Red Rock ( pronounced , meaning "Rock Red town") is a town in northern Noble 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 283 at the 2010 census, a decline from 293 at the 2000 census. The headquarters of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians is located in Red Rock.Betty L. Waters, "Red Rock," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed March 29, 2015.

History

In 1886, the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

built a line through what would become Noble County. The land around the railroad crossing of Red Rock Creek still belonged to the Otoe-Missouri reservation, but Rufus N. Dunagan operated a trading post there. A post office named "Magnolia" opened at the trading post in March 1890. The name was changed to Red Rock in June 1892. A Santa Fe train was robbed by the

Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted doub ...

in this locale on June 1, 1892. On April 26, 1991, a large F4 tornado touched down within one mile of the town. The tornado was rated F4 because of the minimal damage that occurred. But the tornado held the record for the highest recorded wind speed of 270 mph until the Bridge Creek, Oklahoma tornado of May 3, 1999, in the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, which had a wind gust of 318 mph.

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 293 people, 97 households, and 71 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 107 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 20.48%

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 ...

, 73.72% Native American, and 5.80% 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 1.02% of the population. There were 97 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% 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, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.68. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $17,031, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $16,875 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 $7,185. About 30.4% of families and 34.7% 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 45.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 30.6% of those 65 or over.

Education

In 1989, the Red Rock School District consolidated with the Marland district. The consolidated district was renamed Frontier School District.

Sports

The Frontier Mustangs have made it to the state basketball tournament 14 consecutive times and have won six state championships in the 20 years of the school's existence.

Notable people

* Benjamin Arkeketa (1928-2002), Navajo painter * Sanora Babb (1907-2005), American novelist, poet, and literary editor. * Della Warrior (born 1946), raised in Red Rock, female chair of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.

Notes

{{authority control Towns in Noble County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Otoe