Editing Sayre, Oklahoma

{{Short description|City in Oklahoma, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Sayre, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = "Main Street On Historic Route (66)"

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Sayre, Oklahoma.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Buildings in Sayre, 2016
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Beckham County Oklahoma incorporated and unincorporated areas Sayre highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Beckham County, Oklahoma|Beckham County]] and the state of [[Oklahoma]]
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Oklahoma]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Beckham County, Oklahoma|Beckham]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = Aldermanic
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|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           = 14.00
|area_land_km2            = 13.95
|area_water_km2           = 0.05
|area_total_sq_mi         = 5.41
|area_land_sq_mi          = 5.39
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 4809
|population_density_km2   = 344.72
|population_density_sq_mi = 892.87

<!-- General information -->
|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             = 1893
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|17|48|N|99|37|43|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 73662
|area_code                = [[Area code 580|580]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-65700<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2411836<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411836}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://www.sayreok.net/| Sayre, Oklahoma}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
}}

'''Sayre''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Beckham County, Oklahoma|Beckham County]], in western [[Oklahoma]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> It is halfway between [[Oklahoma City]] and [[Amarillo, Texas]] on [[Interstate 40 in Oklahoma|Interstate 40]] and the former [[U.S. Route 66]]. The population was 4,809 at the time of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Sayre%20city,%20Oklahoma|title=Sayre (city), Oklahoma|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 29, 2023}}</ref> an increase over the 4,375 figure from the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], and the largest population ever recorded by a census since Sayre's founding.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4065700| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212195946/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4065700| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sayre city, Oklahoma| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref>

==History==
After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], [[U.S. Congress|Congress]] wanted to stimulate the economy and aid the growth of the nation. One way that they achieved this was to promote the building of the western railroads. Upon completion of the [[Union Pacific]]-[[Central Pacific Railroad|Central Pacific]] joining in 1869 with the [[Golden Spike]], other railroads trying to capitalize on commerce and trade also began crossing the western country. This included the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern]] and [[Burlington Northern|Burlington]] in the far north, and the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]] on the extreme southern border.

Eventually this would lead to rails crossing [[Indian Territory]], present-day Oklahoma, around the start of the 20th century. A new rail line was extended from [[Weatherford, Oklahoma|Weatherford]] to [[Texola, Oklahoma|Texola]] by McCabe & Steen Contractors in July 1901. [[Entrepreneur]]s would buy land near where the new tracks were being laid, and also near a source of water. The Choctaw Town Site and Improvement Company did this, and when the [[Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad]] crossed the North Fork of the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] in Western Indian Territory an instant town sprang up, which incorporated on 14 September 1901.

The Choctaw Townsite & Improvement Company began selling lots to new "[[Sooners]]" arriving to start a new life. The seeds of a new town were sown, businessmen came to sell their wares to the new town folk, and within one year the town's population was up to around 1,000. [[Pennsylvania]]n [[Robert Heysham Sayre]], a stockholder of the railroad, gave his name to the newly formed town in 1901.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SA027 Linda D. Wilson,  "Sayre,"  ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''], Accessed April 15, 2015.</ref>

The [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad|Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company]] (called the "Rock Island") leased the new line. The Rock Island would complete its march to the Pacific by filling in the line to [[Tucumcari, New Mexico]].

During the period of 1901–1907, Sayre was part of Roger Mills County in [[Oklahoma Territory]]. At the time Oklahoma became a state, Beckham County was created and Sayre, which was within the boundary of Beckham County, was named as the temporary county seat. An election in 1908 confirmed Sayre as the permanent seat, with voters preferring it to the town of [[Erick, Oklahoma|Erick]]. The Beckham County Courthouse was completed in 1911, and is still in service over a century later. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre" />

The discovery of oil and gas nearby caused the population to boom between 1920 and 1930. In the 1930s [[U.S. Route 66]], a dream forwarded by fellow Oklahoman [[Cyrus Avery]], would come through Sayre, cementing the town's fate to fuel the cars and feed the people exploring the country.

In 1940 film director [[John Ford]] used Sayre's Beckham County Courthouse in the film ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (film)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'', based on the famous book by [[John Steinbeck]].

During the 1970s Sayre and the surrounding area benefited from the [[natural gas]] and [[Petroleum|oil]] development in the [[Hugoton Gas Field|Panhandle-Hugoton field]], the largest-volume gas field in the United States, and the world's largest known source of [[helium]]. Between 1973 and 1993 the field produced over 8 trillion cubic feet (230,000,000 m³) of gas.

==Geography==
Sayre is located on the North Fork of the [[Red River of the South|Red River]], at an elevation of {{convert|1800|ft}} and {{convert|128|miles|km}} west of Oklahoma City.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre"/> The area is dominated by low rolling red clay hills.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|14.5|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.05|km2|order=flip}}, or 0.36%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 1881
|1920= 1703
|1930= 3157
|1940= 3037
|1950= 3362
|1960= 2913
|1970= 2712
|1980= 3177
|1990= 2881
|2000= 4114
|2010= 4375
|2020= 4809
|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, there were 4,114 people, 1,132 households, and 678 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,215.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,399 housing units at an average density of {{convert|413.5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 74.99% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 18.25% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.53% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.41% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.92% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.90% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.35% of the population.

There were 1,132 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.6% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 40.9% from 25 to 44, 16.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 197.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 216.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,713, and the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had a median income of $22,167 versus $18,147 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $10,378. About 15.9% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Sayre's economy has been based on agriculture and the production of oil and gas. By the 1930s, the town had five oil companies and one gasoline plant in operation. United Carbon Company built a [[carbon black]] plant there.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre" /> Circa 2000 the [[Pilot Flying J|Flying J]] truck stop opened on a {{convert|28|acre|ha|adj=on}} plot of land along [[Interstate 40 in Oklahoma|Interstate 40]] in Sayre; {{as of|2001}} it paid $150,000 in annual sales taxes and had 117 employees. The city government had purchased the land and sold it to the developer at cost in order to attract the development.<ref name=Kilbornturn>Kilborn, Peter T. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/01/us/rural-towns-turn-to-prisons-to-reignite-their-economies.html?pagewanted=all Rural Towns Turn to Prisons To Reignite Their Economies]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. August 1, 2001. Retrieved on April 11, 2016.</ref>

The [[North Fork Correctional Facility]], a privately owned, medium-security prison opened in 1998.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre" /> This prison had 270 employees as of 2001, and that year Peter T. Kilborn of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the prison "is responsible for lifting Sayre's spirits and reigniting its economy."<ref name=Kilbornturn/> Circa 2003 the community experienced economic issues when prisoners from Wisconsin were recalled from the prison.<ref>Kilborn, Peter T. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/13/national/13PRIS.html A Small Town Loses Its Prisoners and Livelihood]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. October 13, 2003. Retrieved on April 11, 2016.</ref>

==Education==
[[Southwestern Oklahoma State University]] at Sayre or SWOSU@Sayre, is an accredited junior college serving western Oklahoma.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.swosu.edu/sayre/ |title=SWOSU &#124; Southwestern Oklahoma State University &#124; Sayre Campus |access-date=2010-08-29 |archive-date=2010-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804060412/http://www.swosu.edu/sayre/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was founded in 1938 as Sayre Junior College and merged with SWOSU by an act of the Oklahoma Legislature in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.swosu.edu/sayre/resources/history.aspx|title = SWOSU Sayre}}</ref>

[[Western Technology Center]], Sayre campus provides the opportunity for adults and high school students to get occupationally-specific training. Sayre Public Schools is a member of the WTC district.

'''Sayre Public Schools''' is a school district serving the cities of Sayre and [[Elk City, Oklahoma|Elk City]] in [[Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Overview of Sayre Public Schools, Oklahoma (Unified School District)|url=http://statisticalatlas.com/school-district/Oklahoma/Sayre-Public-Schools/Overview|website=Statistical Atlas|access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> It includes the following schools:
* Sayre Elementary School
* Sayre Middle School
* Sayre High School

In 1994–5, the district was the defendant in a liability suit eventually decided by the [[Supreme Court of Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Curtis v. Board of Educ. of Sayre Public Schools|url=http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/1995/4233-1.html|website=Justia|access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref>

==Government==
Sayre has an aldermanic form of city government.<ref name="EOHC-Sayre" />

==NRHP listings==
{{Main|National Register of Historic Places listings in Beckham County, Oklahoma}}
The following sites in and around Sayre are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]:
* [[Beckham County Courthouse]] (NR 84002968)
* [[J. W. Danner House]] (NR 02000169)
* [[Sayre Champlin Service Station]] (NR 04000130)
* [[Sayre Rock Island Depot]] (also known as the Shortgrass Country Museum, NR 00000654)
* [[Sayre City Park]] (NR 04000127)
* [[Sayre Downtown Historic District]] (NR 02000972)

==Notable people==
* [[Maxie Anderson]], hot air balloonist, member of the first crew to cross the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in a balloon
* [[Leo Meyer (politician)|Leo Meyer]], served as mayor of Sayre from 1905 to 1906. He moved to Guthrie in 1907 when he was chosen as the new state's first assistant Secretary of State.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SA027 Sayre &ndash; Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture]
* [http://www.sayreok.net/ Sayre, Oklahoma Government Website]
* [http://www.sayre.k12.ok.us/ Sayre Public Schools]

{{Beckham County, Oklahoma}}
{{Oklahoma county seats}}
{{NRHP in Beckham County, Oklahoma}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Beckham County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:County seats in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1901]]