Oologah, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oologah, Oklahoma
Town
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Rogers
Area
• Total	1.66 sq mi (4.31 km2)
• Land	1.66 sq mi (4.31 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	640 ft (200 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,305
• Density	785.20/sq mi (303.13/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74053
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-55700
GNIS feature ID	2413081
Website	https://www.townofoologah.org/

Oologah (pronounced OOH-lə-GAH) is a town located in Rogers County, Oklahoma, in the United States. A very famous humorist named Will Rogers was born on a ranch just two miles east of Oologah. However, he often said his birthplace was Claremore. He joked that "nobody but an Indian can pronounce 'Oologah.'"

There used to be different ways to spell the town's name. Today, the official spelling is Oologah. Before Oklahoma became a state, it was often spelled Oolagah. You might still see this older spelling on some historic buildings.

History of Oologah

How Oologah Started

In 1889, a railroad company, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway, built tracks through this area. They created a townsite and named it Oologah. At that time, this land was known as Indian Territory. The town was named after a Cherokee chief called Oologah, which means "Dark Cloud."

Some sources say the name "Oologah" comes from the Cherokee language and means "red horse fish." Others believe it means "cloudy weather" or simply "clouds." The town's post office officially opened on May 25, 1891.

Growth and Challenges

In the early 1900s, Oologah grew thanks to farming, coal mining, and oil and gas production. However, the town faced tough times during the Great Depression. Many people lost their jobs, and the town's population dropped. For example, it went from 324 people in 1910 down to 236 in 1940.

The town started to recover, reaching 299 people by 1960. A big change happened in 1963 when the Oologah Lake and dam were built east of town. This project helped Oologah grow and become more active again.

Major Events in Oologah

In 1991, a very strong tornado, called an F4 tornado, hit Oologah. It was part of a larger group of tornadoes known as the Andover, Kansas tornado outbreak. The tornado destroyed the northern part of Oologah, including the town's school.

Geography of Oologah

Oologah is a small town. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers an area of about 1.25 square miles (3.24 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

People of Oologah

Population and Diversity

As of the census in 2020, there were 1,193 people living in Oologah. There were 435 households in the town. The town has about 955 people per square mile (368.72 per square kilometer).

The people living in Oologah come from different backgrounds. About 69.85% of the population is White. About 14.65% are Native American. Other groups include African American (0.85%), Asian (0.85%), and people from other races (0.94%). About 12.86% of the population identifies as being from two or more races. People who are Hispanic or Latino make up 2.39% of the population. Most of the population, about 69.3%, is over 18 years old.

Households and Families

In 2000, there were 342 households in Oologah. About 42.1% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Many households, 52.0%, were married couples living together. About 18.4% of households had a female head with no husband present. Around 24.3% were non-family households.

About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals living alone. Of these, 9.6% had someone 65 years or older living by themselves. On average, there were 2.58 people in each household and 3.03 people in each family.

Age and Income

The population of Oologah is spread out across different age groups. About 31.6% of the people are under 18 years old. About 8.6% are between 18 and 24, and 27.7% are between 25 and 44. People aged 45 to 64 make up 22.1%, and 10.0% are 65 years or older. The average age in Oologah is 33 years.

The average income for a household in the town was $33,977. For families, the average income was $40,625. Men earned an average of $37,500, while women earned $25,000. The per capita income (income per person) for the town was $16,493. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 14.7% of those under 18 and 6.9% of those 65 or older.

Education in Oologah

Oologah-Talala Public Schools has a high school that is classified as 4A size. The Oologah Lower Elementary school is special because it is an "Oklahoma A+" school. This means it is one of only seven schools in the entire state to receive this honor.

The Oologah-Talala High School is also well-known for its sports programs. In the 1990s, the school had one of the most successful Class 3A football programs in Oklahoma. The Oologah Mustangs won the Class 3A State Championship in 1997 and 1998. They also finished as state runner-up twice in Class 3A.

Oologah High School Sports Championships

• Baseball
  • 1996 Class 4A State Champions
  • 2005 Class 4A State Champions
• Basketball
  • 1965 Class B Boys Basketball State Champions
  • 1994 Class 3A 5-on-5 Girls Basketball State Champions
• Football
  • 1997 Class 3A State Champions
  • 1998 Class 3A State Champions
• Softball
  • 1988 Class 4A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 1989 Class 3A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 1992 Class 3A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 1993 Class 3A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 1998 Class 3A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 1999 Class 4A Fast Pitch State Champions
  • 2012 Class 4A Fast Pitch State Champions
• Volleyball
  • 1961 State Champions
  • 1965 State Champions
• Soccer
  • 2024 Class 4A State Championship

Notable People from Oologah

• Zach Bryan – a popular singer-songwriter.
• Will Rogers – a famous political satirist (someone who uses humor to criticize politics) from the early 1900s. He was born at Dog Iron Ranch right outside Oologah.

See also

In Spanish: Oologah (Oklahoma) para niños