Welch is a town in northern
Craig County,
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. It is south of the
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
state line, at the intersection of
state highways 2 and
10 with
U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...
. The population was 619 at the 2010 census, an increase of 3.7 percent over the figure of 597 recorded in
2000.
CensusViewer:Population of the City of Welch, Oklahoma
/ref> It is the second largest town in its county.[Barbara Stoner, "Welch," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.](_blank)
Accessed May 3, 2015
History
Welch was established in 1888 in the Cherokee Nation on land that D. B. Nigh leased from Frank Craig. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (Katy) had built a line through the area in 1871, and in 1891 it built a switch on Nigh's property, providing a shipping point for local hay and grain. The town that began to grow around the switch was named for a Katy railroad official, A. L. Welch. A post office was established in 1892. The town plat was approved in 1902, and the town incorporated in 1909. A newspaper called the ''Welch Watchman'' began publication in 1902, and continued in business, although later renamed as the ''Welch American,'' until the mid 1960s.
A joint stock company established the first school in 1899, then sold it to the city in 1907. The first class graduated in 1911.
In 2003, Welch had two convenience stores, a grocery store, a feed store, Thomas Funeral Home, the Blossom Shoppe, a meat processor, a livestock sale barn, two cafés, a new automotive shop, two saddle shops, an assisted-living retirement home, Graham Equipment Company, and a new medical office, among other enterprises.
Bible/Freeman kidnapping and murders
On the night of December 29–30, 1999, firefighters responded to a fire reported at the home of Danny and Kathy Freeman in Welch. After extinguishing the blaze, they found the body of Kathy Freeman in one of the bedrooms, where she had been shot in the head, and also found that the fire had been deliberately set. Initially, they found no other bodies, but noticed that both Danny and their teen-age daughter, Ashley, were missing. The family car was in the driveway, with the keys in the ignition. The local police immediately assumed that the father had killed the mother and kidnapped Ashley.
When Lorene and Jay Bible woke on the morning of December 30, they discovered that their daughter, Lauria, had not come home after spending the previous day with Ashley Freeman, her best friend. They found Dan's body in the rubble. He too, had been shot to death. Later that day, they learned that the two girls and Kathy Freeman had been seen earlier that day in the local pizza parlor, celebrating Ashley's birthday. None of them had been seen since.
Sometime during the following decade, news media reported that two convicts, Tommy Lynn Sells and Jeremy Jones, had confessed to murdering the four victims. Their story did not check out, and they recanted their claims. ed murderer, Ronnie Busick, had bragged about killing the two girls. He and two alleged accomplices, Phil Welch and David Pennington claimed that the victims owed them money, and that they kept the girls alive for awhile hoping to get the money back. They further claimed that they tortured the girls before killing them and dumping the bodies in an Oklahoma mine shaft.
Geography
Welch is located at (36.874605, -95.093805). It is north of Vinita, the county seat, and west of Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, the seat of Ottawa County.
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.
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 597 people, 247 households, and 170 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 295 housing units at an average density of 646.7 per square mile (247.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 75.38% 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 o ...
, 0.17% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 12.90% Native American, 1.34% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 10.22% 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 2.18% of the population.
There were 247 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,389, and the median income for a family was $38,482. Males had a median income of $22,063 versus $21,944 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 $14,358. About 8.9% of families and 14.8% 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 18.8% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Agriculture has been the mainstay of Welch's economy since its founding. Henry Brooks Campbell began buying hay in 1889 for a Kansas City hay dealer, leading to the establishment of Campbell Hay and Grain Company, one of the largest hay and grain businesses in northeastern Indian Territory at that time. In 1928 The Maxson family started a cattle auction business in 1928 and 1967 opened the Maxson Sales Barn in 1967. The business was renamed the Welch Livestock Auction, after the Maxsons sold it in 1977. Charley Neill began a cattle-feeding business on his ranch west of town in the 1930s. He and a son formed the Neill Cattle Company in 1960.
Crop production, ranching, and related businesses remain the area's financial anchor.
Welch is one of three towns in the county that still has a bank. The People's Bank was founded in 1901, and a second bank, Oklahoma State Bank, opened in 1910. The two merged in 1923 to form the Welch State Bank.
Notable People
* Joe Bauman, baseball player, was born in Welch.
* Ma Barker
Kate Barker (born
Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...
, leader of the Barker gang
Kate Barker (born
Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...
, is buried in Welch along with two of her sons, Herman and Fred.
Notes
References
External links
WelchOK.com: News & Info from Welch, Oklahoma
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Towns in Craig County, Oklahoma
Towns in Oklahoma
Populated places established in 1888