Beaver

## History

The land where Beaver County is located has been under several jurisdictions. At one time, it was part of Mexico and then Texas before Texas became a state of the United States. Then in the Compromise of 1850, Texas ceded the land that would eventually become the Oklahoma panhandle to the United States government. The area was known as "No man's land|No Man's Land" because it belonged to no state or territorial government. From 1886 to 1890, it was a separate organized territory known as Cimarron Territory. After becoming part of the Oklahoma Territory in 1890, Beaver County (first called Seventh County) covered the entire Oklahoma Panhandle. At U.S. state|statehood in 1907, Cimarron County was taken from the western one-third, while Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas County was taken from the middle, leaving Beaver County only in the east. Its borders are now at 100°W (east), 37°N (north), 36.5°N (south), and approximately 100.8°W (west).

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Oklahoma by area.

Just north of the town of Beaver is the Beaver Dunes State Park.

### Major highways

* Image:US 64.svg|20px U.S. Route 64 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 64
* Image:US 83.svg|20px U.S. Route 83#Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 83
* Image:US 270.svg|20px U.S. Route 270 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 270
* Image:US 412.svg|20px U.S. Route 412 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 412
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 3.svg|20px State Highway 3 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 3
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 23.svg|20px State Highway 23 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 23

### Adjacent counties

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* Meade County, Kansas (north)
* Clark County, Kansas (northeast)
* Harper County, Oklahoma|Harper County (east)
* Ellis County, Oklahoma|Ellis County (southeast)
* Lipscomb County, Texas (south)
* Ochiltree County, Texas (southwest)
* Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas County (west)
* Seward County, Kansas (northwest)

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## Demographics

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There were 2,245 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.30% were Marriage|married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,715, and the median income for a family was $41,542. Males had a median income of $31,013 versus $20,162 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,905. About 8.80% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

## Politics

 Total

Although at one time competitive, Beaver has become strongly Republican in presidential elections. The last Democratic candidate to win the county was Harry Truman in 1948. In every election since 2000, the Republican presidential candidate has received over 85% of the county's vote.

It is part of Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district and as such is represented by Frank Lucas (Oklahoma politician)|Frank Lucas. In the Oklahoma Senate it is part of the 27th district and is represented by Republican Casey Murdock. In the Oklahoma House of Representatives it is part of the 61st district and is represented by Republican Kenton Patzkowsky.

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## Economy

Beaver County's economy has largely been based on agriculture since the turn of the 20th century. At first, the major crop was broomcorn, but that was overtaken by wheat in the 1920s. Railroads connected the county to agricultural markets and stimulated an influx of new farmers. Beginning in 1912, the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway built a line from Woodward through Gate to Forgan. Beaver, Meade and Englewood Railroad completed a spur in 1915 from Beaver to Forgan, which was extended westward in 1925–1927 to Hooker. New towns arose along the rail lines or old ones relocated along them.

## Communities

### Towns

* Beaver, Oklahoma|Beaver (county seat)
* Forgan, Oklahoma|Forgan
* Gate, Oklahoma|Gate
* Knowles, Oklahoma|Knowles

### Census-designated places

* Little Ponderosa, Oklahoma|Little Ponderosa
* Turpin, Oklahoma|Turpin

### Other unincorporated communities

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* Alpine, Oklahoma|Alpine
* Antelope, Oklahoma|Antelope
* Balko, Oklahoma|Balko
* Beatrice, Oklahoma|Beatrice
* Benton, Oklahoma|Benton
* Bluegrass, Oklahoma|Bluegrass
* Boyd, Oklahoma|Boyd
* Bryan's Corner, Oklahoma|Bryan's Corner
* Caleyville, Oklahoma|Caleyville
* Clear lake, Oklahoma|Clear lake
* Cline, Oklahoma|Cline
* Elmwood, Oklahoma|Elmwood
* Floris, Oklahoma|Floris
* Golden, Beaver County, Oklahoma|Golden
* Gray, Oklahoma|Gray
* Ivanhoe, Oklahoma|Ivanhoe
* LaKEMP, Oklahoma|LaKEMP
* Lockwood, Oklahoma|Lockwood
* Logan, Oklahoma|Logan
* Madison, Oklahoma|Madison
* Mocane, Oklahoma|Mocane
* Neutral City, Oklahoma|Neutral City
* Rothwell, Oklahoma|Rothwell
* Slapout, Oklahoma|Slapout
* Sod Town, Oklahoma|Sod Town
* Sophia, Oklahoma|Sophia
* Sunset, Oklahoma|Sunset
* Surprise, Oklahoma|Surprise

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## Recreation

The Template:Convert List of Oklahoma Wildlife Management Areas#Beaver River WMA|Beaver River WMA provides wildlife, hunting, fishing, boating, and swimming recreation.

## Cemeteries

### Meridian Cemetery

Meridian Cemetery is a cemetery that is located at Template:Coord in Beaver County. There are many unmarked graves and many lost graves.

Originally known as Cline Cemetery, established sometime in 1893 or 1894, named after the City of Cline, Oklahoma|Cline, which is now a ghost town, was sold to Meridian Cemetery Association in 1908. It was land originally owned by Phillip Huret, Jr. and consists of two acres of land. In 1908, it was sold for $150 to the Meridian Cemetery Association.

## NRHP sites

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Beaver County, Oklahoma
The following sites in Beaver County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

* Floris Grain Elevator, Floris
* Gate School (Gate, Oklahoma)|Gate School, Gate
* Knowles Grain Elevator, Turpin
* Lane Cabin, Beaver City
* Lonker Archeological Site, Gate
* Presbyterian Church (Beaver, Oklahoma)|Presbyterian Church, Beaver City
* Rose, Billy, Archeological Site, Mocane
* Sharps Creek Crossing Site, Turpin
* Turpin Grain Elevator, Turpin

## Further reading

* Template:Cite book
* Template:Cite book 2 v. illus. (part col.) 32 cm.

## External links

* Hodges, V. Pauline. "Beaver County," *Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture*, 2009. Accessed March 18, 2015.
* Beaver County Government site
* McCasland Digital Collection of Early Oklahoma and Indian Territory Maps

Template:Geographic Location

Template:Beaver County, Oklahoma
Template:NRHP in Beaver County, Oklahoma
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Category:1890 establishments in Oklahoma Territory
Category:Populated places established in 1890
Category:Oklahoma Panhandle
Category:Sundown towns in Oklahoma

1. ↑ State & County QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau.
2. ↑ Find a County. National Association of Counties.
3. ↑ *Chronicles of Oklahoma*. "Origin of County Names in Oklahoma." v. 2, N, 1. March 1924. Retrieved May 26, 2013.[1] Template:Webarchive
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Turner, Kenneth R."No Man's Land," *Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture*, 2009. Accessed March 28, 2015.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hodges, V. Pauline. "Beaver County," *Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture*, 2009. Accessed March 28, 2015.
6. ↑ 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau (August 22, 2012).
7. ↑ U.S. Census website , United States Census Bureau. (accessed September 4, 2013)
8. ↑ Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County (November 1, 2019).
9. ↑ Geographie Electorale
10. ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Retrieved July 9, 2020.
11. ↑ Meridian Cemetery — Cemetery in Laverne, OK (en).
12. ↑ Template:Cite book