Leedey is a town in Dewey County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, United States. The population was 415 at the 2020 census.

History

On May 31, 1947, Leedey was hit by an F5 tornado. The tornado killed 7 people and heavily damaged the town.

Geography

Leedey is located at (35.868518, −99.344124). It is approximately 34 miles north of

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

at Exit 41, the Elk City turnoff, via

Oklahoma State Highway 34 State Highway 34 (abbreviated SH-34) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It runs for south-to-north in the western part of the state. The highway begins northeast of Eldorado, in the southwest corner of the state, and extends no ...

. 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 345 people, 164 households, and 105 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 220 housing units at an average density of 561.3 per square mile (217.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.10%

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 ...

, 1.45% Native American, 0.29% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population. There were 164 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% 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 ...

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,667, and the median income for a family was $33,125. Males had a median income of $23,438 versus $14,375 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 $17,151. About 18.2% of families and 19.4% 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 ...

, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Don Carman, former Major League pitcher for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, and Texas Rangers *

Darla Hood Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress, best known as the leading lady in the ''Our Gang'' series from 1935 to 1941. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of music teacher Elizabeth Da ...

of the "

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

" series was born in Leedey on November 4, 1931. *

Pat Irwin Pat Irwin (born May 17, 1955) is an American composer and musician who was a founding member of two bands that grew out of New York City's No Wave scene in the late 1970s, the Raybeats and 8-Eyed Spy. He joined The B-52s from 1989 through 200 ...

(1921–1999), Justice of the Oklahoma State Supreme Court. * Drew Ward, current professional baseball player for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

organization.

External links

Leedey Public Schools

References

{{authority control Towns in Dewey County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma