West Siloam Springs is a town in Delaware 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 1,000 at the 2020 census, an 18.2 percent increase from the figure of 846 recorded in 2010. A

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for

Siloam Springs, Arkansas Siloam Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, United States, and located on the western edge of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metropolitan area, Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Unite ...

, it is notable for its

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

casino, and is the closest town to Natural Falls State Park.Sharon Koons, "West Siloam Springs" ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed July 19, 2012.

History

In the mid-20th century, the population of Siloam Springs, Arkansas spilled across the Oklahoma - Arkansas state line, creating the need for Oklahoma-based town government. The population of the community had grown to 142 by July 10, 1969, when 35 out of 49 eligible voters approved incorporation.

Geography

West Siloam Springs is immediately west of

. 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 877 people, 306 households, and 205 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 349 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 76.40%

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 ...

, 0.11%

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 ...

, 11.74% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 1.14% from other races, and 10.03% 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 4.56% of the population. There were 306 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% 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, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% 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 2.95. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $31,953. Males had a median income of $22,243 versus $20,000 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 $12,858. About 13.4% of families and 18.3% 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 20.0% of those under age 18 and 26.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The town is located on U.S routes 59 and 412. Smith Field, a/k/a the Siloam Springs Municipal Airport, is approximately six miles to the east, and features a paved runway of almost 5000’. Commercial air transportation is available from

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Northwest Arkansas is a public-use airport located in Benton County, Arkansas, serving the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas region, northwest of Fayetteville and northwest of Springdale. Since its op ...

, about 24 miles to the east-northeast.

Natural Falls State Park

Nearby is Natural Falls State Park, off Hwy 412 west of town. one of the most beautiful scenic wonders in the state of Oklahoma. The natural setting and scenic beauty of the waterfall is known to millions of movie lovers. The popular 1974 film Where the Red Fern Grows was filmed in part at Natural Falls (then called Dripping Springs). The movie tells the story of a young boy growing up in rural Oklahoma during the hard times of the Great Depression and is considered an American classic.

Education

It is in the Moseley Public School school district.
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Hildebrand Mill

To the west of town about 10 miles is Hildebrand Mill, a 1907 water-powered grain mill, later used up to 1967 as a gas-powered lumber mill. It is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Delaware County, Oklahoma.

References

{{authority control Towns in Delaware County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Populated places within the Cherokee Nation reservation Populated places established in 1969 1969 establishments in Oklahoma