Editing Quapaw, Oklahoma

{{Short description|Town in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and capital of the Quapaw Nation}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Quapaw, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = [[Town]] and [[Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area|tribal]] [[Capital city|capital]]
|official_name            = Town of Quapaw
|nickname                 = "The Hay Capital"
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = Quapaw City Hall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Main façade of the Quapaw Town Hall
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =
|image_map                = Ottawa County Oklahoma incorporated and unincorporated areas Quapaw highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Ottawa County, Oklahoma|Ottawa County]] and [[Oklahoma]]
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_label            = Quapaw
|pushpin_relief           = yes
|pushpin_label_position   = left
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the [[United States]]
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Oklahoma}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Ottawa County, Oklahoma|Ottawa]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = {{Start date and age|1917|p=yes}}
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 2.53
|area_land_km2            = 2.53
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.98
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.98
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 811
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_km2   = 320.75
|population_density_sq_mi = 830.94
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 843
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|57|20|N|94|47|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 74363
|area_code                = [[area codes 539 and 918|539/918]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-61400<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2412515<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412515}}</ref>
|blank2_name              = [[List of highways in Arkansas|Highways]]
|blank2_info              = {{Unbulleted list|[[Image:US 66 (historic).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 66|Historic Route 66]]|[[Image:US 69.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 69 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 69]]}}
|website                  =
}}

'''Quapaw''', officially the '''Town of Quapaw''', is a [[town]] in [[Ottawa County, Oklahoma|Ottawa County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States, which serves as the [[Capital city|capital]] of the [[Quapaw|Quapaw Nation]]. Located about {{convert|9|mi}} northeast of [[Miami, Oklahoma|Miami]], it is part of the [[Joplin, Missouri metropolitan area]]. [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] in 1917,<ref name=OkHS>[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=QU004 Mickey Johnson, ''Quapaw,'' Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.] Accessed March 15, 2015</ref> Quapaw's population was 811 in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Quapaw_town,_Oklahoma?g=160XX00US4061400 |title=Quapaw town, Oklahoma |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2020 |website=Census Bureau Profile |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=September 9, 2023}}</ref>

==History==
In 1891, Kansas farmer Isaac Bingham moved his family south into Ottawa County, then part of land assigned to the [[Quapaw Nation]]. It became part of the state of Oklahoma in 1907 after admission.  The family founded a community and opened several businesses.  Quapaw Chief John Quapaw donated land for a community school. The Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad established a railroad stop and siding at this site. This established access to markets for hay and agricultural products of the area, attracting more settlers. A post office was opened in the community grocery store in 1897.<ref name=OkHS/>

The community leaders platted "New Town Quapaw" on land to the east that was purchased from Harry Whitebird (Quapaw). This "new" town was incorporated in 1917 as Quapaw. Discovery of [[lead]] and [[zinc]] [[ore]]s in the area resulted in this area being developed as part of the [[Tri-State district|Tri-State mining district]]. As thousands of miners moved into the larger area, a population boom occurred.

[[Image:Route 66 in Quapaw.jpg|thumb|left|[[U.S. Route 66|Historic Route 66]] in Quapaw (2008)]]
The county had a significant population from several federally recognized tribes, such as the Quapaw. The population and economic boom stimulated development of new businesses. The 1920 census for the town listed 1,394 residents. In the 1920s, [[U. S. Route 66]] was developed through Quapaw and was paved through Ottawa County by 1933. This event was celebrated with Quapaw Chief [[Victor Griffin (Quapaw)|Victor Griffin]] laying a zinc tablet in the center of Main Street.<ref name=OkHS/>

As the local mining operations began to decline before World War II, jobs left the region and the population declined to 1,054 by 1940, and to 850 by 1960. The region was left with widespread mine tailings, known as [[chat (mining)|chat]], and extensive environmental toxic hazards.<ref name=OkHS/>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.6|sqmi|km2}}, all land. Quapaw is {{convert|9|miles|km}} north of [[Miami, Oklahoma|Miami]] and is the last town in Oklahoma on U.S. Highway 69A before the [[Kansas]] state line.<ref name=OkHS/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 1394
|1930= 1340
|1940= 1054
|1950= 938
|1960= 850
|1970= 967
|1980= 1097
|1990= 928
|2000= 984
|2010= 906
|2020= 811
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000,  984 people, 352 households, and 258 families resided in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,759.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 423 housing units had an average density of {{convert|756.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 68.60% White, 22.46% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.10% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 8.64% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.52% of the population.

Of the 352 households, 31.5% had children under 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were not families. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72, and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town, the age distribution was 28.7% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,083, and for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $17,279 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $10,182. About 22.3% of families and 28.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 41.1% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
[[Quapaw Public Schools]] operate area public schools.

==In popular culture==
Quapaw is mentioned in the film ''[[Oklahoma! (film)|Oklahoma]]'' as one of the towns in which the character Jud had worked at some point in the past. Jud recounted a fictional case of deadly arson that occurred five years prior to the film's setting.

Quapaw was mentioned in a 1976 episode of the television show ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', a U.S. [[situation comedy]].  In the episode "The Colonel's Horse", when [[Sherman Potter|Colonel Potter]] goes to [[Tokyo, Japan|Tokyo]] on R&R, his horse develops [[colic]]. [[Mike Farrell|Mike Farrell's]] character [[B.J. Hunnicutt|B.J.]] said his wife Peg (played by Catherine Bergstrom) was from Quapaw and that his father-in-law knew all about horses; they called him for advice.<ref>[http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=mash&episode=s05e11 ''M*A*S*H (MASH) Episode Scripts,''] Accessed April 20, 2015</ref>  Coincidentally, fellow ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' cast member [[Judy Farrell]], Mike Farrell's real-life wife at the time, was born in Quapaw.

== See also ==
* [[Quapaw Indian Agency]]
* [[2008 Picher–Neosho tornado]], an EF4 tornado that narrowly avoided hitting the town in May 2008

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
*
{{Ottawa County, Oklahoma}}
{{Portal bar|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Oklahoma}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quapaw, Oklahoma}}
[[Category:1917 establishments in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Planned communities in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1917]]
[[Category:Quapaw]]
[[Category:Seats of government of American Indian reservations]]
[[Category:Towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Towns in Ottawa County, Oklahoma]]