Thomas is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Thomas had a population of 1,143.
History
Thomas was named for William Thomas, who owned a general store and served as postmaster, when the first post office was established at the store on February 12, 1894, while this area was part of Oklahoma Territory. Joseph W. Morris claimed a homestead at the site during the Cheyenne-Arapaho opening in 1892. The Oklahoma Railway Townsite platted Morris' land in 1902, the same year that the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railroad (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) constructed a line through Thomas. In 1906, the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) also built a line through the town. Most of the early settlers were members of the Amish, the Dunkards, and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ religious groups.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Thomas had a population of 1,143. The median age was 37.5 years. 29.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 461 households in Thomas, of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.7% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Percent
|-
| White || 80.3%
|-
| Black or African American || 0.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 7.9%
|-
| Asian || 0.1%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0%
|-
| Some other race || 1.6%
|-
| Two or more races || 9.8%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 6.7%
|}
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 1,238 people, 486 households, and 337 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 596 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.85% White, 0.08% African American, 8.08% Native American, 0.57% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.70% of the population. this facility has a rated capacity of 14,000 barrels per day. In the oil industry, a barrel (Bbl) is equal to 42 U. S. gallons. Hence, this is now the smallest refinery operating in the state. After the Barrett Company declared bankruptcy, the refinery was scheduled to close permanently on December 22, 2005. Instead, an Oklahoma City firm, Ventura Refining and Transmission, LLC. Revival of the refinery was expected to open up about 30 to 50 new local jobs, excluding personnel needed to drive about 30 trucks handling product deliveries per day.
Government
The city of Thomas has an aldermanic form of government.
Media
The Thomas Tribune was first published weekly in 1902, and is still being published. It has an online edition.
Previously Thomas had its own school district. In 1989, the district's enrollment was 400.
References
External links
- "Thomas." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.