Lenapah, Oklahoma

Lenapah, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Lenapah, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°51′05″N 95°38′09″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Nowata
Area
• Total	0.41 sq mi (1.07 km2)
• Land	0.41 sq mi (1.07 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	755 ft (230 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	272
• Density	660.19/sq mi (255.10/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74042
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-42300
GNIS feature ID	2412889

Lenapah is a town in north central Nowata County, Oklahoma, United States, eleven miles north of Nowata and sixty two miles northeast of Tulsa. Its name is an adaptation of Lenape, the name of a Delaware Tribe of Indians. The population was 293 at the 2010 census, a 1.7 percent decrease from the figure of 298 recorded in 2000.

History

The town is primarily an agricultural community. The Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway, now part of the Union Pacific Railroad system, established a depot at Lenapah in 1889, and a post office opened in the following year. There were 154 residents in the 1900 census, and 331 at statehood in 1907. The highest population was 434 at the 1920 census.

Oil and natural gas were discovered nearby after the start of the 20th century. Although this activity did not contribute much to the town's growth, it resulted in piping gas to Lenapah's homes and businesses.

Geography

Lenapah is located just west of US Route 169 approximately fourteen miles south of Coffeyville, Kansas and 4.5 miles north of the community of Delaware. The Verdigris River flows past approximately six miles to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	154		—
1910	412		167.5%
1920	434		5.3%
1930	336		−22.6%
1940	395		17.6%
1950	328		−17.0%
1960	322		−1.8%
1970	325		0.9%
1980	350		7.7%
1990	253		−27.7%
2000	298		17.8%
2010	293		−1.7%
2020	272		−7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

The Verdigris River near Lenapah, Oklahoma

As of the census of 2000, there were 298 people, 109 households, and 81 families residing in the town. The population density was 770.5 inhabitants per square mile (297.5/km²). There were 139 housing units at an average density of 359.4 per square mile (138.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 66.78% White, 7.72% African American, 16.78% Native American, 1.01% from other races, and 7.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 109 households, out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,688, and the median income for a family was $35,357. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,087. About 14.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 22.0% of those 65 or over.

Notable people

• Al Downing, musician
• Chris Penn, football player