Covington
History – Covington town in Oklahoma |
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Map:
Official Geographical Location:
36.30747 North, 97.58562 Wes
Geographical Description:
Zip codes: 73730
Population in 2019 was 532, 2000 was 553, 1990:was 590 and was 769 in
1970. Number of dwellings: 274
Land area: 1.268 sq. kms.
A small town in Garfield County, North Oklahoma, North of Oklahoma City
& 17 miles East South East of Enid, South of Garber, North of Guthrie and
West of Perry on U.S. Route 64.
Majority of the population are employed in the oil & natural gas
wells, wheat, livestock, poultry or dairy products trades.
History:
Was part of the Cherokee Outlet, opened by run in
1893. The town is named for local homesteader and townsite investor John
Covington. In Otter Township, three communities were platted in adjoining
quarter sections: Covington in 1903 by the Arkansas Valley Townsite Company,
East Covington in 1905 by the Frisco Lot and Land Company, and West Covington
in 1905 by A. F. Wolf. The three lay along the Arkansas Valley and Western
Railway (after 1907 the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) as it was
constructed from Tulsa to Steen (northeast of Enid) in 1902–03. Lots were sold
in 1905 in all three places. The earliest postal designation was for Tripp,
which was changed to Covington in February 1903. John Boepple
served as postmaster for both from July 1902, and his building was the town's
first. By 1907 the place sheltered 133 residents and by 1910, 183.
During the first decade lots were traded back and
forth among several promoters, and in 1914 many non-resident owners lost their
lots in a tax sale. Nevertheless, the town of Covington, proper, settled down
as a farming community. A rural Christian Church congregation was established
in 1895, and a Lutheran congregation was established in 1896 for German farm
families. By 1907 statehood the Methodists also held services.
Area residents made a
living by from wheat farming, and Covington provided services. Enterprises in
1909 included two implement dealers, two lumber companies, and two livestock
dealers. Two elevators operating in 1909 expanded to three by 1918. From
statehood through the mid-1930s residents supported as twelve stores and shops,
two hotels, and four restaurants.
Area residents made a
living by from wheat farming, and Covington provided services. Enterprises in
1909 included two implement dealers, two lumber companies, and two livestock
dealers. Two elevators operating in 1909 expanded to three by 1918. From
statehood through the mid-1930s residents supported as twelve stores and shops,
two hotels, and four restaurants.
Recent History:
By the 1930s automotive garages and supply houses
abounded, serving locals, farmers, and oil workers. A rural school established
in the vicinity in 1901 moved to the new town. By 1936 two school buildings
provided education in grades one through twelve. Covington-Douglas School
District registered 304 students in 2000.
Covington made headlines in August 1926 when the
notorious Kimes brothers, George and Matt, robbed the
town's two banks on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. Their gang of four or five
locked twenty-four people in a vault and demanded "just the bank's money,
not the widows' and orphans'." The crooks were captured a month later.
In 1917 an oil boom resulted in numerous wells
being drilled in the Garber-Covington oil field. Through the twentieth century
oil production continued to provide employment. Champlin Oil and Refining
Company of Enid was an important operator. Wheat farming and agricultural
services have also continued to generate jobs and income.
The Covington
Leader and then the Covington Record have reported the news. Near
Covington, the Kimmell Barn is listed in the National
Register (NR 84003021).
North Central Oklahoma Cactus Botanical Garden is a botanical garden
located at 308 West Main, Covington, Oklahoma. It includes over 1,500 types of
rare and exotic cacti and succulents.
There were 224 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 27.7%
of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and
the average family size was 3.01.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.6%
from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there
were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,979, and the median
income for a family was $32,222. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus
$13,594 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,788. About
10.5% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over
Covington,
Oklahoma (OK 73730) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes,
statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving,
houses, news, sex offenders (city-data.com)
Links to other websites:
Covington | The Encyclopedia
of Oklahoma History and Culture (okhistory.org)
Covington, Oklahoma - Wikipedia
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