Camargo is a town in Dewey County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. The population was 193 as of the 2020 United States census, an increase over the 178 reported at the 2010 census, and the figure of 115 reported in 2000. CensusViewer:Camargo, Oklahoma Population.
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History

The area that became the present town of Camargo was part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation until it was opened for non-Indian settlement on April 19, 1892. A Camargo post office was established on September 16, 1892. Two stories exist about the meaning of the town name. One claims that it was named for a town in Illinois, while the other claims Camargo meant "little dog" in the Cheyenne language. Farming and ranching sustained Camargo's early economy. The

Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, its affiliate the Northwestern Railway Company of Texas, and two subsidiaries collectively constructed a railway running from Wichita Falls, Texas through Altus, Oklahoma to Forgan, Oklahoma, with a bra ...

(later the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, or Katy) built a line in 1912 between Leedey and Forgan (in Beaver County that passed through Camargo.

Bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...

was mined in the area and shipped on the railroad until the railroad ceased operating in 1972–73.

Sylvan Ambrose Hart Sylvan Ambrose "Buckskin Bill" Hart (May 10, 1906 – April 29, 1980) was among the last of the Mountain man, mountain men in the Western United States. The oldest of six children born in Camargo, Oklahoma, Camargo in the Oklahoma Territory, one y ...

, one of the last mountain men, was born in Camargo, the eldest of six children.

Geography

Camargo is located approximately halfway between Leedey and Vici on State Highway 34. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 115 people, 57 households, and 33 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 85 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.13%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, and 0.87% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population. There were 57 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.76. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $28,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,417. There were 20.6% of families and 24.3% of the population living 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 20.0% of under eighteens and 46.7% of those over 64.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Camargo
{{Authority control Towns in Dewey County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma