Sayre is a city in and the county seat of Beckham County, in western Oklahoma, United States. It is halfway between Oklahoma City and Amarillo on Interstate 40 and the former U.S. Route 66. The population was 4,809 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase over the 4,375 figure from the 2010 census, and the largest population ever recorded by a census since Sayre's founding.
History
After the Civil War, Congress wanted to stimulate the economy and aid the growth of the nation. One way that they achieved this was to promote the building of the western railroads. Upon completion of the Union Pacific-Central Pacific joining in 1869 with the Golden Spike, other railroads trying to capitalize on commerce and trade also began crossing the western country. This included the Great Northern and Burlington in the far north, and the Southern Pacific on the extreme southern border.
Eventually this would lead to rails crossing Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, around the start of the 20th century. A new rail line was extended from Weatherford to Texola by McCabe & Steen Contractors in July 1901. Entrepreneurs would buy land near where the new tracks were being laid, and also near a source of water. The Choctaw Town Site and Improvement Company did this, and when the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad crossed the North Fork of the Red River in Western Indian Territory an instant town sprang up, which incorporated on 14 September 1901.
The Choctaw Townsite & Improvement Company began selling lots to new "Sooners" arriving to start a new life. The seeds of a new town were sown, businessmen came to sell their wares to the new town folk, and within one year the town's population was up to around 1,000. Pennsylvanian Robert Heysham Sayre, a stockholder of the railroad, gave his name to the newly formed town in 1901.
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company (called the "Rock Island") leased the new line. The Rock Island would complete its march to the Pacific by filling in the line to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
During the period of 1901–1907, Sayre was part of Roger Mills County in Oklahoma Territory. At the time Oklahoma became a state, Beckham County was created and Sayre, which was within the boundary of Beckham County, was named as the temporary county seat. An election in 1908 confirmed Sayre as the permanent seat, with voters preferring it to the town of Erick. The Beckham County Courthouse was completed in 1911, and is still in service over a century later. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Sayre had a population of 4,809. The median age was 37.9 years. 12.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 258.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 300.8 males age 18 and over.
0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,095 households in Sayre, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.6% were married-couple households, 21.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Percent
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| White || 66.7%
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| Black or African American || 17.0%
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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 5.9%
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| Asian || 0.4%
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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1%
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| Some other race || 5.6%
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| Two or more races || 4.4%
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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 8.8%
|}
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,114 people, 1,132 households, and 678 families residing in the city.
The North Fork Correctional Facility, a privately owned, medium-security prison opened in 1998.
Education
Southwestern Oklahoma State University at Sayre or SWOSU@Sayre, is an accredited junior college serving western Oklahoma. It was founded in 1938 as Sayre Junior College and merged with SWOSU by an act of the Oklahoma Legislature in 1987.
Western Technology Center, Sayre campus provides the opportunity for adults and high school students to get occupationally-specific training. Sayre Public Schools is a member of the WTC district.
Sayre Public Schools is a school district serving the cities of Sayre and Elk City in Oklahoma. It includes the following schools:
- Sayre Elementary School
- Sayre Middle School
- Sayre High School
In 1994–5, the district was the defendant in a liability suit eventually decided by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.
Government
Sayre has an aldermanic form of city government.