Numa, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Numa, Oklahoma
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 Numa, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
Numa, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Grant |
| Established | 1893 |
| Elevation | 1,115 ft (340 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 580 |
Numa was once a small farming community in what is now Grant County, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1893 when a large area called the Cherokee Strip Outlet was opened for settlement. Numa was located between the towns of Medford and Deer Creek.
The town was built along the Gulf Railroad, which later became the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. This railroad connected several towns, including Numa. The Numa Post Office opened on April 20, 1898. The community had useful buildings like a community hall, a place to store grain (called a granary), a weigh station, and a special rail spur for trains. Many early settlers came from Caldwell, Kansas, and kept their connections with people there.
Over time, many people moved from Numa to bigger towns like Medford, Ponca City, and Enid. This caused many of Numa's original buildings to be left empty.
The post office officially closed in 1943. The last person to run the post office was Mrs. Laura Rogers. She and her first husband, Earl Jesse Fitzgerald, also ran a general store in Numa for many years.
The Santa Fe Railroad stopped running trains through Numa in 1972. The train tracks were later removed, and the land where they used to be was no longer used by the railroad. The Fuquay Grain elevator was the last business from the original town that was still operating.
Much of Numa's history has been passed down through stories. In 1994, only a sign, some old debris, and an unused granary remained of the original town.
Contents
Numa Today: A Town Reborn
New Beginnings in Numa
By 2001, most of the old buildings had been cleared away. A new grain storage facility was built in Numa.
Grain Operations and Modern Changes
Today, the grain elevator is run by the W.B. Johnston Grain Company. This company built a new office and large storage bins across the road from where the old elevator stood. These new buildings were designed to handle the bigger trucks used for moving grain today.
A Storm and a New Family
On April 30, 2012, strong thunderstorms and tornadoes hit the area. The large grain bins at the W.B. Johnston elevator were destroyed by the storm. However, Numa saw a new change in July 2013. A wooden house and other small buildings were moved to Numa from a nearby farm. This was the first permanent home in Numa in many decades. A family moved into the house, meaning Numa is now inhabited once again!
