Vian, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Vian is a town in Sequoyah County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas
-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census
. It has three highways running through it: SH 82, or Thornton Street; U.S. 64, or Schley Street; and I-40. It is home to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge
on the Arkansas River
. It is a major destination on I-40 in Sequoyah County, for it is the only way to Tahlequah and Lake Tenkiller for miles. It is also the only I-40 Exit that goes on OK-82, and it is Exit 297. Lodging in Vian Includes the El Siesta Motel, the place where Timothy McVeigh
was said to have stayed the night before he bombed The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
in Oklahoma City
. There are a few resturaunts in Vian, including a Subway
at I-40 and SH 82. Other than three grocery stores, commerce in Vian is mostly thrift shops. Other than that, Vian is mostly a bedroom community.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,362 people, 503 households, and 339 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,702.3 people per square mile (657.3/km²). There were 558 housing units at an average density of 697.4 per square mile (269.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.54% White, 6.98% African American, 26.51% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 14.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 503 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples
living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $18,264, and the median income for a family was $24,167. Males had a median income of $26,731 versus $16,806 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,471. About 28.2% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 33.5% of those age 65 or over.
, was filmed in Vian. In the movie, it was credited as Tahlequah.
Sequoyah County, Oklahoma
Sequoyah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 38,972. Its county seat is Sallisaw.-History:...
, 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...
. It is part of the 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...
-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area
Fort Smith metropolitan area
The Fort Smith Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a five-county area including three Arkansas counties and two Oklahoma counties, and anchored by the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas...
. The population was 1,362 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...
. It has three highways running through it: SH 82, or Thornton Street; U.S. 64, or Schley Street; and I-40. It is home to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1970 to provide habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds and to provide food and cover for resident wildlife. The refuge was named in honor of Sequoyah, a Cherokee who developed an alphabet for the Cherokee language.-References:**...
on the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
. It is a major destination on I-40 in Sequoyah County, for it is the only way to Tahlequah and Lake Tenkiller for miles. It is also the only I-40 Exit that goes on OK-82, and it is Exit 297. Lodging in Vian Includes the El Siesta Motel, the place where Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
was said to have stayed the night before he bombed The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Federal Government complex located at 200 N.W. 5th Street in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people, including 19 children...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. There are a few resturaunts in Vian, including a Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
at I-40 and SH 82. Other than three grocery stores, commerce in Vian is mostly thrift shops. Other than that, Vian is mostly a bedroom community.
Geography
Vian is located at 35°29′52"N 94°58′15"W (35.497910, -94.970841).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 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all 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 1,362 people, 503 households, and 339 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 1,702.3 people per square mile (657.3/km²). There were 558 housing units at an average density of 697.4 per square mile (269.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.54% White, 6.98% African American, 26.51% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.22% 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 14.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 503 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% 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, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $18,264, and the median income for a family was $24,167. Males had a median income of $26,731 versus $16,806 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 $10,471. About 28.2% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 33.5% of those age 65 or over.
Vian in Popular Culture
A scene in the 1974 movie, Where the Red Fern GrowsWhere the Red Fern Grows
Where the Red Fern Grows is a children's novel written by Wilson Rawls about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs. This book is a popular choice for early middle school reading classes, with a reading level appropriate to grades 4 and up.-Plot summary:Before leaving work one...
, was filmed in Vian. In the movie, it was credited as Tahlequah.
Notable residents
- Kenyatta WrightKenyatta WrightKenyatta Terrell Wright was an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the NFL from 2003-2005. He was a four-year starter for Oklahoma State University, where he recorded 260 career tackles, 11 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery...
- NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... - Heath WrightRicochet (band)Ricochet is an American country music band from Oklahoma. The band was founded in 1993 by brothers Jeff Bryant and Junior Bryant , along with Heath Wright , Greg Cook , Teddy Carr , and Eddie Kilgallon ,After several years of...
and Greg CookRicochet (band)Ricochet is an American country music band from Oklahoma. The band was founded in 1993 by brothers Jeff Bryant and Junior Bryant , along with Heath Wright , Greg Cook , Teddy Carr , and Eddie Kilgallon ,After several years of...
- Two of the founding members of the band RicochetRicochet (band)Ricochet is an American country music band from Oklahoma. The band was founded in 1993 by brothers Jeff Bryant and Junior Bryant , along with Heath Wright , Greg Cook , Teddy Carr , and Eddie Kilgallon ,After several years of... - Bobby UsseryBobby UsseryRobert Nelson "Bobby" Ussery is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. His first race as a professional jockey came at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on November 22, 1951 where he rode Reticule to victory in the Thanksgiving Handicap. By the end of the decade...
- Hall of Fame JockeyJockeyA jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:... - Franklin GrittsFranklin GrittsFranklin Gritts, also known as Oau Nah Jusah, or They Have Returned, was a Cherokee artist best known for his contributions to the "Golden Era" of Native American art, both as a teacher and an artist....
- Cherokee painter