Jay (Oklahoma)

Delaware County

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Jay is a city with the status of City and also the administrative center ( county seat ) of Delaware County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

Geography

Jay is located 100 kilometers northeast of Tulsa. The border with the state of Arkansas is located 15 kilometers to the east. The U. S. Highway 59 runs through the city. The Grand Lake o 'the Cherokees is situated at a distance of 12 kilometers to the north.

History

In 1907, a new administrative headquarters for the Delaware County was sought. The former headquarters Grove approximately 15 kilometers further north was traffic- located extremely unfavorable. A committee under the mediation of the Cherokee Indian, half- Claude L. " Jay" Washbourne, a nephew of Stand Watie, chose a location. Whose name had to be determined first from the proposals Center, Jay and Washbourne. With a narrow majority Jay prevailed. Although Grove put an objection to the new county seat, but was rejected in court in several instances. Initially, many wooden houses were built in the city. After a devastating fire, new homes, including the burned court building (Delaware County Court House) were built of stone. During the construction of a dam in the 1930s on the nearby Grand Lake o 'the Cherokees, the population grew slightly. Main livelihood in the following years were the wood and agriculture. Today, Jay is also working in tourism and starting point for tours to the Grand Lake o 'the Cherokees. Has a long tradition that every year in early July held Huckleberry Festival. The city referred to at times as Huckleberry Capital of the World ( world capital of blueberries).

Demography

In 2012 a population of 2486 persons was determined, which represents an increase of 0.2 % over the year 2000. The average age of the residents was in 2012 with 35.8 years below the average of Oklahoma, which was 40.6 years. With a share of 44.9%, almost half of the population of Indian descent.

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