Dewey County, Oklahoma

Not to be confused with Dewey, Oklahoma.

Dewey County
County
Dewey County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°59′N99°00′W / 35.99°N 99°W / 35.99; -99
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1891
Named for	George Dewey
Seat	Taloga
Largest city	Seiling
Area
• Total	1,008 sq mi (2,610 km2)
• Land	999 sq mi (2,590 km2)
• Water	8.8 sq mi (23 km2)  0.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,484
• Density	4.4/sq mi (1.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Dewey County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,484. ^[1] Its county seat is Taloga. ^[2] The county was created in 1891 as "County D". ^[3] In an 1898 election, county voters chose the name Dewey, ^[4] honoring Admiral George Dewey. ^[5]

History

Lands assigned to the Choctaw and Seminole tribes extended into the area now occupied by Dewey County. Under the Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 the Choctaw and Chickasaw ceded their western domain to the United States. Known as the Leased District, part of the area became the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation. ^[6]

Dewey County was created in Oklahoma Territory in 1891 and was opened to non-Indian settlement on April 19, 1892. It was then named as County D by an act of Congress, and did not receive its present name until a general election in 1898. A wooden structure in Taloga was used as the county courthouse from 1909 until 1926, when the present courthouse was built. ^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,008 square miles (2,610 km²), of which 999 square miles (2,590 km²) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km²) (0.9%) is water. ^[7]

Most of the county is in the Gypsum Hills physiographic region, except that the western one-fourth of the county is in the High Plains region. It is drained by the Canadian and North Canadian Rivers. Canton Lake, built on the Canadian River in 1966, is the only significant lake or reservoir in the county. ^[6]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 60
• U.S. Highway 183
• U.S. Highway 270
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 34
• State Highway 47
• State Highway 51

Adjacent counties

• Woodward County (north)
• Major County (north)
• Blaine County (east)
• Custer County (south)
• Roger Mills County (southwest)
• Ellis County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	8,819		—
1910	14,132		60.2%
1920	12,434		−12.0%
1930	13,250		6.6%
1940	11,981		−9.6%
1950	8,789		−26.6%
1960	6,051		−31.2%
1970	5,656		−6.5%
1980	5,922		4.7%
1990	5,551		−6.3%
2000	4,743		−14.6%
2010	4,810		1.4%
2020	4,484		−6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010 [12]

Age pyramid for Dewey County, Oklahoma, based on census 2000 data.

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 4,743 people, 1,962 households, and 1,336 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km²). There were 2,425 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.16% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 4.64% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,962 households, out of which 26.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 5.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.40% 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 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,172, and the median income for a family was $36,114. Males had a median income of $26,675 versus $18,548 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,806. About 11.40% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023 [14]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	497	16.40%
	Republican	2,235	73.74%
	Others	299	9.86%
Total		3,031	100%

United States presidential election results for Dewey County, Oklahoma ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,984	89.57%	209	9.44%	22	0.99%
2020	2,124	90.04%	214	9.07%	21	0.89%
2016	1,965	87.41%	222	9.88%	61	2.71%
2012	1,792	85.62%	301	14.38%	0	0.00%
2008	1,857	84.29%	346	15.71%	0	0.00%
2004	1,843	81.87%	408	18.13%	0	0.00%
2000	1,607	72.39%	599	26.98%	14	0.63%
1996	1,179	51.24%	816	35.46%	306	13.30%
1992	1,244	44.72%	845	30.37%	693	24.91%
1988	1,543	60.49%	963	37.75%	45	1.76%
1984	2,098	75.55%	664	23.91%	15	0.54%
1980	1,943	67.56%	826	28.72%	107	3.72%
1976	1,230	43.54%	1,540	54.51%	55	1.95%
1972	2,106	74.79%	626	22.23%	84	2.98%
1968	1,508	53.46%	773	27.40%	540	19.14%
1964	1,438	47.07%	1,617	52.93%	0	0.00%
1960	2,115	66.16%	1,082	33.84%	0	0.00%
1956	1,896	56.70%	1,448	43.30%	0	0.00%
1952	2,583	66.85%	1,281	33.15%	0	0.00%
1948	1,494	42.17%	2,049	57.83%	0	0.00%
1944	2,166	54.33%	1,808	45.35%	13	0.33%
1940	2,613	51.87%	2,391	47.46%	34	0.67%
1936	1,846	37.96%	2,980	61.28%	37	0.76%
1932	1,051	21.42%	3,855	78.58%	0	0.00%
1928	2,486	65.35%	1,175	30.89%	143	3.76%
1924	1,539	44.43%	1,126	32.51%	799	23.07%
1920	1,738	51.76%	995	29.63%	625	18.61%
1916	796	29.36%	992	36.59%	923	34.05%
1912	1,086	36.78%	1,075	36.40%	792	26.82%

Economy

The county economy has centered on agriculture since it began to be settled. Principal crops have included corn, cotton, wheat, broomcorn, Kaffir corn, and oats. Truck farmers in the eastern part of the county grew tomatoes, watermelons, apples, blackberries, and other small fruits. Livestock (cattle, horses, mules, sheep and goats) raising had become important by the 1930s. These products were still economically important by the turn of the 21st century. ^[6]

Mineral extraction included oil and gas production (mainly in the 1940s and 1950s), bentonite, gypsum, clay and sand. In 2000, Dewey County had only two manufacturing businesses that employed more than ten people. ^[6]

Communities

City

• Seiling

Towns

• Camargo
• Leedey
• Oakwood
• Putnam
• Taloga (county seat)
• Vici

Unincorporated communities

• Fay (census-designated place)
• Lenora

Education

School districts include: ^[16]

• Canton Public Schools
• Leedey Public Schools
• Sharon-Mutual Public Schools
• Seiling Public Schools
• Taloga Public Schools
• Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified Schools
• Vici Public Schools

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dewey County, Oklahoma

References

1. "Dewey County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 11, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Oklahoma: Individual County Chronologies". Oklahoma Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
4. "Origin of County Names in Oklahoma." Chronicles of Oklahoma. Volume 2, Number 1. March 1924. Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved September 18, 2013.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  105.
6. Wilson, Linda D. "Dewey County". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
16. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dewey County, OK" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved October 13, 2024. - Text list

External links

• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Dewey County
• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory

35°59′N99°00′W / 35.99°N 99.00°W / 35.99; -99.00