Spiro is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Spiro had a population of 2,102.
Developed as a railroad station in an agricultural area in the late 19th century, the small town is notable for its proximity to the Spiro Mounds, a Mississippian culture center that was active from about 900 to 1450 CE that was part of a culture in Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas. Today, the 80-acre site, with several earthwork mounds, is preserved as Oklahoma's only State Archeological Park and one of North America's most important archaeological sites. It is the westernmost site of the expansive Mississippian culture, which had associated centers through the Mississippi and tributary river valleys.
History
In 1895 and 1896, the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (later owned by the Kansas City Southern Railroad) established a station at the present site of Spiro, which connected the area to the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. This railroad access attracted residents from the nearby town of Skullyville, and Spiro soon developed as the principal town in this area. The town population was 543 in 1900.
A post office was established at Spiro, Indian Territory on September 21, 1898. At the time of its founding, Spiro was located in Skullyville County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.
Several accounts differ as to how the post office was named. One claims that Spiro was the maiden name of the first postmistress. Another claims it was the maiden name of the mother of a Fort Smith banker. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Spiro was named after Celia Spiro, wife of an Oklahoma banker, Iser H Nakdimen. He founded the City National Bank in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and the First National Bank in Muldrow, Oklahoma.
Cotton was an important cash crop. In 1901, Spiro had three cotton yards and one cotton gin. By 1910, there were three cotton gins and the population had grown to 1,173. As cotton cultivation became more mechanized, labor needs declined. The Great Depression of the 1930s took the heart out of the market. Timber harvesting and processing and livestock became important industries in the region. The population declined to 969 in 1930, as agricultural workers migrated to other areas for jobs. It rebounded to 1,365 by 1950 as the economy grew.
Geography
Spiro is located south of the Arkansas River, southwest of Fort Smith, Arkansas and west of the Oklahoma-Arkansas border.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Spiro had a population of 2,102. The median age was 40.6 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 842 households in Spiro, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.8% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,473 || 70.1%
|-
| Black or African American || 88 || 4.2%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 304 || 14.5%
|-
| Asian || 11 || 0.5%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 17 || 0.8%
|-
| Two or more races || 209 || 9.9%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 70 || 3.3%
|}
2000 census
As of the census