Asher, Oklahoma Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Asher, Oklahoma
Town
Nickname(s): Baseball City
Asher, Oklahoma Location in Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Pottawatomie
Area
• Total	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km²)
• Land	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²) 0%
Elevation	997 ft (304 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	370
• Density	481.77/sq mi (186.02/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74826
Area code(s)	405/572
FIPS code	40-03000
GNIS feature ID	2411648
Website	www.asherok.info

Asher is a small town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. In 2010, about 393 people lived there. By 2020, the population was 370.

About Asher

Asher is located where U.S. Highway 177 and State Highway 39 meet. It covers an area of about 0.8 square miles (2.1 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

Places Near Asher

Asher is about 30 miles (48 km) south of I-40 and 34 miles (55 km) east of I-35. Larger cities nearby include Ada, which is 21 miles (34 km) south, and Shawnee, 27 miles (43 km) north.

Just two miles (3 km) west of Asher is Chisholm Spring. This was once a trading post run by Jesse Chisholm, who gave his name to the famous cattle trail. You can also find a Chisholm family home and cemetery in Asher. The Sacred Heart Mission Site is nine miles (14 km) east of Asher.

People of Asher

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	381	—
1920	370	−2.9%
1930	653	76.5%
1940	507	−22.4%
1950	420	−17.2%
1960	343	−18.3%
1970	437	27.4%
1980	659	50.8%
1990	449	−31.9%
2000	419	−6.7%
2010	393	−6.2%
2020	370	−5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, Asher had 393 people living in 161 homes. Most residents were white (75.8%) or Native American (13%). Some residents were also Hispanic or Latino.

About 27.7% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Asher was 41.6 years.

Asher's History

How Asher Started

Asher began in 1892 when George "Matt" Asher bought land in Oklahoma Territory. He wanted to build a farm home there. The town's post office opened on November 26, 1901. George A. McCurry, the postmaster from nearby Avoca, moved his post office and store to this new community. The town was named after Mr. Asher, who provided the land. Public lots were sold in 1902.

Avoca Township Connection

Asher is the only town left with a post office in the old Avoca Township. This area once included other small towns like Sacred Heart Mission and Avoca.

Town Growth

Rock Island Train Depot, Asher, 1902. The station was located at the west end of Main St., west of what is now US 177. The stationmaster, Bill Bailey, is pictured.

In 1900, a railroad line was extended to Asher. This helped the town become a trading center for the fertile South Canadian River valley. Many new businesses and factories opened in Asher.

Early settlers hoped Asher would grow into a large city. However, nearby towns like Seminole and Konawa grew, taking away some of Asher's trade. The people of Asher worked together to build a bridge across the Canadian River. This bridge later became part of State Highway 18, bringing some trade from other cities like Ada. Before the bridge, people south of Asher could only cross the river when it was shallow.

Asher was originally a cotton farming community. Farmers faced problems like crop losses from boll weevils and fires that destroyed cotton gins. These issues made things tough for the town.

Graham Hotel on Asher's Main Street, 1918

Oil Boom Times

In 1927, oil was found in and around Asher. The town quickly grew to support the oil workers. Many businesses, like grocery stores, banks, hotels, and a theater, opened. Asher became very busy and prosperous for a while.

Hopes for a New County Seat

In 1930, there was talk of creating a new county called Petroleum County. Asher was planned to be the new county seat. This idea came from people who wanted to make Shawnee's victory as county seat less important by taking away valuable oil-producing land. However, the plan for a new county never happened.

End of the Oil Boom

The oil boom ended when only a few wells made a lot of money. Asher faced hard times again. Luckily, another oil well was found nearby. This time, local citizens managed the oil production carefully, leading to a small but steady income for the community.

In 1967, State Highway 18 was changed, and traffic was moved to the new US Highway 177. Many businesses moved to the new highway, and some stores in the old town closed. The last business on the old highway closed in 1985. Today, some businesses on US-177 still serve travelers.

Asher's Centennial

In 2001, Asher celebrated its 100th birthday! The town was honored on a special monument in Centennial Park in Shawnee. The First Baptist Church (founded 1902) and Asher School (established 1903) were also honored.

Important Dates in Asher's History

Date	Event
1847	Jessie Chishom establishes trading post 2 mi (3 km) east of Asher
1892	First members of Asher family move to Oklahoma
October 30, 1901	Asher townsite opened
November 26, 1901	Post Office established
1902	Asher townsite platted
April 26, 1902	Shawnee-Tecumseh railroad expands to Asher
1903	Asher School established
December 13, 1906	Asher State Bank robbed
May 1921	Canadian River Bridge opens
1922	Fire destroys 2 blocks of businesses
1927	Pearson oil discovered
September 2, 1927	Canadian Valley Bank robbed
1929	Oil discovered in Asher
1931	Talks about Asher becoming a county seat
February 10, 1942	Shawnee-Asher railroad branch ends
1967	Asher segment of SH-18 is replaced with US-177
1985	Green's Market closes after 40 years
2001	Asher's Centennial (100th anniversary)
2006	Asher School main building renovated

Asher Post Office

Asher's post office was opened on November 26, 1901. It was moved from the nearby town of Avoca.

Education in Asher

Asher School following renovation

Asher is part of the Asher Public Schools district. The district has an elementary school (Pre-K to 8th grade) and a high school (9th to 12th grade). Asher School started in 1903.

In 1913, there were four other small school districts near Asher. These schools had only one or two rooms. Later, these smaller schools joined with the Asher district, likely around 1929 when Asher's new school building was built.