Helena, Oklahoma

Helena, Oklahoma
Town

Location of Helena, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°32′47″N 98°16′14″W / 36.54639°N 98.27056°W / 36.54639; -98.27056Coordinates: 36°32′47″N 98°16′14″W / 36.54639°N 98.27056°W / 36.54639; -98.27056
Country United States
State Oklahoma
County Alfalfa
Area
 • Total 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
 • Land 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 1,411 ft (430 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,403
 • Density 3,807/sq mi (1,469.8/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 73741
Area code(s) 580
FIPS code 40-33450[1]
GNIS feature ID 1093653[2]

Helena is a town in southeastern Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. Residents pronounce the town's name with a long E: "Heh-LEE'-nuh." The population was 1,403 at the 2010 census.[3]

It is the site of the James Crabtree Correctional Center, run by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, with a population of 1,003 inmates in 2010.[4] It is the site of the Timberlake Public School district, shared with the nearby towns of Goltry, Jet, and Nash.

History

On June 1894, Helen S. Monroe received a postal designation for Helena.[5] [6] Monroe became the first postmaster and the town's namesake.[6]

Shortly after the Cherokee Outlet opened to settlement, numerous small communities emerged in what was then southwestern Woods County (now Alfalfa county). When the Arkansas Valley and Western Railway survey bypassed the nearby settlement of Carwile, those residents began migrating closer to the proposed railroad, near where H. H. Anderson had established a store around 1896. The townsite was laid out nearby in 1902, and the village was incorporated the following year, by which time the population was 160.[5]

The Woods County High School, one of only two in Oklahoma Territory at that time, was constructed in 1903 and opened in 1904 with four hundred students. On January 6, 1904, the Arkansas Valley and Western Railway (part of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway system) reached Helena. Growing fast, by mid-1905 it was estimated that seven hundred residents supported two banks, two schools, two newspapers, four grain elevators, a flour mill, and two lumberyards. By 1909, there were Baptist, Christian, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. The 1910 census showed 760 residents, a number which had increased to 776 by 1940.[5]

Geography

Helena is located at 36°32′47″N 98°16′14″W / 36.54639°N 98.27056°W / 36.54639; -98.27056 (36.546478, -98.270558).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), all of it land.

Helena lies along State Highway 58.[8]

Climate

Climate data for Helena, Oklahoma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 43.6
(6.4)		 48.8
(9.3)		 58.9
(14.9)		 70.0
(21.1)		 79.0
(26.1)		 88.8
(31.6)		 94.9
(34.9)		 93.2
(34)		 83.8
(28.8)		 73.1
(22.8)		 57.9
(14.4)		 46.4
(8)		 69.87
(21.03)
Average low °F (°C) 20.0
(−6.7)		 24.5
(−4.2)		 33.6
(0.9)		 44.1
(6.7)		 54.0
(12.2)		 63.9
(17.7)		 68.9
(20.5)		 67.3
(19.6)		 59.1
(15.1)		 46.6
(8.1)		 34.1
(1.2)		 23.8
(−4.6)		 44.99
(7.21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.8
(20)		 1.2
(30)		 2.4
(61)		 2.5
(64)		 4.0
(102)		 3.8
(97)		 2.6
(66)		 2.8
(71)		 3.2
(81)		 2.1
(53)		 1.8
(46)		 1.0
(25)		 28.1
(714)
Source #1: weather.com
Source #2: Weatherbase.com [9]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1910760—
1920615−19.1%
193073519.5%
19407765.6%
1950484−37.6%
196058019.8%
197076932.6%
1980710−7.7%
19901,04346.9%
2000443−57.5%
20101,403216.7%
Est. 20151,426[10]1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 443 people, 177 households, and 120 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,183.7 people per square mile (462.3/km²). There were 211 housing units at an average density of 563.8 per square mile (220.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.58% White, 0.45% African American, 1.35% Native American, 0.45% from other races, and 3.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.

There were 177 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 75.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,705, and the median income for a family was $36,528. Males had a median income of $26,563 versus $18,839 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,985. About 9.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Helena town, Oklahoma". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Helena town, Oklahoma". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Everett, Dianna. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Helena". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Shirk, George H. (March 15, 1987). Oklahoma Place Names (First Paperback, 1987 ed.). University of Oklahoma Press. p. 113. ISBN 0-8061-2028-2.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  8. ↑ Oklahoma 2009-2010 Official State Map (PDF) (Map) (2009-2010 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Historical Weather for Helena, Oklahoma, United States".
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
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