Deer Creek, Oklahoma
Deer Creek is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 130 at the 2010 census, an 11.6 percent decrease from the figure of 147 in 2000.[4] It was named for a nearby stream, which is a tributary of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River.[5]
Not to be confused with Deer Creek Public Schools or Deer Creek (Oklahoma).History[edit]
The community began March 14, 1898, when W. A. Bradford, president of the Gulf Railroad bought 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land to establish a town along the route his railroad planned to use for a rail line between Medford and Blackwell, Oklahoma. The line was constructed in 1897-1898. On February 27, 1899, the post office at the nearby community of Orie was moved to Deer Creek.[5][a]
The Deer Creek Mennonites organized on August 27, 1899, and opened a church in 1902. Soon, other denominations began meeting in the home of Elijah Franklin Webster, with a Methodist minister leading the service. The Christian and Methodist church buildings were constructed by 1909.[5]
The first producing oil and gas wells in the area were drilled in the early 1920s, causing a brief boom. Deer Creek's population peaked at 312 in 1930. A prolonged population decline reached 124 in 1990. Except for one co-operative, most businesses had closed by 1998. There has been a small population increase in the 21st Century.
Geography[edit]
Deer Creek is located 12 miles (19 km) east of Medford on Oklahoma State Highway 11.[5] Deer Creek flows past approximately one mile east of the community.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), all land.