Fairfax is a town in Osage County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, United States. The Osage Nation reservation is coterminous with the county. The population was 1,380 at the 2010 census, down 11.3 percent from the figure of 1,555 recorded in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. It is notable as the home of world-famous ballerinas Maria and

Marjorie Tallchief Marjorie Tallchief (born Marjorie Louise Tall Chief; October 19, 1926November 30, 2021) was an American ballerina and member of the Osage Nation. She was the younger sister of the late prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief, and was the first Native A ...

.Carol E. Irons, "Fairfax," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed October 3, 2011.

History

When the Santa Fe Railway chose to go up Salt Creek valley and bypassed the village of Gray Horse (which continues to exist today as the home of one of the Osage tribe's three major historic bands) the present day town of Fairfax was created. Local merchants, including Lew A. Wismeyer, moved buildings from Gray Horse and leased acres for a townsite. Wismeyer rejected the name Coda proposed by the railroad and convinced them to call the depot Fairfax after a hotel he had stayed at in Washington, D.C. The Osage tribe retained title to the townsite until March 3, 1905, when Congress provided for the land to be sold at public auction, with the proceeds credited to the tribe. Fairfax had 470 residents at the time of statehood in 1907. Fairfax is also the site of the majority of the

Osage Indian Murders The Osage Indian murders were a series of murders of Osage Native Americans in Osage County, Oklahoma, during the 1910s–1930s; newspapers described the increasing number of unsolved murders as the Reign of Terror, lasting from 1921 to 1926. S ...

that took place in the 1920s in Osage County, Oklahoma. The murders occurred because of the discovery of oil that was found on Osage Nation Reservation (Osage County). At least 24 Osages were murdered. The mastermind behind it all was William K. Hale. Author David Grann wrote '' Killers of the Flower Moon,'' a book about these murders and how they led to the creation of the FBI.

Geography

Fairfax is located at (36.571386, -96.706259). It is southwest of Pawhuska and southeast of

Ponca City Ponca City ( iow, Chína Uhánⁿdhe) is a city in Kay County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The city was named after the Ponca tribe. Ponca City had a population of 25,387 at the time of the 2010 census- and a population of 24,424 in the 2020 ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,555 people, 657 households, and 417 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 831 housing units at an average density of 1,040.6 per square mile (401.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 67.65%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.35%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 24.12% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 6.24% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. There were 657 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,652, and the median income for a family was $25,385. Males had a median income of $26,518 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $12,765. About 23.9% of families and 28.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The town economy has relied on agriculture and oil production. The population of Fairfax reached a high of 2,327 at the 1940 census, but began to decline as the production of oil dropped in the area, and farm populations decreased with increased mechanization. It fell to 1,869 by 1970, briefly rose to 1,949 in 1980, dropped again to 1,555 in 2000 and yet again to 1,380 in 2010 .

Notable people

* Maria Tallchief, professional ballerina *

, professional ballerina *

Larry Coker Larry Edward Coker (born June 23, 1948) is a former American football coach and player. He previously served as the head coach of the University of Miami and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Coker's 2001 Miami team was named th ...

, high school and college football coach

References

External links

''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Fairfax
{{authority control Towns in Osage County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1903 1903 establishments in Oklahoma Territory