Canadian is a town in Pittsburg 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. The population was 239 at the 2000 census.

History

At the time of its founding, Canadian was located in Tobucksy County,

Choctaw Nation The Choctaw Nation ( Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American territory covering about , occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

, in the

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

. The settlement was originally called South Canadian, taking its name from the nearby South Fork of the

Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the nearby Canadian Depot was an important supply depot.

Geography

Canadian is located at (35.175033, -95.654947). 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 239 people, 99 households, and 62 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 114 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 79.50%

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 ...

, 12.55% Native American, and 7.95% from two or more races. There were 99 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $18,281, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $21,750 versus $27,188 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 $13,824. About 20.0% of families and 27.4% 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 t ...

, including 34.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those 65 or over.

Notable people

Holly Holland, an eight-year-old girl who won a writing contest for the children's television series ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

'' and had her concept air in the show's 1999 episode "The Contest". Charles F. Carey, Jr., United States Medal of Honor recipient and Army Technical Sergeant, was born in Canadian. Carey, Jr. was an Army Infantryman during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who earned the posthumous Medal of Honor for commanding his outnumbered antitank battalion into positions of tactical survival, in 1945.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Canadian
{{authority control Towns in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma