Soper, Oklahoma

Soper, Oklahoma
Town

Location of Soper, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 34°2′0″N 95°41′48″W / 34.03333°N 95.69667°WCoordinates: 34°2′0″N 95°41′48″W / 34.03333°N 95.69667°W
Country United States
State Oklahoma
County Choctaw
Area
 • Total 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
 • Land 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 535 ft (163 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 261
 • Density 965/sq mi (372.7/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 74759
Area code(s) 580
FIPS code 40-68500[1]
GNIS feature ID 1098199[2]

Soper is a town in Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 261 at the 2010 census.[3] The town was named for P.L. Soper, who was a U.S. attorney in the northern district of Indian Territory, when the Frisco Railroad came through the area in the early 20th century.

One of Soper's claims to fame is that bull rider "Freckles" Brown, born Warren Granger Brown, was from the town. "Freckles" Brown was a rodeo performer born in Wheatland, Wyoming, on January 18, 1921. He died March 20, 1987, at his ranch in Soper. Brown is remembered for riding an "unrideable" bull named Tornado in 1967. The bull, owned by Jim Shoulders, had thrown over 200 riders over a 14-year period before Brown's successful ride.

Soper High School has played at the state baseball tournament many times since their first appearance in fall 1992, when they were runners-up. For many years subsequent teams from the school made it to the semi-finals. The Soper High School baseball team finally won the state championship in the spring of 2009.

Geography

Soper is located in west-central Choctaw County at 34°2′0″N 95°41′48″W / 34.03333°N 95.69667°W (34.033385, -95.696573).[4] The town is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Hugo, the county seat, and approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Boswell. Surrounding smaller communities in the area include Buckhorn, Bluff, Gay, Nelson, and Sugar Creek, most of which were small school districts, many of which still stand today, before they were closed and the students began using the Soper public school system.

Soper has a volunteer fire department, local gas station and market, a pizza parlor and movie rental outlet, and several prominent families that have been in the area for many years.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Soper has a total area of 0.27 square miles (0.7 km2), all of it land.[3]

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 600 people, 432 households, and 74 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,191.8 people per square mile (463.3/km²). There were 159 housing units at an average density of 631.7 per square mile (245.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.33% White, 19.33% Native American, and 6.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 132 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18, 40.2% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were nonfamilies. Of all households 41.7% were made up of individuals, and 25.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 73.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $13,875, and the median income for a family was $18,333. Males had a median income of $16,875 versus $16,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $7,814. About 35.1% of families and 44.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.5% of those under the age of 18 and 50.8% of those 65 or over.

Notable inhabitants

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "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. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Soper town, Oklahoma". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.