Bessie is a town in
Washita County
Washita County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,629. Its county seat is New Cordell. The county seat was formerly located in Cloud Chief. The county was created in 1891.
History ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, United States. The population was 181 at the
2010 census, a 4.7 percent decline from 190 in 2000.
History
A post office called Bessie has been in operation since 1903. Some say Bessie was the name of the wife of a railroad official, while others believe the town derives its name from the
Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railway
The Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railway (BES) was built as a short line railroad operating in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
It was founded in March 1900 to link the Frisco Beaumont, Kansas subdivision and Vernon, Texas. When the government op ...
(BES Line).
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 190 people, 87 households, and 56 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 95 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.32%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 2.11%
Native American, 0.53%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 1.05% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.58% of the population.
There were 87 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 128.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,111, and the median income for a family was $26,806. Males had a median income of $25,938 versus $19,000 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $15,110. About 5.5% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.4% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.
References
External links
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Bessie
{{authority control
Towns in Oklahoma
Towns in Washita County, Oklahoma