Jay, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Jay is a city in Delaware County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 2,448 at the 2010 census
, compared to 2,482 at the 2000 census
, a decrease of 1.4 percent. Almost 40% of Jay residents are Native American. Rich in Cherokee history, Jay is home to numerous Cherokee tribal offices and a health clinic for the Delaware Disctict of the Cherokee Nation and is the county seat
of Delaware County, Oklahoma. Jay's most famous son is Tommy Morrison
, former world heavyweight
boxing
champion. The city is celebrated as the Huckleberry Capital of the World and has been host to the annual Huckleberry
Festival each July 4 weekend for over 40 years.
, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land. The Cherokee name for Jay is Dlaygvi (Bluejay Place).
Jay is atypical in Oklahoma history because the townsite and layout were located and platted specifically for its purpose as a county seat. It is not located on a river, major road or railway line as were most Oklahoma towns of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Around 1908, the Delaware County Improvement Association hired a survey team to pinpoint the exact location of the center of the county. They pinpointed allotment land belonging to Thomas Oochaleta, a full-blood Cherokee. Since acquiring title to a full-blood's allotment would require a lengthy federal legal procedure, the committee shifted their attention to the allotment adjoining Oochaleta's on the east, a parcel belonging to committee member Claude L. "Jay" Washbourne. As a mixed-blood Cherokee, Washbourne was exempt from the federal policy restricting the sale or transfer of his land. He gave ten acres on which to construct a town. The town was designed, reserving a central block for a courthouse. The committee quickly constructed a frame building and then applied to the U.S. Postal Service for a post office, submitting the required three town names for consideration. The names submitted were "Center," "Jay," and "Washbourne." Postal authorities chose Jay for its brevity
of 2000, there were 2,482 people, 954 households, and 609 families residing in the city. The population density
was 767.2 people per square mile (296.7/km²). There were 1,051 housing units at an average density of 324.9 per square mile (125.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.43% White, 0.56% African American, 36.50% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 1.89% from other races
, and 6.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.55% of the population.
There were 955 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples
living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $25,592. Males had a median income of $20,212 versus $17,039 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $10,700. About 21.4% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.
and grandson of an early-day Cherokee
missionary. The town is the county seat
of Delaware County
, having won that distinction from Grove, Oklahoma
in a special county seat election on December 8, 1908. The 1910–11 Legislature made Grove a County Court Town, and provided for two court terms each year. On June 27, 1911, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma ruled in favor of Jay, and on January 5, 1912, the County Commissioners ordered the records to be moved to Jay. On May 10, 1913 the courthouse in Jay was burned, destroying most of the county records. The post office
was established May 19, 1909.
Delaware County, Oklahoma
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 37,077 and the newest population estimate is 45,000. Its county seat is Jay. The county was named for the Delaware Indians resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830s. .Delaware County...
, 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 2,448 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, compared to 2,482 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...
, a decrease of 1.4 percent. Almost 40% of Jay residents are Native American. Rich in Cherokee history, Jay is home to numerous Cherokee tribal offices and a health clinic for the Delaware Disctict of the Cherokee Nation and is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Delaware County, Oklahoma. Jay's most famous son is Tommy Morrison
Tommy Morrison
Tommy David Morrison is an American heavyweight boxer and a former World Boxing Organization champion. He lost only three out of a total of 52 professional fights. Morrison's nickname, "The Duke," is based on disputed claims that he is a grandnephew of Hollywood star John Wayne...
, former world heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion. The city is celebrated as the Huckleberry Capital of the World and has been host to the annual Huckleberry
Huckleberry
Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...
Festival each July 4 weekend for over 40 years.
Geography
Jay is located at 36°25′26"N 94°47′52"W (36.423906, -94.797831). in the oak and hickory forests of the Ozark Plateau. According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land. The Cherokee name for Jay is Dlaygvi (Bluejay Place).
Jay is atypical in Oklahoma history because the townsite and layout were located and platted specifically for its purpose as a county seat. It is not located on a river, major road or railway line as were most Oklahoma towns of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Around 1908, the Delaware County Improvement Association hired a survey team to pinpoint the exact location of the center of the county. They pinpointed allotment land belonging to Thomas Oochaleta, a full-blood Cherokee. Since acquiring title to a full-blood's allotment would require a lengthy federal legal procedure, the committee shifted their attention to the allotment adjoining Oochaleta's on the east, a parcel belonging to committee member Claude L. "Jay" Washbourne. As a mixed-blood Cherokee, Washbourne was exempt from the federal policy restricting the sale or transfer of his land. He gave ten acres on which to construct a town. The town was designed, reserving a central block for a courthouse. The committee quickly constructed a frame building and then applied to the U.S. Postal Service for a post office, submitting the required three town names for consideration. The names submitted were "Center," "Jay," and "Washbourne." Postal authorities chose Jay for its brevity
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 2,482 people, 954 households, and 609 families residing in the city. 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 767.2 people per square mile (296.7/km²). There were 1,051 housing units at an average density of 324.9 per square mile (125.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.43% White, 0.56% African American, 36.50% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 1.89% 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 6.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.55% of the population.
There were 955 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% 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, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $25,592. Males had a median income of $20,212 versus $17,039 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 city was $10,700. About 21.4% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Jay was named for Jay Washburn, a nephew of Stand WatieStand Watie
Stand Watie , also known as Standhope Uwatie, Degataga , meaning “stand firm”), and Isaac S. Watie, was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
and grandson of an early-day Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
missionary. The town is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Delaware County
Delaware County, Oklahoma
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 37,077 and the newest population estimate is 45,000. Its county seat is Jay. The county was named for the Delaware Indians resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830s. .Delaware County...
, having won that distinction from Grove, Oklahoma
Grove, Oklahoma
Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,131 at the 2000 census, but the 2009 estimate was 6,377.-Geography:Grove is located at ....
in a special county seat election on December 8, 1908. The 1910–11 Legislature made Grove a County Court Town, and provided for two court terms each year. On June 27, 1911, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma ruled in favor of Jay, and on January 5, 1912, the County Commissioners ordered the records to be moved to Jay. On May 10, 1913 the courthouse in Jay was burned, destroying most of the county records. The post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established May 19, 1909.