Capron, Oklahoma
|
|
Capron is a town located in Woods County, Oklahoma. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 42.
Geography
OKMap-doton-Capron.PNG
Location of Capron, Oklahoma
Capron is located at 36°53'47" North, 98°34'42" West (36.896307, -98.578351)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²). 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 42 people, 17 households, and 10 families residing in the town. The population density is 147.4/km² (370.2/mi²). There are 20 housing units at an average density of 70.2/km² (176.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 100.00% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 17 households out of which 23.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% are married couples living together, 5.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% are non-families. 29.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 3.18.
In the town the population is spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 133.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 112.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $24,250, and the median income for a family is $23,750. Males have a median income of $22,500 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town is $11,156. 0.0% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line.
Prior to the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1893 Capron, Oklahoma was first known as Warren a small cattle station on the main line of the Santa Fe railroad. It consisted on a store, and an old railroad car left by the Santa Fe. Sometime after the opening of the strip residents wanted to come up with a new name for the growing town. The name was changed to Sterling, but the postal service and Santa Fe would not accept it because there was a town by that name on their line in Kansas. The names of Virgil and Kermit were proposed, but Santa Fe would not accept these names bacause of the same reason previously given. Therefore, a committee consisting of Mr. George Espy, postmaster, Dr. G.W. Todd, and Congressman Dennis Flynn were selected to select a name which the Santa Fe and Postal Service would accept. The name of Captain Allyn K. Capron, Jr. was proposed. Captain Capron was a member of Teddy Roosevelt's rough riders, and had been killed at the battle of San Juan Hill. The name of Capron was approved by a petition of the residents. The Santa Fe and U. S. Postal service accepted the name and so it stands today. At one time Capron was quite a thriving community. It had two Banks, the Bank of Capron, and the Capron State Bank, three general stores, two drug stores, a hotel, depot, a millinery shope, theatre, blacksmith, a weekly newspaper, The Capron Hustler, and a monthly newspaper, The Screach Owl, two barber shopes, hardware store, lumber yard, two Churches, Warburton Memorial Methodist Church, and First Congerational Church, the Driftwood Telephone Company and Hampton's Footpowder Factory. In April of 1939 a tornado struck Capron making a straight line down the main business street. Many of the residents of town did not even know the tornado has struck until the next morning when they went downtown to open their stores and found them gone. Most tornados sound like trains, and since a train goes through Capron about every 20 minutes no one noticed! Most of the above businesses, and the public school building which was only 10 years old were destroyed. The majority of these businesses were never rebuilt. However, the Public Schools were rebuilt. Capron was always concerned with having a good school system. In 1894 a small but enterprising group of Driftwood Township Citizens provided for the establishment of the first Capron Public Schools. The school consisted of grades 1-8 and consisted of a two room frame building located south and east of the present south Coop Grain Elevator. This building proved adequate until 1909 when a new two story brick building was build in the north end of town at the site of the present school building. The cost of the 1909 building was $8,500.00! In 1929 residents approved the building of a new one story building with a large gymnasium and auditorium attached. The old two story building was torn down to make way for this modern facility. This building was destroyed in the 1939 tornado and a new building, auditorium and gymnasium were built in 1940. At the time this facility was considered to be one of the best schools in northwest Oklahoma. Additions to the present building were made in 1952, vocational agriculture building; 1956 additional classrooms, and music room; and 1964 when a new cafeteria was added to the school. The high school was first accredited in 1912. In 1968 the high school was closed due to falling enrollment. There were no families in the school district on public assistance in 1968, and the patrons of the district never voted down a tax increase for their school. They wanted the very best for their children. The Elementry School, grades K-8 were closed in 1976 by a vote of the patrons which carried by only one vote. The vote was contested. This decision was taken to court and eventually upheld by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Today Capron has two large concrete grain elevators, a rural water district office, United Methodist Church, garage, filling station, and American Legion Post. The Post Office closed in 1994 after 100 years of service to the citizens of the area. It is hard to believe that any of this once thriving little center of trade ever existed and today lives only in the memories of many of its older residents.