Caddo County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,600. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Anadarko. Created in 1901 as part of Oklahoma Territory, the county is named for the

Caddo The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, w ...

tribe who were settled here on a reservation in the 1870s. Caddo County is immediately west of the seven-county Greater

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

metro area, and although is not officially in the metro area, it has many economic ties in this region.

History

Caddo County was organized on August 6, 1901, when the Federal Government allotted the

Kiowa Kiowa () people are a Native American tribe and an indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in the 17th and 18th centuries,Pritzker 326 and e ...

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in ...

, and

Arapaho The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho ba ...

reservations and sold the surplus land to white settlers. The reservation land was part of Oklahoma Territory until Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907. Part of its land was taken at statehood to form neighboring Grady County. Some additional land was taken in 1911 and also awarded to Grady County. Redstone baptist church

Agriculture has been the mainstay of the local economy since its founding. The main crops were cotton, corn, wheat, alfalfa, broom corn, and kaffir corn. Poultry and livestock production have also been important. By 1960, Caddo County ranked first in Oklahoma for producing of peanuts, hogs and poultry. The first oil field (Cement Field) in the county was discovered in 1911, and oil production has remained important to the county economy since then. Smaller-scale booms in oil production occurred in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. The county mostly lies in the Gypsum Hills and the

Red Bed Red beds (or redbeds) are sedimentary rocks, typically consisting of sandstone, siltstone, and shale, that are predominantly red in color due to the presence of ferric oxides. Frequently, these red-colored sedimentary strata locally contain t ...

plains physiographic areas. The extreme southwestern corner is in the

Wichita Mountains The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the principal relief system in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, being the result of a failed continental rift. The mountains are a northwest-south ...

. The county is drained by the

Washita River The Washita River () is a river in the states of Texas and Oklahoma in the United States. The river is long and terminates at its confluence with the Red River, which is now part of Lake Texoma () on the TexasOklahoma border. Geography The ...

, Pond Creek and Sugar Creek. Major reservoirs are Chickasha Lake, Ellsworth Lake, and Fort Cobb Lake, Red Rock Canyon State Park near Hinton is notable for having the only remaining stand of native Caddo maple trees.

Major highways

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 ...

Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...

* H.E. Bailey Turnpike * U.S. Highway 62 * U.S. Highway 281 *

U.S. Highway 277 U.S. Route 277 (US 277, US-277) is a north–south United States Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 77. It runs for 633 miles (1,019 km) across Oklahoma and Texas. US 277's northern terminus is in Newcastle, Oklahoma at Inte ...

* State Highway 8 * State Highway 9 * State Highway 19 * State Highway 58

Adjacent counties

* Blaine County (north) *

Canadian County Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,405, making it the fifth most populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is El Reno. The county is named for the Canadian ...

(northeast) * Grady County (east) * Comanche County (south) * Kiowa County (southwest) *

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. Histor ...

(west) * Custer County (northwest)

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 30,150 people, 10,957 households, and 7,965 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 9/km² (24/sq mi). There were 13,096 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (10/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 65.55%

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 ...

, 2.92%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

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 ...

, 24.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.70% from other races, and 4.36% from two or more races. 6.28% of the population were

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. 93.8%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 4.5% Spanish and 1.2%

as their first language. There were 10,957 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% 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, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,347, and the median income for a family was $32,118. Males had a median income of $26,373 versus $18,658 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 county was $13,298. About 16.70% of families and 21.70% 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 28.00% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

During the 20th century, Caddo County was a bellwether county: between 1912 and 2004, the county voted for the winner in every election but 1956, 1960 and 1988. However, while Democrats have a large plurality of registered voters, the county has recently been swept up in the growing Republican trend throughout Oklahoma. John McCain (2008), Mitt Romney (2012) and Donald Trump (2016) each received at least 64% of the county's vote.

Economy

Caddo County is home to cattle ranching and significant wheat and peanut farm operations—with a few of the producers practicing environmentally friendly no-till or reduced tillage farming methods. There is also one winery and vineyard in the county (

Woods and Waters Winery and Vineyard Woods and Waters Winery and Vineyard was the first commercial winery in Caddo County, Oklahoma. It was located on the old Ozark Trail southwest of Anadarko and east of the community of Pine Ridge. The winery was established in 1998 as part of a ...

Communities

City

* Anadarko (county seat)

Towns

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

Binger Binger is a German and Danish surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Carl Binger (1889–1976), American psychiatrist *James H. Binger (1916–2004), American lawyer and chief executive *Louis Gustave Binger (1856–1936), French explo ...

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonn ...

* Carnegie *

Cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixe ...

* Cogar *

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varian ...

* Eakly * Fort Cobb * Gracemont * Hinton * Hydro * Lookeba * Pine Ridge * Spring Creek

Unincorporated communities

* Albert * Alden *

Alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as ...

* Boone * Broxton * Cogar * Nowhere * Pine Ridge *

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...

* Sickles * Spring Creek * Stecker * Washita

Education

Public school districts:
Text list
/ref> * Anadarko Public Schools * Binger-Oney Public Schools * Boone-Apache Public Schools * Carnegie Public Schools * Cement Public Schools * Cordell Public Schools * Cyril Public Schools * Fletcher Public Schools * Fort Cobb-Broxton Schools * Gracemont Public Schools * Hinton Public Schools * Hydro-Eakly Public Schools * Lookeba-Sickles Public Schools * Minco Public Schools * Verden Public Schools * Pioneer Public School (elementary school only) There is also a

Bureau of Indian Education The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), headquartered in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C., and formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant ...

(BIE)-operated school, Riverside Indian School.

NRHP sites

The following sites in Caddo County are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: * Amphlett Brothers Drug and Jewelry Store, Apache * Anadarko Armory, Anadarko * Anadarko Downtown Historic District, Anadarko * Apache State Bank, Apache * Bridgeport Bridge, Bridgeport * Bridgeport Hill-Hydro Route 66 Segment, Hydro * Caddo County Medicine Creek Archeological District Binger * First Baptist Church (Colored), Anadarko * Fort Cobb Site, Fort Cobb *

Provine Service Station The Provine Service Station (later the Hamons Court, Hamons' Service Station or simply Lucille's Place) is a historic filling station on U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma. Located a half-mile south of Hydro, Oklahoma and operated by Lucille Hamons from 19 ...

, Hydro * Randlett Park, Anadarko * Rock Island Passenger Station, Anadarko *

Rock Mary Rock Mary, in Caddo County, Oklahoma, was a prominent landmark on the California Road. It was named in 1849 for Mary Conway, the then 17-year-old niece of James Sevier Conway, the Governor of Arkansas. Mary was the eldest daughter of Dr. John R. ...

, Hinton * Stevens Rock Shelter, Gracemont

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Caddo County

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{Coord, 35.18, -98.38, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OK_source:UScensus1990 Populated places established in 1901 1901 establishments in Oklahoma Territory