Coweta, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coweta, Oklahoma
City
Coweta Fall Festival, September 2007, courtesy of Caleb Long
Location of Coweta, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Wagoner
Area
• Total	10.71 sq mi (27.73 km2)
• Land	10.58 sq mi (27.41 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)
Elevation	663 ft (202 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,654
• Density	912.13/sq mi (352.16/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74429
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-17800
GNIS feature ID	1091781
Website	City of Coweta

Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States. It's like a close neighbor or suburb of the bigger city of Tulsa. In 2020, about 9,654 people lived there.

Before Oklahoma became a state, Coweta was part of the Creek Nation in what was called Indian Territory. The town was first settled way back in 1840.

History of Coweta

Oklahoma Farmers parade in downtown Coweta, 1905

Early Days with the Creek Nation

Long ago, several Native American tribes, including the Creek Nation, were moved to Indian Territory from the southeastern United States. The land where Coweta is now was given to the Muscogee (Creek) people.

The name "Coweta" comes from an old Creek town in Georgia. The Muscogee people first settled here around 1840.

The Koweta Mission

In 1843, a Presbyterian minister named Robert Loughridge came to the area. He started a mission called "Koweta". The Creek leaders had approved his plan the year before.

Loughridge later left Koweta in 1850 to work at another school, the Tullahassee Mission School. Both of these schools closed in 1861 when the Civil War began, and the missionaries left.

Coweta After the Civil War

After the Civil War, in 1867, the Creek Indians created their own government, similar to the United States. They divided their land into six districts. The area northeast of the Arkansas River, including what is now Tulsa, became the Coweta district.

The main meeting place for this district was a log courthouse near Coweta Creek. A post office was opened on May 24, 1897, and it was named after the Koweta Mission.

Changes in the Late 1800s

In the late 1800s, the United States government began to divide tribal lands. This led to changes in how the Creek courts worked, and their power was given to the federal government.

Growth in the Early 1900s

The year 1903 was a big one for Coweta!

• The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad arrived, making it easier to travel and transport goods.
• The town got its first newspaper, called The Courier.
• The first public school for white children was built.
• Telephone lines were installed, connecting Coweta to other places.

The Creek Nation had already built many schools for Native American children in their territory. These schools were paid for by money from the federal government. Later, more schools were built, like Wealaka Mission School, Harrell Institute, and Bacone College. They had many boarding schools and day schools for different groups of children.

Geography and Climate

Coweta is located at 35°57′47″N 95°39′42″W / 35.96306°N 95.66167°W / 35.96306; -95.66167. It's right on the Arkansas River. It's about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Tulsa and 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Muskogee.

The city covers about 7.7 square miles (20 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

Coweta's Weather

Coweta has a mild and wet climate. It gets about 43.9 inches (111.5 cm) of rain each year. It also gets a small amount of snow, about 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) on average.

Population Facts

In 2000, there were 7,139 people living in Coweta. The city has grown quite a bit over the years! Many families live in Coweta, and about 43% of households had children under 18.

The average age of people in Coweta in 2000 was 31 years old.

Schools in Coweta

The Coweta Public Schools district is one of the largest school districts in Oklahoma. It's the biggest in Wagoner County. As of 2007, there were over 3,100 students from prekindergarten all the way through 12th grade attending six different schools in the district.

Local News

Coweta has its own newspaper called the Coweta American. It comes out every Wednesday and shares local news with the community.

Economy and Jobs

For a long time, Coweta's economy was mostly about farming. Growing grains is still important today. However, since the 1960s, the city's economy has changed.

Now, the biggest employers in Coweta are the school system, the local Walmart store, and the City of Coweta government. Many people who live in Coweta also travel to nearby cities like Tulsa, Broken Arrow, or Muskogee for work.

Places to Visit

The Coweta Mission Bell Museum.

Coweta has two special places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are important historical sites!

• The Koweta Mission Site was added to the list in 1973. Today, only a cemetery remains there.
• The First Presbyterian Church of Coweta was added in 2003. It's also known as the Mission Bell Museum and is run by the City of Coweta.

Famous People from Coweta

Many interesting people have connections to Coweta:

• William R. "Bill" Bright (1921–2003) started a group called Campus Crusade.
• Rick Bryan (1962–2009) was a great football player for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Atlanta Falcons.
• Bruce Cowling (1919–1986) was an actor born in Coweta.
• Crooked X is a rock band that was discovered on TV.
• Lilah Denton Lindsey was a Creek leader and helped organize women's clubs.
• George Milburn (1903–1966) was an author who grew up in Coweta.
• Louis Oliver (1904–1991) was a Creek poet.
• Donald P. Sloat (1949–1970) was born in Coweta and received a special award, the Medal of Honor, for his brave actions during the Vietnam War.
• Stephanie Hollman (born 1980) is known from the TV show The Real Housewives of Dallas.

Images for kids

• 

  Coweta Fall Festival, September 2007

• 

  Location of Coweta, Oklahoma

See also

In Spanish: Coweta (Oklahoma) para niños