Weleetka, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Weleetka is a town in Okfuskee County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census.
The current principal of Weleetka High School is Chris Carter.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,014 people, 368 households, and 235 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,463.7 people per square mile (567.4/km²). There were 450 housing units at an average density of 649.6 per square mile (251.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 60.36% White, 6.31% African American, 23.77% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.08% from other races
, and 8.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.66% of the population.
There were 368 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples
living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,141, and the median income for a family was $26,917. Males had a median income of $23,542 versus $15,227 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,103. About 22.3% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
The railroad supported much of the business and hotels of the City in the first half of the 1900s. Trains entering town from the East were switched and broken down in Weleetka, and dispatched Northwest for either Oklahoma City, Guthrie or El Reno. Thanks to the railroad yard in Weleetka, the single Westbound train could thus become two Westbound trains. The reverse was true for Eastbound Trains. Weleetka was vital to the life of the railroad. The railroad provided regular passenger service and at one time boasted through Pullman sleeping cars
to and from St. Louis and Oklahoma City. The route of the FS&W served no major population centers, but did serve major coal mining operations in eastern Oklahoma at Coal Creek, Bokoshe, and McCurtain
. Other towns served included Crowder
, Okemah
, Boley
, Prague, Vernon
, Indianola
and Meridian. A major portion of the road's freight traffic was metallurgical-grade coal from San Bois Coal Company mines near McCurtain. As coal traffic declined, an oil discovery near Okemah brought additional traffic, which postponed the abandonment of the railroad. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad withdrew trackage rights between Fallis and Oklahoma City in January 1939 after FS&W defaulted on rental fees, and when the Fort Smith and Western ceased operations on February 9, 1939, Weleetka lost its major employer.
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 1,014 at the 2000 census.
Weleetka Schools
Weleetka Schools is a pre-kindergarden through 12th grade school.The current principal of Weleetka High School is Chris Carter.
Geography
Weleetka is located at 35°20′44"N 96°8′5"W (35.345626, -96.134592).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 0.7 square miles (1.8 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 1,014 people, 368 households, and 235 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 1,463.7 people per square mile (567.4/km²). There were 450 housing units at an average density of 649.6 per square mile (251.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 60.36% White, 6.31% African American, 23.77% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.08% 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 8.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.66% of the population.
There were 368 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% 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, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,141, and the median income for a family was $26,917. Males had a median income of $23,542 versus $15,227 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 $12,103. About 22.3% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
Weleetka was once a major railroad town, serving as the division point for the Fort Smith and Western Railway. All train crews changed out in Weleetka, the town also housed major shops and repair facilities for the Steam Locomotives. Headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the Fort Smith and Western was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The railroad's main line extended 217 miles, from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, through Weleetka to Guthrie, Oklahoma. The Fort Smith and Western owned a subsidiary, St. Louis, El Reno and Western which began operating 42 miles between Guthrie and El Reno, Oklahoma in June 1904. The railroad also acquired 32.5 miles of trackage rights over the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad from Fallis, Oklahoma to Oklahoma City.The railroad supported much of the business and hotels of the City in the first half of the 1900s. Trains entering town from the East were switched and broken down in Weleetka, and dispatched Northwest for either Oklahoma City, Guthrie or El Reno. Thanks to the railroad yard in Weleetka, the single Westbound train could thus become two Westbound trains. The reverse was true for Eastbound Trains. Weleetka was vital to the life of the railroad. The railroad provided regular passenger service and at one time boasted through Pullman sleeping cars
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
to and from St. Louis and Oklahoma City. The route of the FS&W served no major population centers, but did serve major coal mining operations in eastern Oklahoma at Coal Creek, Bokoshe, and McCurtain
McCurtain, Oklahoma
McCurtain is a town in Haskell County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 466 at the 2000 census.According to Frank Leslie's Weekly, 90 miners perished in a coal mine disaster in 1912...
. Other towns served included Crowder
Crowder, Oklahoma
Crowder is a town in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 436 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crowder is located at...
, Okemah
Okemah, Oklahoma
Okemah is a city in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Okfuskee County. It is the birthplace of folk music legend Woody Guthrie. Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, a federally recognized Muscogee Indian tribe, is headquartered in Okemah...
, Boley
Boley, Oklahoma
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...
, Prague, Vernon
Vernon, Oklahoma
Vernon is an unincorporated community in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. Its elevation is 696 feet . A cemetery and post office are located in the community. The post office, also known as Rock Front, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:The Fort Smith...
, Indianola
Indianola, Oklahoma
Indianola is a town in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Indianola is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
and Meridian. A major portion of the road's freight traffic was metallurgical-grade coal from San Bois Coal Company mines near McCurtain. As coal traffic declined, an oil discovery near Okemah brought additional traffic, which postponed the abandonment of the railroad. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad withdrew trackage rights between Fallis and Oklahoma City in January 1939 after FS&W defaulted on rental fees, and when the Fort Smith and Western ceased operations on February 9, 1939, Weleetka lost its major employer.
Weleetka murders
On June 8, 2008, 13-year-old Taylor Paschal-Placker and her best friend, Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11, were shot to death while walking along County Line Road in Weleetka. The case remains under active investigation.Further reading
- Poor's Manual of Railroads - 1919, Poor's Publishing Co., New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. - Drury, George H. (1985) Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Kalmbach Publishing Co., Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. ISBN 0-89024-072-8 - Hull, Clifton E. (1988) Shortline Railroads of Arkansas, UCA Press, Conway, ArkansasConway, ArkansasConway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
. ISBN 0-944436-00-5 - Hofsommer, Donovan L. (1982) Railroads of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma 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...
. ISBN 0-941498-27-1