Sperry, Oklahoma

Sperry, Oklahoma
Town
Nickname(s): Sperry, America
Location of within Tulsa County, and the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°17′43″N 95°59′24″W / 36.29528°N 95.99000°WCoordinates: 36°17′43″N 95°59′24″W / 36.29528°N 95.99000°W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Tulsa
Government
Area
• Total	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km^2)
• Land	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	623 ft (190 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,286
• Density	1,118.3/sq mi (431.8/km^2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	74073
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-69300[1]
GNIS feature ID	1098359[2]

Sperry is a town in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 807 in the 2010 U. S. census, compared to 196 at the 2000 census.^[3] It is primarily a bedroom community, since about 85 percent of the employed residents commute to work in Tulsa and other nearby towns. Sperry also has an active retirement community.^[4]

History

Sperry began as a post office in the Cherokee Nation that was established May 17, 1902 to serve a rural community between Hominy and Delaware Creeks. The origin of the name is not clear. One source claims that the name was derived from the surname of a local landowner named Henry Spybuck.^[5] The Midland Valley Railroad built a line from Arkansas to Eastern Kansas that reached Sperry in March 1905. Exploration for oil brought prosperity between 1905 and 1910. Sperry incorporated in 1920, when the census recorded a population of 487.^[4]

Two communities joined to form present-day Sperry. One was previously known as "Buehler Switch." This was the larger community, the location of the railroad and depot, and centered around 96th Street North and S. H. 11. The smaller community, consisting of only two or three homes and a general store/post office housed in the same building, was actually known as Sperry. It was on Hominy Creek near 106th Street North and North Peoria. When statehood occurred in 1907, the post office was renamed Sperry and was moved from the general store to a new grocery store near the depot. Sperry remained unincorporated until 1917.^[4]

Geography

Sperry is located at 36°17′43″N 95°59′24″W / 36.29528°N 95.99000°W (36.295241, -95.989898).^[6] It is about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown Tulsa.^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	487		—
1930	563		15.6%
1940	570		1.2%
1950	665		16.7%
1960	883		32.8%
1970	1,123		27.2%
1980	1,276		13.6%
1990	937		−26.6%
2000	3,746		299.8%
2010	1,206		−67.8%
Est. 2015	1,268	[7]	5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 196 people, 147 households, and 78 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,118.3 people per square mile (430.4/km²). There were 406 housing units at an average density of 462.8 per square mile (178.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 70.64% White, 0.51% African American, 18.86% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.94% from other races, and 7.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.75% of the population.

There were 375 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,713, and the median income for a family was $30,192. Males had a median income of $26,167 versus $18,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,767. About 15.1% of families and 89.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Sperry Public Schools is an independent school district in Sperry, Oklahoma serving grades K-12. The Elementary, Middle, and High School buildings share a campus on the western edge of Sperry.

References

1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. CensusViewer: Population of the City of Sperry, Oklahoma
4. Dianna Everett, "Sperry," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
5. Tulsa County Historic Sites July 1982: Prepared by the Community Planning Division Indian Nations Council of Governments for the Tulsa County Historical Society. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.