Page Contents for Capron, Oklahoma

Statistics & Facts

History & History-related items

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Statistics & Facts

The Oklahoma state capital is Oklahoma City.
The population of Capron is approximately 38 (1990), 23 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 27 (1990), 12 (2010).
The amount of land area in Capron is 0.295 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Capron to Washington DC is 1230 miles.
The distance to the Oklahoma state capital is 115 miles. (as the crow flies)
Capron is positioned 36.89 degrees north of the equator and 98.57 degrees west of the prime meridian.

History & History Related Items

Capron Oklahoma was first know as Warren, a small cattle station on the main line of the Santa Fe Railroad. After the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1893 Capron was known as Sterling. However, the U.S. postal officials would not accept the name because there was a town by that name on the Santa Fe railroad in Kansas. They next changed the name to Virgil, but the postal officials would not accept this name because of the same reason given previously. City officials then submitted the name of Capron, after Captain Allyn K. Capron of the Rough Riders. The postal officials accepted the name and so it stands today. At one time Capron had two banks, The Bank of Capron and The Capron State Bank. There was also a weekly newspaper, The Capron Hustler, edited by W. D. Anderson and his wife. The town had three grocery stores, a hardware, lumber yard, two cafes, two drug stores, several service stations, a theater, barber shops, furniture store, book store, three grain elevators, two churches, Warborton Memorial Methodist Church, the Congregational Church and Hampton's Footpowder Factory. Most of these businesses were destroyed in a Tornado which struck the town in the spring of 1939. The tornado made its way down the main street of Capron taking most of the businesses in its path. Many people did not even know the tornado had struck until the next morning when they went to open their stores and found they were gone.

Capron was always concerned with having a good school system. The first school was established in 1894 and was grades 1-8. In 1909 a new two story brick school building was built in the north end of town for the grand sum of $ 8,500.00. The high school was first accredited in 1912. In 1929-30, the two story building was torn down and a new one story school and gym were built. This building was destroyed in 1939 by the tornado. In 1940 a new school building was built which would house grades K-12. This building had a large gym, and auditorium and was considered to be one of the finest school facilities in Northwest Oklahoma. Additions were made to this building in 1952, 1956, and 1964. The patrons of the district never voted down a bond issue for the Capron Public Schools. They wanted the very best for their children. The high school closed in 1968 due to a drop in enrollment. At the time of the closing of the high school there were no families in the school district on public assistance. The 1967 baseball team was the Oklahoma State Champion in Class C, and the basketball team was the Orient Conference Champ. The elementary and middle school were in operation until 1976. The patrons of the district voted to annex District 31 to the Alva School District #1 by a one vote majority. This decision was contested and went to the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma. The vote was up held and the Capron Public Schools closed after 82 years of service to the children of Independent School District #31. When you drive though Capron Oklahoma today it is hard to believe that this was once a thriving little town with quite an active business district. This now lives only in the minds of early day citizens.
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