Kenton is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

Cimarron County Cimarron County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Boise City, Oklahoma, Boise City. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,296, making it the le ...

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 31 residents. Kenton, which lies in the Cimarron River valley, is just south of Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma, and serves as an unofficial staging point for visitors to the site.Tom Lewis and Sara Jane Richter. "Black Mesa." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed August 20, 2013. The east end of the mesa features dinosaur tracks which have been preserved in a sandstone strata next to Carrizo Creek. Black Mesa State Park, which contains Lake Carl Etling, is to the southeast. The

Preston Monument The Preston Monument is the common name for a stone marker at the tri-point (the place where three states meet) of Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. It is named after Levi S. Preston who surveyed a portion of the New Mexico–Colorado border in ...

, at the

tripoint A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...

of Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma, is about 10 driving miles north-northwest. Kenton is the closest settlement to Carrizo Canyon, about 22 miles north inside Colorado, which is a small gorge in the

Comanche National Grassland Comanche National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern Colorado, United States. It is the sister grassland of Cimarron National Grassland and contains both prairie grasslands and canyons. It is separated into two sections, ...

graced by juniper and cottonwood trees in which American Indian petroglyphs can be found along the walls.

History

The town originated with Carizzo, later called Florence, just over the line in New Mexico. It was, along with a place called

Mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

, one of only two significant settlements in the area of the pre-statehood Oklahoma Panhandle. When a nephew of

P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He w ...

by the name of Fairchild B. Drew became postmaster of the place, he moved the post office a bit to the east and changed the name to Kenton in 1893. At the time Oklahoma became a state (on November 16, 1907), it served as the temporary county seat for Cimarron County. The building now known as "The Merc" served as the temporary courthouse and held the county records. The citizens of the county voted to move the seat on June 11, 1908 to Boise City. Kentonites did not want to give up the records, so a group of people from Boise City confiscated the documents before the end of a 30-day waiting period. This started a local legend that Boise City stole the courthouse. During its heyday, Kenton had two car dealerships, a motel, a bank, and two general stores. Despite threats of closure over the years, the post office in Kenton remains open.

Time zone

Kenton is the only Oklahoma community that observes (albeit informally)

Mountain Time The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The clo ...

,Young, Norma Gene
"Cimarron County,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed June 30, 2015. reportedly because most of the people who interact with the town are from New Mexico or Colorado. This is despite the fact that officially, the time zone only changes west of the

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

state line. To avoid confusion, "Mountain Time" is often added when giving the time to visitors. Posted business hours all end with "MT" or "MST" to specify Mountain Time.

Museum

The town is home to the Kenton Museum, which is housed in a 1902 native rock former residence. The varied collection includes artifacts that helped settle No Man's Land, and other period photos and antiques.

Geography

Kenton lies in the northwest corner of

, approximately east of the

state line and south of the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

state line. It is located on the south side of the Cimarron River in the Cimarron River valley. State Highway 325 serves the community. Kenton experiences a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSk'') with cool, dry winters and very hot, wetter summers.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 17 people, 9 households, and 6 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

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 ...

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 11.8% of the population.U.S. Census Bureau
"DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 - 2010 Demographic Profile Data - Kenton CDP, Oklahoma,"
''American Fact Finder'', Accessed June 30, 2015. There were 9 households, out of which 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% 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, and 33.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.33. In the CDP the population was spread out, with 11.8% under the age of 18, 0.0% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 41.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58.8 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.U.S. Census Bureau
"QT-P1 Age Groups and Sex: 2010 - 2010 Census Summary File 1 - Kenton CDP, Oklahoma,"
''American Fact Finder'', Accessed June 30, 2015. According to the 2013

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, the median income for a household in the CDP was $18,750, and the median income for a family could not be computed because there were not enough sample observations. Median income for males and females could not be computed because there were not enough sample observations. The per capita income for the CDP was $8,320. About 41.7% of families and 68.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 100.0% of those under age 18. The percentage of those age 65 or over living in poverty could not be computed because there were not enough sample observations.U.S. Census Bureau
"DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics - 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates - Kenton CDP, Oklahoma,"
''American Fact Finder'', Accessed June 30, 2015. File:KentonOklahomaRoadSignNovember2011.JPG, Kenton road sign, November 2011 File:Sign in Kenton Church Times.JPG, Sign in Kenton showing Mountain Time, March 2009 File:Kenton Mercantile 2024.jpg, The Merc in April 2024 File:KentonOklahomaPostOfficeNovember2011.JPG, Kenton post office, November 2011 File:Kenton Oklahoma whole town.JPG, Kenton, Oklahoma, looking west, March 2009 File:DilapidatedBuildingInKentonOklahomaMarch2009.JPG, Ruins in Kenton, March 2009 File:Kenton Abandoned House 2024.jpg, Abandoned house in Kenton, April 2024

Notable people

Foy Vance Foy Best Vance (born 18 November 1974) is an Irish musician and singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, signed to Ed Sheeran's Gingerbread Man Records, Gingerbread Man record label. Vance has toured as a support act to British singer-songwrite ...

, a popular Northern Irish singer-songwriter, spent his early childhood living in Kenton during the late 1970s. His father, Hugh Bailie Vance, was a traveling preacher in the evangelical

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ, also commonly known as the Church of Christ, is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations located around the world. Typically, their distinguishing beliefs are that of the necessity of baptism for salvation ...

References

External links

Kenton information, photos and videos on TravelOK.com
Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
Bat Cave Archaeological SiteRed Ghost Cave Archaeological districtThree Entrance Cave Archaeological district''This Land'' "The Last of Kenton"Kenton Collection at Oklahoma State UniversityHoot Owl Guest RanchHitching Post Lodging & RanchBlack Mesa Bed & Breakfast
{{Authority control Census-designated places in Cimarron County, Oklahoma Archaeological sites in Oklahoma Oklahoma Panhandle Populated places established in 1893 1893 establishments in Oklahoma Territory