Morris, Oklahoma

Morris, Oklahoma
City
Motto:  The Little City With a Big Welcome
Location of Morris, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°36′36″N 95°51′40″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Okmulgee
Area
• Total	1.25 sq mi (3.24 km2)
• Land	1.20 sq mi (3.10 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation	722 ft (220 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,479
• Estimate  (2018)	1,423
• Density	1,187.81/sq mi (458.69/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74445
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-49400
GNIS feature ID	1095519

Morris is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,494 at the 2010 census, an increase of 14.3% from 1,294 at the 2000 census.

History

The community began as a cattle stop on the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway), which ran between Muskogee and Okmulgee. The post office was established here on January 4, 1904. The origin of the town name is not known.

The townsite was platted in 1904 by L. R. Kershaw, who was an attorney and an immigration agent for the Frisco (St. Louis–San Francisco Railway) Railroad. He named the town after H. E. Morris, a Frisco Railroad executive. Many of the street names in Morris are named after towns that were familiar to Kershaw from his home state of Illinois. Kershaw was also the founder of two of the earliest banks in Morris, Indian Territory: The Farmer's State Bank of Morris in 1905 and the First National Bank of Morris in 1907.

Morris, Oklahoma, map with Frisco Railroad right of way

The Morris News, a newspaper founded in 1910, has continued publication into the 20th century.

A tornado struck Morris on April 26, 1984. It killed nine people and destroyed the entire business section, as well as about one half of the housing.

Geography

Morris is located at 35°36′36″N 95°51′40″W (35.610041, -95.861038). It is 8 miles (13 km) east of Okmulgee, at the intersection of U. S. Highway 62 and State Highway 52.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (5.17%) is covered by water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	1,926		—
1930	1,706		−11.4%
1940	1,197		−29.8%
1950	1,122		−6.3%
1960	982		−12.5%
1970	1,119		14.0%
1980	1,288		15.1%
1990	1,216		−5.6%
2000	1,294		6.4%
2010	1,479		14.3%
2018 (est.)	1,423		−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, 1,294 people, 475 households, and 351 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,174.3 people per square mile (454.2/km²). The 531 housing units averaged 481.9 per square mile (186.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.87% White, 0.70% African American, 19.55% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 6.49% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.62% of the population.

Of the 475 households, 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city, the population was distributed as 31.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,917, and for a family was $34,943. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $20,938 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,904. About 11.2% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.