Spiro (Oklahoma)

Le Flore County

40-69350

Spiro is a town in Le Flore County in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

Geography

The nearest major town of Fort Smith, Arkansas is located about 25 kilometers to the northeast. The Robert S. Kerr reservoir, a popular recreational area, including water sports, hiking and fishing and hunting activities offers, begins at a distance of 20 kilometers in a north-westerly direction. The Arkansas River is tangent to the border areas in the north of the city. The main thoroughfares U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 271 run through the city.

The Spiro Mounds, an important archeological place of worship located about ten kilometers north of Spiro.

History

First settlements in the area were built by the Choctaw Indians. When the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad ( later acquired by the Kansas City Southern Railway) in 1896 took a station at the present site Spiro in operation, settled there also other population groups and developed a trading post. The city's name was adopted in honor of Abram Spiro, a banker from Forth Smith. Other sources give the namesake of the birth names of women deserving citizens. In 1900 543 people lived in Spiro. The population then rose to 2221 persons in 1980.

Demographic data

In 2011 a population of 2171 persons was determined, which means a weakening by 2.5 % over the year 2000. The average age of the residents was 41.5 years in 2011 with slightly above the average of Oklahoma, which was 40.6 years. The proportion of Aboriginal amounted to around 10%.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Dallas Frazier, country singer