the railroad. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a fall in agricultural prices and the bankruptcy of the railroad caused Boley's failure. It went bankrupt in 1939 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. With the Second Great Migration
Second Great Migration (African American)
The Second Great Migration was the migration of more than 5 million African Americans from the South to the North, Midwest and West. It took place from 1941, through World War II, and lasted until 1970. It was much larger and of a different character than the first Great Migration...
underway, by 1960 most of the population had left for other urban areas. So far the New Great Migration
New Great Migration
The New Great Migration is the term for demographic changes from 1965 to the present which are a reversal of the previous 35-year trend of black migration within the United States...
has not benefited Boley.
Timeline
- 1903 Founding
- 1905 Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. WashingtonBooker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
tours the newly incorporated Boley. Newspaper The Boley Progress starts publication. - 1907 Oklahoma becomes a state. Although by 1897 Oklahoma law required black children to be educated separately from white children, with statehood the legislature passed Jim Crow laws similar to those in much of the South. Oklahoma was no longer a refuge for colored people from Jim Crow.
- 1911 Facts about Boley, Okla. the largest and wealthiest exclusive Negro city in the world. (Boley, OK: Commercial Club, 1911
- 1922 "Produced in the All-Colored City of Boley, Okla." The Crimson Skull; Baffling Western Mystery Photo-Play, starring Bill PickettBill PickettWillie M. "Bill" Pickett was a cowboy and rodeo performer.Pickett was born in the Jenks-Branch community of Travis County, Texas. He was the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former slave, and Mary "Janie" Gilbert. Pickett had 4 brothers and 8 sisters...
, was an example of the race movieRace movieThe race movie or race film was a film genre which existed in the United States between about 1915 and 1950. It consisted of films produced for an all-black audience, featuring black casts....
genre. - 1925, State Training School for Incorrigible Negro Boys was located in Boley; it would become the John Lilley Correctional Center.
- 1926 The Boley Progress ceases publication.
- 1932 Armed citizens of Boley thwart a bank robbery attempt by members of Pretty Boy FloydPretty Boy FloydCharles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was an American bank robber. He operated in the West South Central States, and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s. Like most other prominent outlaws of that era, he was killed by law enforcement officers...
's gang. - 1934 30th Anniversary Celebration
- 1939 Fort Smith & Western Railroad and Boley go bankrupt.
- 1959 Smokarama founded.
- 1961 First of the Annual Boley Rodeo & Bar-B-Que Festivals.
- 1975 Boley National Historic District given landmark status.
Inscription on Oklahoma Historical Society plaque honoring Boley
Boley, OklahomaEst. August 1903 - Inc. May 1905
Boley, Creek Nation, I.T.
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...
, Established as all black town on land of Creek Indian Freedwoman Abigail Barnett. Organized by T.M. Hayes first townsite manager. Named for J.B. Boley, white roadmaster, who convinced Fort Smith & Western Railroad that blacks could govern themselves. This concept soon boosted population to 4,200. Declared National Historic Landmark District by Congress 5-15-1975. Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma Historical Society
The Oklahoma Historical Society is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma....
Quotations about Boley from Booker T. Washington
"They have recovered something of the knack for trade that their fore-parents in Africa were famous for"."Boley, Indian Territory, is the youngest, most enterprising, and in many ways the most interesting of the Negro towns in the US."
Geography
Boley is located at 35°29′34"N 96°28′54"W (35.492813, -96.481776). The cemetery is located south west of the town.According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 1.6 square miles (4.1 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 1,126 people, 136 households, and 79 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 684.6 people per square mile (265.1/km²). There were 153 housing units at an average density of 93.0 per square mile (36.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 35.61% White, 54.71% African American, 4.97% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 1.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.11% of the population.
There were 136 households out of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% 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, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% 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 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 7.6% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 51.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 407.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 490.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,042, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $20,625 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 $9,304. About 25.0% of families and 40.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.5% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- History of Boley on The African American Registry
- Black heritage sites, Boley Historic District, By Nancy C. Curtis
- Oklahoma Historical Society, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture, Boley
- Boley cemetery index from rootsweb
- History of Boley published 1945 from rootsweb
- NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM including a history and inventory of historic buildings
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Boley
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - All-Black Towns