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Buffalo, Oklahoma

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Buffalo is a town and county seat of Harper County, Oklahoma, United States.<ref name=gnis/> As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 1,039.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was named after the Buffalo Creek valley, in which it is located.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

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In 1907, the town was "staked out" and a post office was established with the name Buffalo, which was derived from nearby Buffalo Creek. In 1908, a county seat election gave the seat to Buffalo and the town was incorporated in the same year.<ref name="EOHC-Buffalo">Bamburg, Maxine. "Buffalo," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Template:Webarchive</ref> Buffalo's founders issued instructions for all buildings to be built of stone, thereby many of those structures survived the test of time.

When citizens of Harper County decided to link their county seat with the railroads,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> they created the Buffalo and Northwestern Railroad, which arrived in Buffalo in May 1920.<ref name=Buffalo>Template:Cite web</ref> However, that trackage was abandoned in 1982,<ref name=Abandoned>Template:Cite web</ref> and Buffalo currently has no rail service.<ref name=OKMap>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, Buffalo has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name=gnis/> The city lies in the northwestern corner of Oklahoma at the Panhandle's eastern entrance, along U.S. routes 64/183, Template:Convert south of the Kansas state line. It is Template:Convert northeast of the Texas state line and Template:Convert northwest of Oklahoma City.<ref name="EOHC-Buffalo"/>

Doby Springs Park and Campgrounds, located about 11 miles west,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> includes a fishing lake, camping sites, a playground, and nature trails along rolling canyons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Travel>Template:Cite web</ref> The complex also has a PGA-rated 9-hole golf course.<ref name=Travel/>

Climate

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While not the snowiest location in Oklahoma ranked by highest annual average snowfall, Buffalo has the distinction of holding the State snowfall record over 24 hours, being 23” which fell February 21, 1971.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Demographics

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Template:US Census population As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 1,200 people, 495 households, and 336 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 599 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 92.92% White, 0.08% African American, 1.17% Native American, 4.67% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.33% of the population.

There were 495 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,433, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $20,515 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,328. About 8.2% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Buffalo School District oversees primary and secondary education.

Media

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The Buffalo Weekly News was established in 2014 and is published every Wednesday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Harper County Journal, consolidated from the Buffalo Republican and the Harper County Democrat, was published in Buffalo from 1903 to 2014, when it merged with the Laverne Leader Tribune to become the Harper County Leader,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> still published weekly in Laverne, Oklahoma.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other early newspapers included the Buffalo News, the Buffalo Bugle, and the Post.

Transportation

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U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 183 run concurrently through town.<ref name=Maps>Template:Cite web</ref>

Buffalo Municipal Airport is located about 2 miles north.<ref name=Maps/>

Historic sites

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Template:Main The following in the Buffalo area are NRHP-listed:

References

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Template:Reflist

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Template:Commons category

Template:Harper County, Oklahoma Template:Oklahoma county seats Template:Authority control