Editing Texola, Oklahoma (section)

==History==
[[File:Magnolia Service Station.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Magnolia Service Station]]
The History of Texola dates back to the early 1900s. Before being named Texola, the town site had been called Texokla and Texoma. Because of its location near the [[100th meridian west|100th Meridian]], the town was surveyed eight different times, which meant that some early residents lived in both [[Texas]] and Oklahoma without ever moving.<ref name="Legends of America">{{cite web | url = http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OK-Erick.html | title = Erick and Texola Oklahoma – Gateway to Oklahoma | publisher = Legends of America, A Travel Site for the Nostalgic & Historic Minded | date =  | accessdate = July 22, 2009}}</ref><ref name="TravelOK">{{cite web | url = http://www.travelok.com/vacationIdeas/in-depth-detail.asp?row_id=15 | title = The Oklahoma Route 66 Journey (Part I, Texola to Elk City) | format = | publisher = Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department | date =  | accessdate = July 22, 2009}}</ref> Texola was originally part of northern [[Greer County, Oklahoma|Greer County]] until [[Beckham County, Oklahoma|Beckham County]] was formed after [[Oklahoma]] gained statehood in 1907.<ref name="Oklahoma Encyclopedia">Wilson, Linda D. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TE027 "Texola,"] ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 15, 2015.</ref> A post office was established in the community on December 12, 1901, with Reuben H. Grimes serving as the first postmaster. In 1902, the [[Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad]] (later owned by the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway]]) was built through the town. A weekly newspaper, the ''Texola Herald'', began publishing in 1902 and continued to operate into the early 1920s. By 1909, Texola had two cotton gins as well as a corn and grist mill. The local economy was agriculturally based and several businesses opened in the community.

The 1910 census recorded 361 people living in Texola. That same year, a small Territorial Jail was built.<ref name="Legends of America"/><ref name="TravelOK"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Oklahoma/texola.htm | title = Shadows of Texola | publisher = The Road Wanderer | date =  | accessdate = July 22, 2009}}</ref> After a slight decline in population during the 1910s, Texola grew rapidly in the 1920s. The population peaked at 581 in the 1930 census. The arrival of [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]] (also known as 5th Street) had a positive impact on the local economy. Cotton production increased during the decade, necessitating the need for two additional gins. As the town prospered, amenities such as a ten-acre park and an auditorium capable of seating 300 people were found in the community.<ref name="Oklahoma Encyclopedia"/> The population began to decline in the 1940s and continued to do so throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. By 1980, Texola was a town of 106 residents. When the next census was conducted in 1990, Texola had lost nearly 58 percent of its population, leaving just 45 people in the town. The figure is nearly the same in the 2020 census, at 43 people.<ref name=2020Census/>

===Historic places===
The [[Magnolia Service Station]] in Texola is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Beckham County, Oklahoma]], being placed on the list in 1995. The station was built in 1930 by the [[Magnolia Petroleum Company]] on Route 66.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/state/ok/index.htm?program=all nps.gov, Magnolia Service Station in Texola, Oklahoma ]</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1= Meacham |first1= Maryjo |title= National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Magnolia Service Station |url= {{NRHP url|id=95000028}} |format= PDF |publisher= National Park Service |accessdate= April 20, 2014 |first2= Brenda |last2= Peck |first3= Lisa |last3= Bradley |first4= Susan |last4= Roth |date= May 31, 1992}} {{NRHP url|id=95000028|title=Accompanied by photos|photos=y}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1= Meacham |first1= Maryjo |title= National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Route 66 and Associated Historic Resources in Oklahoma |url= {{NRHP url|id=64500493}} |format= PDF |publisher= National Park Service |accessdate=April 20, 2014 |first2= Brenda |last2= Peck |first3= Lisa |last3= Bradley |first4= Susan |last4=Roth}}</ref>

A quirky roadside attraction in Texola is the One Room Jail.<ref name=Jail>{{cite web|url= https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.28033 |title=One Room Jail|publisher=TravelOK.com|accessdate=October 22, 2021}}</ref>  It was constructed in the late 1800s out of cinderblock, and consists of a single room with an iron-barred door and window.<ref name=Jail/>