Bryan County
County
Bryan County Courthouse
Bryan County Courthouse
Map of Oklahoma highlighting Bryan County
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Map of the United States highlighting Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°58′N 96°15′W / 33.97°N 96.25°W / 33.97; -96.25
Country United States
State Oklahoma
Founded1907
SeatDurant
Largest cityDurant
Area
 • Total944 sq mi (2,440 km2)
 • Land904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Water39 sq mi (100 km2)  4.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total46,067
 • Density49/sq mi (19/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd

Bryan County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,067.[1] Its county seat is Durant.[2] It is the only county in the United States named for Democratic politician William Jennings Bryan.

Bryan County comprises the Durant, OK micropolitan statistical area, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth and the Texoma region, TX-OK combined statistical area. The city of Durant has the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Bryan County consists of 10 Townships: Albany, Bennington, Bokchito, Brown, Caddo, Calera, Colbert, Kemp, Matoy, and Speairs.[3]

History

Map of Bryan County, 1909

The area now known as Bryan County was occupied by the Choctaw tribe in 1831–2. After the tribe reestablished its government in the Indian Territory, it included much of the area within Blue County, a part of the Pushmataha District of the Choctaw Nation.[4]

In 1845, the tribe opened Armstrong Academy for boys near the community of Bokchito. The academy served as Chahta Tamaha, the Choctaw capital, during the Civil War.

Bloomfield Academy, a school for Chickasaw girls, was opened in 1852, just south of the present town of Achille.[5]

Prior to the Chickasaw removal to Indian Territory, the Chickasaw tribe bought part of the Choctaw allocation. The western quarter of today's Bryan County was made part of the Chickasaw District in 1837. When the two tribes formally separated into two distinct nations in 1855, the Chickasaw District became the Chickasaw Nation.[5]

During the late 1850s, the Butterfield Overland Mail and Stage route followed the older Texas Road across the present county. General Albert Pike established Fort McCulloch for the Confederate Army near the present town of Kenefic on the Blue River. Although no Civil War battles occurred in the vicinity, the fort was garrisoned by more than a thousand Indian troops whose leaders were allied with the Confederates.[5]

After the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (Katy) built a north–south line through this area in 1872, several new towns were created. One such town was Colbert, which became the seat of Blue County and the largest town in the Choctaw Nation. The St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad, later bought by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (Frisco), built an east–west line in 1903.[5]

Just prior to statehood, when all tribal governments were dissolved, Blue County was extinguished. Bryan County was officially established on November 16, 1907, and Durant was designated as the county seat.[5]

The Bridge War, also called the Red River Bridge War or the Toll Bridge War, was a 1931 bloodless boundary conflict between the U.S. states of Oklahoma and Texas over an existing toll bridge and a new free bridge crossing the Red River between Grayson County, Texas and Bryan County, Oklahoma.

Geography

Aerial view of the State Highway No. 78 Bridge at the Red River

Bryan County is in southeastern Oklahoma, in a 10-county area designated as Choctaw Country for tourism purposes by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.[6] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 944 square miles (2,440 km2), of which 904 square miles (2,340 km2) is land and 39 square miles (100 km2) (4.2%) is water.[7]

The county is in the Coastal Plains physiographic region, and is drained mostly by the Blue River. The Washita River originally drained much of the western part of the county, but now empties into Lake Texoma, which forms much of the southern boundary of the county.[5] The county is a major part of the Texoma region.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
191029,854—
192040,70036.3%
193032,277−20.7%
194038,13818.2%
195028,999−24.0%
196024,252−16.4%
197025,5525.4%
198030,53519.5%
199032,0895.1%
200036,53413.9%
201042,41616.1%
202046,0678.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010[12]
Age pyramid for Bryan County, Oklahoma, based on census 2000 data.

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,534 people, 14,422 households, and 9,936 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km2). There were 16,715 housing units at an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.02% White, 1.42% Black or African American, 12.16% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 4.84% from two or more races; 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.4% were of American, 10.1% Irish, 8.1% German and 6.7% English ancestry. By 2020, its population grew to 46,067.[1]

In 2000, there were 14,422 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $27,888, and the median income for a family was $33,984. Males had a median income of $26,831 versus $20,087 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,217. About 14.00% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.40% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of May 31, 2023[14]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
Democratic 7,171 28.11%
Republican 13,829 54.21%
Others 4,508 17.67%
Total 25,508 100%
United States presidential election results for Bryan County, Oklahoma[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 12,344 77.27% 3,323 20.80% 309 1.93%
2016 10,478 75.83% 2,804 20.29% 536 3.88%
2012 9,520 72.12% 3,681 27.88% 0 0.00%
2008 9,307 67.77% 4,426 32.23% 0 0.00%
2004 8,615 59.99% 5,745 40.01% 0 0.00%
2000 6,084 51.80% 5,554 47.28% 108 0.92%
1996 3,943 34.79% 5,962 52.60% 1,430 12.62%
1992 3,452 25.63% 6,259 46.47% 3,757 27.90%
1988 4,615 40.13% 6,849 59.55% 37 0.32%
1984 6,246 53.07% 5,475 46.52% 48 0.41%
1980 3,980 37.61% 6,410 60.57% 192 1.81%
1976 2,848 27.67% 7,410 71.99% 35 0.34%
1972 5,397 61.91% 3,144 36.06% 177 2.03%
1968 2,727 33.24% 3,214 39.17% 2,264 27.59%
1964 2,652 30.89% 5,934 69.11% 0 0.00%
1960 3,845 46.48% 4,428 53.52% 0 0.00%
1956 2,939 33.91% 5,729 66.09% 0 0.00%
1952 3,340 33.14% 6,739 66.86% 0 0.00%
1948 1,366 14.99% 7,748 85.01% 0 0.00%
1944 1,677 18.90% 7,180 80.91% 17 0.19%
1940 2,190 19.36% 9,095 80.42% 25 0.22%
1936 1,362 14.35% 8,106 85.43% 20 0.21%
1932 825 9.70% 7,681 90.30% 0 0.00%
1928 3,014 43.37% 3,885 55.90% 51 0.73%
1924 1,780 25.17% 4,593 64.95% 699 9.88%
1920 3,127 38.83% 4,502 55.90% 424 5.27%
1916 1,267 25.30% 2,974 59.40% 766 15.30%
1912 711 18.49% 2,278 59.25% 856 22.26%

Economy

Agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and distribution are bedrocks of the county's economy. Tourism attractions include Lake Texoma, Lake Durant, the Choctaw Casino Resort, Choctaw Casino Bingo and Fort Washita.

Major employers in the region include the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the headquarters of the J.C. Potter meat processing facility, Durant's Historic Central Business District and Retail District, a Cardinal Glass Industries manufacturing facility, AllianceHealth Durant,[16] a Big Lots distribution center, the headquarters of First United Bank and First Texoma National Bank, Indian Nation Wholesale, and Wal-Mart.

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

NRHP sites

The following sites in Bryan county are on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bryan County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Oklahoma Townships
  4. ↑ Morris, John W. Historical Atlas of Oklahoma (Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1986), plate 38.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Milligan, James C. "Bryan County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, 2009. Accessed March 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Counties & Regions". Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (Travel Promotion Division). Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Voter Registration Totals". OK Elections Interactive Statistics Beta. May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  16. ↑ http://www.ok-durant.org/files/profiles/22/2017%20Major%20Employers-Durant.pdf

Further reading

  • Bryan County Heritage Association. The History of Bryan County Oklahoma. National ShareGraphics, 1983. 596.

33°58′N 96°15′W / 33.97°N 96.25°W / 33.97; -96.25

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