Devol is a town in Cotton 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 93 at the 2020 census, an decrease of 38 percent from 150 at the 2000 census.CensusViewer:Devol, Oklahoma Population
/ref> The town is named for J. Fiske Devol, who owned the land on which it stands.O'Dell, Larry
"Devol."
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed January 13, 2016.

History

The community of Devol began in 1907, when the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway laid tracks through the area. A post office was established there on November 30, 1907. The railroad became a subsidiary of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad (MK&T or Katy) in 1911. By that year, the town had about 400 residents. Discovery of the nearby Burkburnett Oil Field in 1918 initiated a brief boom in Devol. At least two refineries were built in the area, along with several oil pipelines. The 1920 census showed the population was 1,936. The town had the first dynamo in the area used for power in one of the two dance halls. Devol is said to have had four churches, a lumber store, feed store, a hotel, two dance halls/bars, a brothel and hundreds of small structures to rent as a home during the growing Burk boom. However, the boom ended in 1922, and most of the people related to that business moved away. The town bank failed in 1927. In 1930, the population of Devol was only 328. The 1940 census showed 208 residents. Devol continued to shrink after World War II. Only 152 residents remained in 1950. The high school closed in 1953, and in 1957, all grades were consolidated along with those of Randlett and Union Valley to form the Big Pasture School District in Randlett. In 1959 a tornado damaged most of Devol's business district (all three on the main street) and the old high school building. The town's population reached 117, the lowest recorded in its history until the 2020 census. The MK&T abandoned its tracks in 1972, and in the 1980s the only remaining business was a tack shop that specialized in making race horse saddles. It closed in the 1990s. The only business in Devol proper is the Helena Chemical Company, formerly M&E Soil Service, who employs two people. The post office had been threatened with closure in 1997 and 2002, and now operates limited weekly hours. However, a handful of casinos employ hundreds of employees southwest of the town near the Texas border

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 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 150 people, 62 households, and 40 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 68 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.67%

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 ...

, 4.67% Native American, and 4.67% 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 8.67% of the population. There were 62 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,313, and the median income for a family was $46,563. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $28,333 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 $14,792. There were 2.1% of families and 9.4% 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 2.0% of under eighteens and 36.0% of those over 64.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Devol
{{authority control Towns in Cotton County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1907