Lehigh, Oklahoma | |
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 Owl Grocery in Lehigh, 2012 | |
 Location of Lehigh, Oklahoma | |
| Coordinates:34°28′14″N96°13′15″W / 34.47056°N 96.22083°W /34.47056; -96.22083 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Coal |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.62 sq mi (4.20 km2) |
| • Land | 1.57 sq mi (4.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.054 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 600 ft (180 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 272 |
| • Density | 173.1/sq mi (66.84/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 74556 |
| Area code | 580 |
| FIPS code | 40-42200[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410817[2] |
Lehigh is a city inCoal County,Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 356 at the2010 census.[4]
Lehigh began as the first mining camp in what is now Coal County, Oklahoma.[5] At the time of its founding, Lehigh was located inAtoka County, Choctaw Nation.[6] It was originally named Boone, but the name was changed to Lehigh.[5] The new name was taken fromLehigh County, Pennsylvania, a coal-mining region.[7][5]
A post office opened in Lehigh, Indian Territory, on April 4, 1882, and several railroads built lines to Lehigh, including theMissouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, theChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, and theGulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway.[5][a] In addition to mining, ranching was an important contributor to the local economy. Stockyards were built in 1884 and, even as they neared completion, 23 railroad cars of cattle and seven carloads of hogs awaited shipping.[9]
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lehigh was a growing settlement that greatly profited from the coal mines surrounding it.[10] During the 1910s and 1920s, the demand for coal lessened as railroads switched to oil-powered trains.[10][b] The mines eventually closed, and in the early 1920s,boll weevils destroyed the cotton crops in the area.[10] Many businesses closed, and people left the town.[10] TheMerchants National Bank Building in Lehigh is the only structure that remains from the once-prosperous downtown area.[10]
Lehigh is located in southeastern Coal County.U.S. Route 75 passes through the city, leading north 5 miles (8 km) toCoalgate, thecounty seat, and southeast 9 miles (14 km) toAtoka.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (2.47%) is covered by water.
| Climate data for Lehigh, Oklahoma | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.2 (9.6) | 54.6 (12.6) | 63.9 (17.7) | 73.5 (23.1) | 79.6 (26.4) | 87.4 (30.8) | 93.4 (34.1) | 94.1 (34.5) | 85.7 (29.8) | 75.7 (24.3) | 63.4 (17.4) | 52.9 (11.6) | 72.8 (22.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 40.6 (4.8) | 50.2 (10.1) | 58.5 (14.7) | 66.6 (19.2) | 71.0 (21.7) | 70.1 (21.2) | 63.0 (17.2) | 51.3 (10.7) | 40.9 (4.9) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 50.1 (10.1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.0 (51) | 2.5 (64) | 3.6 (91) | 4.6 (120) | 5.3 (130) | 4.2 (110) | 2.5 (64) | 2.5 (64) | 4.8 (120) | 3.7 (94) | 3.2 (81) | 2.3 (58) | 41.3 (1,050) |
| Source 1: weather.com | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weatherbase.com[12] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1,500 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,880 | 25.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,898 | 1.0% | |
| 1930 | 497 | −73.8% | |
| 1940 | 519 | 4.4% | |
| 1950 | 352 | −32.2% | |
| 1960 | 296 | −15.9% | |
| 1970 | 296 | 0.0% | |
| 1980 | 284 | −4.1% | |
| 1990 | 303 | 6.7% | |
| 2000 | 315 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 356 | 13.0% | |
| 2020 | 272 | −23.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] | |||
At the 2000census,[3] 315 people, 114 households and 77 families were residing in the city. The population density was 199.9 inhabitants per square mile (77.2/km2). The 144 housing units had an average density of 91.4 per square mile (35.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 76.51% White, 0.95% African American, 14.92% Native American, 0.95% Asian, and 6.67% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.27% of the population.
Of the 114 households,29.8% had children under 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were not families. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.26.
The age distribution was 28.9% under 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.
Themedian household income was $24,16, and the median family income was $25,156. Males had a median income of $20,278 compared with $17,344 for females. Theper capita income was $10,699. About 18.8% of families and 27.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 37.8% of those under 18 and 12.5% of those 65 or over.
Media related toLehigh, Oklahoma at Wikimedia Commons
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)"Accompanying 7 photos, from 2006"(pdf).National Register of Historic Places Inventory.Municipalities and communities ofCoal County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
