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Coweta, Oklahoma
Coweta Fall Festival, September 2007, courtesy of Caleb Long
Coweta Fall Festival, September 2007, courtesy of Caleb Long
Location of Coweta, Oklahoma
Location of Coweta, Oklahoma
Country United States
State Oklahoma
County Wagoner
Area
 • Total 10.68 sq mi (27.65 km2)
 • Land 10.56 sq mi (27.35 km2)
 • Water 0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2)
Elevation
663 ft (202 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 9,943
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,032
 • Density 950.09/sq mi (366.85/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, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.

History

Oklahoma Farmers 1905
Oklahoma Farmers parade in downtown Coweta, 1905

Before statehood, when the Five Tribes or Five Civilized Tribes were moved to Oklahoma from the Eastern United States, the area that is now Coweta became part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Coweta was named after a Lower Creek town on the Chattahoochee River in southwestern Georgia and was first settled by Muscogees about 1840. In 1843 Robert Loughridge arrived in the area and established a mission, named "Koweta". Loughridge left Koweta in 1850 to supervise the newly completed Tullahassee Manual Labor School. Koweta closed in 1861.

In 1867 after the Civil War, the Creek Indians adopted a constitution which divided their nation into six districts. Everything northeast of the Arkansas River, including Tulsa, became the Coweta district. The political center of this district was located in a log courthouse on Coweta Creek, about a quarter mile west from the modern day center of the downtown Coweta. The Post Office was established on May 24, 1897, and took its name from Koweta Mission. As a result of negotiations with the Congress appointed Dawes Commission regarding the allotment of tribal lands in 1898, the Creek courts’ jurisdiction was turned over to the Federal government.

Many notable events occurred in 1903. Along with the arrival of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, Coweta’s first newspaper, The Courier, was started, the first school was built, and a telephone line was installed.

Geography

Coweta is located at 35°57′47″N 95°39′42″W / 35.96306°N 95.66167°W / 35.96306; -95.66167 (35.963155, -95.661586).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.7 square miles (20 km2), of which, 7.6 square miles (20 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (1.56%) is water.

Climate

Coweta has a temperate climate of the humid subtropical variety (Köppen Cfa) with a yearly average precipitation of 43.9 inches (1,120 mm) and average snowfall of 1.8 inches (45.7 mm).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 1,187
1920 1,318 11.0%
1930 1,274 −3.3%
1940 1,455 14.2%
1950 1,601 10.0%
1960 1,858 16.1%
1970 2,457 32.2%
1980 4,554 85.3%
1990 6,159 35.2%
2000 7,139 15.9%
2010 9,943 39.3%
2019 (est.) 10,032 0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, 7,139 people, 2,582 households, and 1,988 families were residing in the city. The population density was 942.1 people/sq mi (363.6/km2). The 2,827 housing units averaged 373.1/sq mi (144.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.78% White, 4.08% African American, 11.85% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 1.75% from other races and 6.32% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.80% of the population.

Of the 2,582 households, 43.0% had children under 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were not families. About 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.74, and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the age distribution was 30.9% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,255, and for a family was $41,786. Males had a median income of $32,348 versus $21,772 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,960. About 6.2% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

Mission Bell Museum
The Coweta Mission Bell Museum.

Coweta is home to two sites on the National Register of Historic Places list. The first is the Koweta Mission Site. The mission was added to the NRHP in 1973, today only a cemetery remains. The second historical site located in Coweta is the First Presbyterian Church of Coweta, commonly known as the Mission Bell Museum. The Mission Bell Museum was added to the NRHP in 2003 and is owned and operated by the city of Coweta.

Economy

Historically, Coweta's economy was based on agriculture' until the 1960s. Production of grain is still important, but cotton acreage has decreased greatly. Now, the city's largest employers are Coweta school system, Wal-Mart (one retail store), and the City of Coweta. Many employed residents now commute to Tulsa, Broken Arrow, or Muskogee.

Notable people

  • William R. "Bill" Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003), founder of Campus Crusade
  • Rick Bryan (March 20, 1962 - July 25, 2009) was a two-time All-American for the Oklahoma Sooners, and 9-year NFL player (Atlanta Falcons).
  • Bruce Cowling (1919-1986), an actor, was born in Coweta.
  • Crooked X, a rock band discovered on the CBS television's The Early Show
  • Lilah Denton Lindsey was a Creek, civic leader, and women's club organizer.
  • George Milburn (1903 - 1966), author, was born and raised in Coweta.
  • Louis Oliver (April 9, 1904 – May 10, 1991) was a Creek poet.
  • Donald P. Sloat (1949 - 1970), born in Coweta, was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for act of valor in the Vietnam War.
  • Stephanie Hollman (June 13, 1980), born in Coweta, is known for The Real Housewives of Dallas.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Coweta (Oklahoma) para niños

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