Fort Supply is a town in Woodward County, Oklahoma, United States, northwest of the city of Woodward, the county seat. As of the 2020 census, Fort Supply had a population of 317.
History
The United States Army post of Fort Supply was established in 1868 as a "Camp of Supply" for the winter campaign that General Philip Sheridan led against the Southern Plains Indians.
People established the town of Fitzgerald three miles west-southwest of the site of the former Fort Supply in 1902, but this town quickly failed.
Rancher H. H. Halsell sold the land one mile west of Fort Supply to territorial legislator James P. Gandy. Gandy hired surveyors to plat the land for a town site and founded the town of Supply in 1903. He moved most of the original buildings of Supply from the recently failed town of Fitzgerald. The Government established the first post office for the town of Supply on May 12, 1903. In the early years, area farmers and ranchers centered their economic trade around the town.
In 1908, the State of Oklahoma transformed Fort Supply, the derelict army post, into Western Oklahoma State Hospital, also known as Western State Hospital or Fort Supply State Hospital, the first state-operated mental institution of Oklahoma.
The Flood Control Act of 1936 provided for construction of a dam and reservoir one mile southeast of the town in the valley of Wolf Creek. Work began on the largest earthen dam in the United States of America in October 1938 and Fort Supply Lake was completed in May 1942. The United States Army Corps of Engineers administers Fort Supply Lake and the adjacent wildlife and recreation area.
On May 1, 1943, the people changed the name of the post office and town of Supply to Fort Supply.
On December 6, 1988, the State of Oklahoma located a new prison, William S. Key Correctional Center, on the grounds of nearby former Fort Supply. Western State Psychiatric Center also has operations on the grounds. Agriculture and employment at these state institutions form the economic base of the community of Fort Supply.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Fort Supply Reservoir is directly south; is to the east.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fort Supply had a population of 317. The median age was 37.4 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 124.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 132.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 118 households in Fort Supply, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.6% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 264 || 83.3%
|-
| Black or African American || 5 || 1.6%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 1 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 18 || 5.7%
|-
| Two or more races || 29 || 9.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 32 || 10.1%
|}
2000 census
As of the census