Welch, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Welch, Oklahoma
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Location of Welch, Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Craig |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.51 sq mi (1.33 km2) |
| • Land | 0.51 sq mi (1.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 827 ft (252 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 622 |
| • Density | 1,212.48/sq mi (468.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
74369
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| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-79750 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413462 |
Welch is a small town in northern Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2020, about 622 people lived there. This was a slight increase from 619 people in 2010.
Welch is located about 8 miles (13 km) south of the Kansas state line. It sits where State Highway 2, State Highway 10, and U.S. Highway 59 meet.
Contents
History of Welch
Welch was started in 1888 in the Cherokee Nation. A man named D. B. Nigh leased land from Frank Craig. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (also known as Katy) built train tracks through the area in 1871. In 1891, Katy built a special track switch on Nigh's land. This made it easy to ship hay and grain from the area.
The town that grew around this train switch was named after A. L. Welch, a Katy railroad official. A post office opened in 1892. The town's plan was approved in 1902, and Welch officially became a town in 1909. A local newspaper, the Welch Watchman, started in 1902. It later changed its name to the Welch American and continued until the mid-1960s.
Early Schools and Businesses
The first school in Welch was started in 1899 by a group of investors. They sold it to the town in 1907. The first class of students graduated from this school in 1911.
By 2003, Welch had several local businesses. These included two convenience stores, a grocery store, and a feed store. There was also a funeral home, a flower shop, a meat processor, and a place to sell livestock. The town also had two cafés, an automotive shop, two saddle shops, and a retirement home.
Geography of Welch
Welch is about 18 miles (29 km) north of Vinita, which is the main town of Craig County. It is also about 13 miles (21 km) west of Miami, the main town of Ottawa County.
The United States Census Bureau says that Welch covers a total area of about 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population of Welch
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 334 | — | |
| 1910 | 684 | 104.8% | |
| 1920 | 696 | 1.8% | |
| 1930 | 448 | −35.6% | |
| 1940 | 498 | 11.2% | |
| 1950 | 483 | −3.0% | |
| 1960 | 557 | 15.3% | |
| 1970 | 651 | 16.9% | |
| 1980 | 697 | 7.1% | |
| 1990 | 499 | −28.4% | |
| 2000 | 597 | 19.6% | |
| 2010 | 619 | 3.7% | |
| 2020 | 622 | 0.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 597 people living in Welch. These people lived in 247 households, and 170 of these were families. The town had about 1,309 people per square mile (505 people per square kilometer).
Most of the people in Welch were White (75.38%). About 12.90% were Native American. A small number were from other backgrounds. About 2.18% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 27.9% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (54.3%) were married couples. About 28.3% of all households were single people. About 17.4% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
The average household had 2.35 people. The average family had 2.86 people. The median age in Welch was 39 years old.
Economy and Jobs
Since Welch was founded, farming and ranching have been very important to its economy. In 1889, Henry Brooks Campbell started buying hay for a Kansas City dealer. This led to the Campbell Hay and Grain Company, a large business for hay and grain.
In 1928, the Maxson family started a business for selling cattle at auction. They opened the Maxson Sales Barn in 1967. This business was later sold in 1977 and renamed the Welch Livestock Auction. Charley Neill also started a cattle-feeding business in the 1930s. He and his son formed the Neill Cattle Company in 1960.
Today, growing crops, ranching, and related businesses are still the main source of money for the area.
Welch is one of only three towns in Craig County that still has a bank. The People's Bank started in 1901. Another bank, Oklahoma State Bank, opened in 1910. These two banks joined together in 1923 to form the Welch State Bank.
Education in Welch
Students in Welch attend schools that are part of the Welch Public Schools district.
Famous People from Welch
- Ma Barker, who led the 1930s Barker gang, is buried in Welch. Two of her sons, Herman and Fred, are also buried there.
- Joe Bauman, a famous baseball player, was born in Welch.
See also
- In Spanish: Welch (Oklahoma) para niños
