Clayton, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Clayton is a town in Pushmataha County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 719 at the 2000 census
.
Dexter was located in Wade County, Choctaw Nation
.
The official name of the post office
name changed to Clayton, Indian Territory on April 5, 1907. Its name is thought to come from Clayton, Missouri
. It is also possible the town renamed itself after the popular William H.H. Clayton, judge
of the U.S. Court for the Central District of Indian Territory
. Judge Clayton was prominent in the role to gain Oklahoma
’s statehood.
Clayton is the largest town or community in northern Pushmataha County. It is the region’s largest trading center due to its relative distance from the county seat of Antlers, Oklahoma
—36 miles.
Flagpole Mountain retains a fire tower. Built of metal and several stories tall, it was once part of a network of towers, all manned, from which a fire watch was maintained. It is the only tower remaining in Pushmataha County, although it is no longer operational. Views from the tower are stunning, offering a panorama stretching for many miles in any direction.
Clayton, as regional trading center, remains economically healthy, with a locally based economy
. It is currently home to a public school, several churches, and numerous businesses and homes
.
During recent years the Clayton High School Auditorium (Oklahoma)
has become recognized as an architecturally and historically significant building, and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places
. The building was found to be a very unusual example of Works Progress Administration
architecture—one of only two known single-use auditoriums constructed by the WPA.
More information on the history of Clayton may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
.
, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it is land and 0.58% is water.
Using the Public Land Survey System
in use in Oklahoma
the community is located in T6-1N-R19E.
Clayton, located in the picturesque Kiamichi River
valley, is framed on its west by Flagpole Mountain (1,562 ft.) and to its east by unnamed mountains topping 1,600 feet in elevation. Within a few miles of Clayton is scenic McKinley Rocks, a collection of massive boulders strewn across a mountain top. South of Clayton is Clayton Lake State Park—which is surrounded by a pine tree forest—and northwest of town is Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam which impounds the water of Jack’s Fork Creek. The Pushmataha Wildlife Refuge is also nearby, featuring scenic views from its mountain summit.
of 2000, there were 719 people, 335 households, and 191 families residing in the town. The population density
was 424.0 people per square mile (163.3/km²). There were 404 housing units at an average density of 238.3 per square mile (91.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.41% White, 19.33% Native American, and 6.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 335 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $13,516, and the median income for a family was $23,269. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $15,556 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $11,530. Below the poverty line were 38.8% of people, 31.3% of families, 49.4% of those under 18 and 37.0% 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
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 719 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
Clayton was formerly known as Dexter. A United States Post Office was established at Dexter, Indian Territory on March 31, 1894. It was named for Dexter Chapman, early-day resident.Dexter 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....
.
The official name of the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
name changed to Clayton, Indian Territory on April 5, 1907. Its name is thought to come from Clayton, Missouri
Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...
. It is also possible the town renamed itself after the popular William H.H. Clayton, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the U.S. Court for the Central District of 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...
. Judge Clayton was prominent in the role to gain 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...
’s statehood.
Clayton is the largest town or community in northern Pushmataha County. It is the region’s largest trading center due to its relative distance from the county seat of Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,552 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pushmataha County.-Geography:Antlers is located at...
—36 miles.
Flagpole Mountain retains a fire tower. Built of metal and several stories tall, it was once part of a network of towers, all manned, from which a fire watch was maintained. It is the only tower remaining in Pushmataha County, although it is no longer operational. Views from the tower are stunning, offering a panorama stretching for many miles in any direction.
Clayton, as regional trading center, remains economically healthy, with a locally based economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. It is currently home to a public school, several churches, and numerous businesses and homes
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
.
During recent years the Clayton High School Auditorium (Oklahoma)
Clayton High School Auditorium (Oklahoma)
Clayton High School Auditorium is an historic structure serving the public school of Clayton, Oklahoma. Clayton is located in the Kiamichi Mountains of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma....
has become recognized as an architecturally and historically significant building, and has been added to 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...
. The building was found to be a very unusual example of Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
architecture—one of only two known single-use auditoriums constructed by the WPA.
More information on the history of Clayton 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...
.
Geography
Clayton is located at 34°35′16"N 95°21′25"W (34.587698, -95.357077). 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 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it is land and 0.58% is water.
Using the Public Land Survey System
Public Land Survey System
The Public Land Survey System is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. Its basic units of area are the township and section. It is sometimes referred to as the rectangular survey system,...
in use in 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...
the community is located in T6-1N-R19E.
Clayton, located in the picturesque 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...
valley, is framed on its west by Flagpole Mountain (1,562 ft.) and to its east by unnamed mountains topping 1,600 feet in elevation. Within a few miles of Clayton is scenic McKinley Rocks, a collection of massive boulders strewn across a mountain top. South of Clayton is Clayton Lake State Park—which is surrounded by a pine tree forest—and northwest of town is Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
Sardis Lake (Oklahoma)
Sardis Lake is a reservoir in Pushmataha County and Latimer County in Oklahoma, USA. The dam impounding the lake is located approximately north of Clayton. The lake covers with of shoreline. The lake is an impoundment of Jackfork Creek, a tributary of the Kiamichi River.The lake's normal pool...
, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam which impounds the water of Jack’s Fork Creek. The Pushmataha Wildlife Refuge is also nearby, featuring scenic views from its mountain summit.
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 719 people, 335 households, and 191 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 424.0 people per square mile (163.3/km²). There were 404 housing units at an average density of 238.3 per square mile (91.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.41% White, 19.33% Native American, and 6.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 335 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% 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, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $13,516, and the median income for a family was $23,269. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $15,556 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 $11,530. Below the poverty line were 38.8% of people, 31.3% of families, 49.4% of those under 18 and 37.0% of those over 64.