Sparks, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sparks, Oklahoma
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Sparks Town Hall
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Location of Sparks, Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Lincoln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.41 sq mi (1.06 km2) |
| • Land | 0.40 sq mi (1.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 850 ft (260 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 122 |
| • Density | 305.76/sq mi (117.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
74869
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| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-68950 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413312 |
Sparks is a small town located in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, in the United States. In 2010, about 169 people lived there. By 2020, the population was 122. Sparks is also known for being the geographic center of population for the state of Oklahoma.
Contents
Town Geography
Sparks is a small town in terms of its size. The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 0.4 square miles (1.06 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small part being water.
Population Changes in Sparks
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 421 | — | |
| 1920 | 472 | 12.1% | |
| 1930 | 470 | −0.4% | |
| 1940 | 339 | −27.9% | |
| 1950 | 233 | −31.3% | |
| 1960 | 186 | −20.2% | |
| 1970 | 183 | −1.6% | |
| 1980 | 772 | 321.9% | |
| 1990 | 202 | −73.8% | |
| 2000 | 137 | −32.2% | |
| 2010 | 169 | 23.4% | |
| 2020 | 122 | −27.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 137 people living in Sparks. These people lived in 55 different homes, and 37 of those were families.
The population of Sparks has changed a lot over the years. For example, in 1910, there were 421 people. The population grew a bit until 1920, then started to decrease. In 1980, there was a big jump to 772 people, but then it went down again. By 2020, the population was 122.
The average household in Sparks had about 2.49 people. The average family had about 3.08 people.
In 2000, about 29.2% of the people in Sparks were under 18 years old. About 12.4% were 65 years old or older. The average age of people in Sparks was 36 years.
Sparks Town History
Early Days and Land Settlement
Sparks is located in eastern Lincoln County, near the Deep Fork River. It's about five miles east of State Highway 18. The land where Sparks now stands was once part of the Sac and Fox Reservation. This reservation was a special area set aside for the Sac and Fox Native American tribes.
In 1890, an agreement was made to divide the reservation land. Each tribal member received 160 acres of land. The remaining land was then opened for new settlers in a "land run" on September 22, 1891. A land run was a race where people rushed to claim land. William and Tabitha Baker were the first to claim the land where Sparks was built.
Railroads and Growth
In 1902, two railroad companies, the Eastern Oklahoma Railway and the Fort Smith and Western Railroad (FS&W), planned to build a town where their lines would meet. This new town was named Sparks, in honor of George T. Sparks, who was a director for the FS&W railroad.
The first school in the area, called Ball School, was built in the late 1890s. There were also "subscription schools," where parents paid a small fee each month for their children to attend. A post office opened in Sparks on August 30, 1902. Soon, the town had about fifty businesses. There were even two local newspapers, the Sparks Review and the Sparks Visitor. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Sparks had a population of 503 people.
Challenges and Changes
After World War I and during the Great Depression, many people faced hard times. Farm prices dropped, and people moved away to find work. The population of Sparks began to decline. By 1940, it had dropped to 339 people. The last bank in town closed in 1938, and train service stopped in 1939.
The high school in Sparks closed in 1957, and the grade school closed in 1993. By the early 2000s, Sparks had 137 residents. It still had a post office, a few churches, a rural water system, and a volunteer fire department. The old Sparks School Building became a community center, used as a senior citizens' center and town library.
Earthquakes in Sparks
Sparks has experienced some notable earthquakes. On November 5, 2011, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake happened near the town. At the time, it was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma. However, this record was broken less than five years later. On September 3, 2016, an even larger 5.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Oklahoma.
See also
In Spanish: Sparks (Oklahoma) para niños
