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. As of the 2020 census, the community had 148 residents.
History
Indianola probably began in 1875, when H. M. McElhany moved to the area and opened a one-room store. The store also served as a mail drop for local residents. The mail was delivered by horseback from the nearby town of Canadian, Oklahoma. McElhany stayed in business for about three years, then sold the store to Albert S. Cornelison and James H. Bynum. An actual post office was established at Indianola, Indian Territory on January 16, 1891, with Bynum being appointed as the first postmaster. "Indianola. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Scott, George and Carol. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
At the time of its founding, Indianola was located in Tobucksy County,
Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...
.John W. Morris, ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'', Plate 38.
According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', there are two versions of how the community acquired its name. One version says the name was on a stove in the general store. The other version says that the name honored
Indianola, Mississippi
Indianola is a city in and the county seat of Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States, in the Mississippi Delta. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census.
History
On June 30, 1874 the town was surveyed and on April 14, 1885 an addition ...
.
The first school in Indianola was organized in February 1895. In 1898, Lyman H. Perkins, a Choctaw farmer who had originally all the land on which Indianola was built, donated for construction of a Methodist church. In 1902, the
Fort Smith and Western Railway
The Fort Smith and Western Railway was a rail transport, railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma.
The railroad's main line extended from Coal Creek, Oklahoma (about 7 miles east of Bokoshe, Oklahoma) to Guthrie, Oklahoma, ...
built a track north of town. Indianola quickly relocated to be adjacent to the track, and the residents built a new school building. Lyman Perkins and his wife donated to the new town, which retained the name Indianola. The former site was simply called "Old Town." By 1910, the community claimed 781 residents, which was the all-time high.
Geography
Indianola is located on the south bank of the
South 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 .McAlester.
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. Indianola is 211 meters above sea level.
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 191 people, 72 households, and 52 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 76 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.58%
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 ...
, 6.28% Native American, and 3.14% from two or more races.
There were 72 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,969, and the median income for a family was $32,031. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $24,375 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 $18,908. About 7.3% of families and 7.8% 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 none of those under the age of eighteen and 21.4% of those 65 or over.
Economy
Agriculture has been the mainstay of Indianola's economy, with cotton being the main cash crop. Other major crops produced around the town have been corn, grains, soybeans, peanuts, and onions.