Davis is a city in
Garvin and
Murray counties in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
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 ...
. The population is 2,823 as of the
2020 census.
History
Davis is named after Samuel H. Davis, who moved to Washita in what was then Indian Territory in 1887. At the time of its founding, the community was located in
Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation
Pickens County was a political subdivision of the Chickasaw Nation in the Indian Territory from 1855, prior to Oklahoma being admitted as a state in 1907. The county was one of four that comprised the Chickasaw Nation. Following statehood, its ter ...
.
[Chadwick, R.W. and Sharon Chandwick]
"Davis,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed August 12, 2015; Charles Goins, ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'' (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006), p. 105.
Davis owned a dry goods store, which was four miles south of the current town of Davis. Davis submitted a petition for a Santa Fe depot to be built near his store, and the petition was accepted.
In 1890, he also successfully petitioned for a post office to be built.
The post office was supposed to be named after Nelson Chigley, a Chickasaw Indian who owned the land on which the town was to be built.
Chigley was already an Indian Territory name, so it was named after Davis.
The town was established on November 16, 1898.
It is located 23 miles north of
Ardmore and 23 miles south of
Pauls Valley.
By 1900, Davis had 57 businesses, two banks, 10 doctors, three dentists, and three lawyers.
Cotton farming was a common occupation in Davis, which was in one of the best cotton producing sections in Oklahoma.
Later, when
U.S. Interstate 35 was constructed, it was built two miles to the west of Davis.
By 2000, the population had grown to 2,610, and very few people worked as farmers.
The education, health, and social services sectors of the economy have grown, with approximately one-quarter of the population working in these areas.
Geography
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 city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km
2), all land. It is located near the
Lake of the Arbuckles. Davis is at the intersection of
US-77 and
SH-7.
SH-7 east of Davis leads onto SH-7 Spur which, at the intersection with
U.S. Route 177, feeds into the western end of the
Chickasaw Turnpike.
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 2010, there were 2,683 people, 1,042 households, and 723 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,202 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.34%
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 ...
, 4.56%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 10.65%
Native American, 0.38%
Asian, 0.50% from
other races, and 3.56% 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 1.03% of the population.
There were 1,042 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% 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, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,958, and the median income for a family was $37,100. Males had a median income of $27,266 versus $16,667 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 city was $13,604. About 13.0% of families and 14.2% 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 14.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
The Davis Museum, run by the Arbuckle Historical Society, includes displays on Schools, Churches, Music, Medicine, Dentistry, Civic Organizations, Military, Uniforms, Fire Departments, Police Departments, Railroad, Farm Implements, and Photographs of the area.
The museum is housed in the recently remodeled 1907 Santa Fe Depot,
which is on the
National Register of Historic Places listings in Murray County, Oklahoma.
Parks and recreation
Turner Falls Park in Davis is home to Oklahoma's largest waterfall. The park, nearly 1,600 acres, features swimming, hiking, exploring, overnight lodging, and more.
The City of Davis also has a city park with walking trails, picnic areas, playground equipment, and pavilions.
is approximately nine miles east of town.
Media
Davis and its surrounding counties are served by a weekly local newspaper, ''
The Davis News''.
Education
The school district is
Davis Public Schools.
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Text list
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References
External links
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Davis
Davis Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Murray County, Oklahoma
Cities in Garvin County, Oklahoma
Cities in Oklahoma