Alva, Oklahoma

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Alva, Oklahoma
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

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imagesize = 250px
image_caption = The city council is actively soliciting murals -- like this one on the main square of Alva, to attract businesses and tourists.


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Alva, Oklahoma


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Oklahoma
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Woods

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 6.1
area_land_km2 = 6.1
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.4
area_land_sq_mi = 2.4
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 5288
population_density_km2 = 860.5
population_density_sq_mi = 2228.6

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 411
elevation_ft = 1348
latd = 36 |latm = 48 |lats = 7 |latNS = N
longd = 98 |longm = 39 |longs = 57 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 73717
area_code = 580
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 40-01800GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1089605GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Alva is a city in Woods County, Oklahoma, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 5,288 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Woods CountyGR|6.

History and Description

Alva was established in 1893 as a land office for the Cherokee Outlet land run, the largest of the land rushes that settled western and central Oklahoma. The site was chosen for its location on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and likely named for a railroad attorney, Alva Adams, who had become governor of Colorado.

Alva is home to Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU), founded in 1897 as a normal school. The college's main building for a time was the "Castle on the Hill," a huge, fanciful brick building, modeled after a Norman castle, that towered over much of the town. The Castle burned down in 1935, to be replaced by the more staid Jesse Dunn Hall, which was dedicated in 1937 by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Today, the city council is actively soliciting murals -- one of the most recent is of the storied Castle -- and trying to attract businesses and tourists to keep people in town, important as the population of Woods County has been dropping since the 1930s. Alva lost 200 people between 1990 and 2000 according to official census figures. It has a Wal-Mart Supercenter that is one of the smallest supercenters ever built. The area is generally religious, with 16 different churches, all Christian, in town. The city is one of the few of its size in Oklahoma to still boast a daily newspaper, the Alva Review-Courier.

Geography

Alva is located at coor dms|36|48|7|N|98|39|57|W|city (36.801931, -98.665959)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,288 people, 2,205 households, and 1,261 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,228.6 people per square mile (861.5/km²). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 1,114.3/sq mi (430.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.99% White, 1.30% African American, 1.34% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.

There were 2,205 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 21.7% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,432, and the median income for a family was $38,041. Males had a median income of $27,531 versus $17,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,966. About 9.1% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Like NWOSU, the Northwest Technology Center is based in Alva. The city's high school, middle school and three elementary schools are governed by the Alva Independent School District.

Famous natives

Alva is the birthplace of actor Jack Ging and disability activist Lex Frieden.

References

External links

* [http://news.mywebpal.com/index.cfm?pnpid=348 Alva Review-Courier newspaper]