Avard, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Avard is a town in Woods County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 26 at the 2000 census
and is sometimes considered a ghost town. After initial growth Avard began declining in the 1930s. Avard had a post office from June 1, 1895, until November 22, 1963.
to tie in with the Santa Fe. The town was named for Isabell Avard Todd, the wife of Frank Todd, the first postmaster. The town was served by the Southern Arkansas Railway (Santa Fe
) and Arkansas Valley and Western Railroad
(Frisco).
Avard had mercantile establishments, two hotels, a bank, a livestock auction, and an elevator. A weekly newspaper, the Avard Tribune operated from 1904 to 1918. It was a major cattle shipping point for the area.
250 people lived in the town in 1909.
Important rail transfer point for freight and passengers from 1910 to 1930.
, dust storms, farm consolidation, and changing travel habits. Additionally the town was struck by tornadoes in 1943 and 1944.
Today only a cafe, elevator and church are left in operation. There are also a few unused store buildings.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 26 people, 13 households, and 6 families residing in the town. The population density
was 126.7 people per square mile (47.8/km²). There were 17 housing units at an average density of 82.8 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.15% White, and 3.85% from two or more races.
There were 13 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
living together, and 53.8% were non-families. 46.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 116.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $14,583 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $11,757. There were no families and 17.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 50.0% of those over 64.
Woods County, Oklahoma
Woods County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 9,089. Its county seat is Alva. The county is named after Samuel Newitt Wood, a renowned Kansas populist. -Geography:According to the U.S...
, 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 26 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...
and is sometimes considered a ghost town. After initial growth Avard began declining in the 1930s. Avard had a post office from June 1, 1895, until November 22, 1963.
History
The post office was first established in Avard in 1895 and the town was incorporated in 1904 when the Frisco tracks were extended westward from EnidEnid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
to tie in with the Santa Fe. The town was named for Isabell Avard Todd, the wife of Frank Todd, the first postmaster. The town was served by the Southern Arkansas Railway (Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
) and Arkansas Valley and Western Railroad
Arkansas Valley and Western Railway
The Arkansas Valley and Western Railway was built as a short line railroad operating within the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It was founded in 1902 to link the city of Tulsa with the main transcontinental line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at Avard. The line was built in sections,...
(Frisco).
Avard had mercantile establishments, two hotels, a bank, a livestock auction, and an elevator. A weekly newspaper, the Avard Tribune operated from 1904 to 1918. It was a major cattle shipping point for the area.
250 people lived in the town in 1909.
Important rail transfer point for freight and passengers from 1910 to 1930.
Decline
Avard continued to grow until the mid 1930s. During this period the town declined due to the economic depressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, dust storms, farm consolidation, and changing travel habits. Additionally the town was struck by tornadoes in 1943 and 1944.
Today only a cafe, elevator and church are left in operation. There are also a few unused store buildings.
Geography
Avard is located at 36°41′57"N 98°47′24"W (36.699116, -98.790078).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 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 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 26 people, 13 households, and 6 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 126.7 people per square mile (47.8/km²). There were 17 housing units at an average density of 82.8 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.15% White, and 3.85% from two or more races.
There were 13 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, and 53.8% were non-families. 46.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 116.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $14,583 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 $11,757. There were no families and 17.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 50.0% of those over 64.