Erick, Oklahoma

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title: "Erick, Oklahoma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-beckham-county,-oklahoma", "cities-in-oklahoma", "populated-places-established-in-1900"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick,_Oklahoma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Erick, Oklahoma
settlement_type	City
image_skyline	File:Corner of Sheb Wooley and Roger Miller streets of Erick, Oklahoma-4013372290.jpg
imagesize	250 px
image_caption	Corner of Sheb Wooley and Roger Miller streets in Erick
image_map	Beckham County Oklahoma incorporated and unincorporated areas Erick highlighted.svg
mapsize	260px
map_caption	Location in Beckham County and the state of Oklahoma
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	United States
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Oklahoma
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Beckham
unit_pref	Imperial
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	2.45
area_land_km2	2.45
area_water_km2	0.00
area_total_sq_mi	0.94
area_land_sq_mi	0.94
area_water_sq_mi	0.00
population_as_of	2020
population_total	1000
population_density_km2	408.88
population_density_sq_mi	1059.32
timezone	Central (CST)
utc_offset	-6
timezone_DST	CDT
utc_offset_DST	-5
elevation_footnotes
elevation_ft	2064
coordinates
postal_code_type	ZIP code
postal_code	73645
area_code	580
blank_name	FIPS code
blank_info	40-24200
blank1_name	GNIS feature ID
blank1_info	2410451
::

|name = Erick, Oklahoma |settlement_type = City |nickname = |motto =

|image_skyline = File:Corner of Sheb Wooley and Roger Miller streets of Erick, Oklahoma-4013372290.jpg |imagesize = 250 px |image_caption = Corner of Sheb Wooley and Roger Miller streets in Erick |image_flag = |image_seal =

|image_map = Beckham County Oklahoma incorporated and unincorporated areas Erick highlighted.svg |mapsize = 260px |map_caption = Location in Beckham County and the state of Oklahoma

|subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Oklahoma |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Beckham

|government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |established_title = |established_date =

|unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 2.45 |area_land_km2 = 2.45 |area_water_km2 = 0.00 |area_total_sq_mi = 0.94 |area_land_sq_mi = 0.94 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.00

|population_as_of = 2020 |population_footnotes = |population_total = 1000 |population_density_km2 = 408.88 |population_density_sq_mi = 1059.32

|timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_ft = 2064 |coordinates = |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 73645 |area_code = 580 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 40-24200 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 2410451 |website = |footnotes = |pop_est_as_of = |pop_est_footnotes = |population_est = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Eric_Poster.jpg"] ::

Erick ( ) is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located 15 miles west of Sayre, the county seat, and 6 miles east of the Oklahoma-Texas border. The population was an even 1,000 at the time of the 2020 census.

A post office, originally named Dennis, was established to serve the local community on November 8, 1900. This community developed along the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad line (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway), built in 1902. On November 16, 1901, the name was changed to honor Beeks Erick, the townsite developer and president of the Choctaw Townsite and Improvement Company, and the town incorporated that year.

History

Erick was established in 1901 as an agricultural community on what would become the edge of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was located on the National Old Trails Road, one of the predecessors to the 1926 numbered US Highway system. Large segments of that road became part of U.S. Route 66.

At statehood in 1907, the population was reported as 686. In June 1908, Erick competed with Sayre for becoming the county seat, and only lost by a small margin in the election. By 1909, Erick had become a busy community. In that year, it could boast of having 13 general stores, 2 hardware stores, multiple cotton gins and blacksmiths, a livery, a harness shop, a lumber store, five meat markets, several grocery stores, a bakery, and a confectionary, two banks and two weekly newspapers (the Beckham County Democrat and the Erick Altruist. Baptists, Christian, Methodists and Presbyterians had organized churches. By the 1910 U.S. census, population had grown to 915, increasing to 971 in the 1920 census, and reaching a peak population of 2,231 in 1930 due to a brief oil boom. The city economy was bolstered by six cotton gins, a high-density cotton compress, and an ice plant. But in 1940 the census reported 1,591 residents.

The city prospered briefly in the era between WWI and WWII, when natural gas deposits were found in the area. On July 14, 1930, the Frederick (Maryland) Post published, "Reports received here by Sheriff W.K. McLemore, Wheeler County, said negroes were driven out of Erick Oklahoma last night and from Texola, Oklahoma today by a mob seeking reprisal for the death of Mrs. Harry Vaughn, wife of a farmer in a nearby county in Texas, who was beaten to death Friday by a Negro." In a separate incident in 1933, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (better known as Bonnie and Clyde) kidnapped law enforcement officers from the Wellington, Texas area, drove them to a point near Erick, and left them tied to a tree with barbed wire cut from a fence. The officers freed themselves, but the trail of the criminals had gone cold.

John Steinbeck's 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was poorly received locally. According to Erick city clerk Nyla Tennery, "I can remember plainly when the book came out my parents and other people who stayed here were just real upset. That book gave all Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma people a shiftless, bad name, like that was the only kind of people who were here."

U.S. Route 66

Early motor courts began to appear by 1940, with the DeLuxe Courts being the first local Route 66 lodging to appear in the AAA Directory of Motor Courts and Cottages. While civilian motorcar travel was greatly curtailed due to wartime rationing, by 1946 guidebooks listed the Erick Court and trailer park, the Elms Garage, cafés and filling stations.

Erick prospered in the post-war heyday of Route 66, with various roadside businesses catering to motorists. Guidebooks promoted the tiny city as "the first town you encounter, going west, which has a true 'western' look with its wide, sun-baked streets, frequent horsemen, occasional sidewalk awnings and similar touches."

The four lanes of Route 66 from Sayre, Oklahoma to Erick were the last Oklahoma section of US 66 to be bypassed by I-40, in 1975.

Many of the original Route 66 business are now gone or have been converted to other uses.

World War II navy veteran Cal Rogers opened Cal's Country Cooking on US 66 in May 1946, relocating to a new log cabin restaurant on an Interstate 40 exit in October 1979 after the Interstate bypassed traffic away from the old road. The family sold the business and antiques in a 1999 auction; the building is now a steak house.

The West Winds Motel, originally built with individual carport garages and promoted in its heyday with neon signage of bucking broncos, still stands but is no longer open to visitors despite attempts to restore the property.

Efforts to put "Historic Route 66" back onto maps as a tourist attraction date to the late 1980s, with the first Route 66 Association established three years after the last section of original highway (in Williams, Arizona) was bypassed by Interstate highway in 1984. Various local businesses and attractions cater to seasonal tourists attempting to find what remains of the old road.

The former City Meat Market building is now the Sandhills Curiosity Shop, one of the many Route 66 stops on Pixar's research trips for 2006 animated film Cars. Its owners Harley and Annabelle Russell, who bill themselves as the "Mediocre Music Makers", served as model for the country hillbilly accent used by Larry the Cable Guy's character Mater in the film.

The 3000 square foot Roger Miller Museum was a museum opened at the corner of US 66 (Roger Miller Boulevard) and Oklahoma 30 (Sheb Wooley Avenue) in 2004 in a former 1929 café and drugstore building. It closed permanently on December 23, 2017. The space is now home to the 100th Meridian Museum.

Country musicians

Erick was home to two of country music's more idiosyncratic performers. Sheb Wooley, the actor, songwriter, and singer who recorded the saga of the "one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater" was born there in 1921. Roger Miller, country superstar and author of "King of the Road," "Dang Me," "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd," and many others, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but grew up in Erick from the age of three. When asked by an interviewer where Erick was near, Miller wryly replied, "It's close to extinction." Herbert Mayfield, one of the Mayfield Brothers of West Texas, was born in Erick but moved to Dimmitt, Texas, when he was ten years of age.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

Erick is located just south of I-40 and is on the historic US Route 66 (which is signed as a business route from Interstate 40). The town is also served by State Highway 30. Erick is the second-closest Oklahoma settlement to the Texas border on US 66 or I-40 (Texola is at the border, seven miles to the west).

It is still a railroad town, being an end point on the route of Farmrail.

Climate

|location = Erick, Oklahoma |single line = Y |Jan record high F = |Feb record high F = |Mar record high F = |Apr record high F = |May record high F = |Jun record high F = |Jul record high F = |Aug record high F = |Sep record high F = |Oct record high F = |Nov record high F = |Dec record high F = |year record high F= |Jan high F = 50.7 |Feb high F = 55.8 |Mar high F = 65.1 |Apr high F = 74.9 |May high F = 82.2 |Jun high F = 89.9 |Jul high F = 95.6 |Aug high F = 94.0 |Sep high F = 86.0 |Oct high F = 76.1 |Nov high F = 62.4 |Dec high F = 52.3 |year high F= 73.8 |Jan low F = 22.5 |Feb low F = 27.1 |Mar low F = 35.3 |Apr low F = 45.4 |May low F = 54.4 |Jun low F = 63.3 |Jul low F = 67.7 |Aug low F = 66.0 |Sep low F = 58.8 |Oct low F = 46.8 |Nov low F = 35.3 |Dec low F = 25.7 |year low F= 45.7 |Jan record low F = |Feb record low F = |Mar record low F = |Apr record low F = |May record low F = |Jun record low F = |Jul record low F = |Aug record low F = |Sep record low F = |Oct record low F = |Nov record low F = |Dec record low F = |year record low F= |precipitation colour=green |Jan precipitation inch = 0.5 |Feb precipitation inch = 1.0 |Mar precipitation inch = 1.7 |Apr precipitation inch = 2.0 |May precipitation inch = 4.1 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.7 |Jul precipitation inch = 1.7 |Aug precipitation inch = 2.5 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.2 |Oct precipitation inch = 2.2 |Nov precipitation inch = 1.3 |Dec precipitation inch = 0.7 |year precipitation inch=24.7 |Jan snow inch = |Feb snow inch = |Mar snow inch = |Apr snow inch = |May snow inch = |Jun snow inch = |Jul snow inch = |Aug snow inch = |Sep snow inch = |Oct snow inch = |Nov snow inch = |Dec snow inch = |year snow inch= |Jan humidity= |Feb humidity= |Mar humidity= |Apr humidity= |May humidity= |Jun humidity= |Jul humidity= |Aug humidity= |Sep humidity= |Oct humidity= |Nov humidity= |Dec humidity= |year humidity= |unit rain days= |Jan rain days= |Feb rain days= |Mar rain days= |Apr rain days= |May rain days= |Jun rain days= |Jul rain days= |Aug rain days= |Sep rain days= |Oct rain days= |Nov rain days= |Dec rain days= |year rain days=

|source 1 = weather.com |source 2 = Weatherbase {{cite web | url = http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=449243&refer= | title = Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Erick, Oklahoma, United States}} |date=October 2, 2010

Demographics

|1910= 915 |1920= 971 |1930= 2231 |1940= 1591 |1950= 1579 |1960= 1342 |1970= 1285 |1980= 1375 |1990= 1083 |2000= 1023 |2010= 1052 |2020= 1000 |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census | align = right | align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Erick had a population of 1,000. The median age was 37.8 years. 28.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.

0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 421 households in Erick, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.4% were married-couple households, 20.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 518 housing units, of which 18.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.8% were owner-occupied and 29.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.

::data[format=table title="Racial composition as of the 2020 census{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A24200&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 16, 2026|df=mdy}}"]

Race	Percent
White	88.0%
Black or African American	0.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native	3.2%
Asian	0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0
Some other race	1.0%
Two or more races	7.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	7.4%
::

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,023 people, 429 households, and 272 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,040.3 PD/sqmi. There were 556 housing units at an average density of 565.4 /mi2.

The racial makeup of the city was 93.45% White, 0.10% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 2.05% from other races, and 3.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.69% of the population.

There were 429 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,346, and the median income for a family was $28,977. Males had a median income of $23,482 versus $16,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,855. About 22.5% of families and 25.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.4% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Erick has an aldermanic form of government.

Education

It is in the Erick Public Schools school district.

National Register of Historic Places

• First National Bank
• West Winds Motel

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. {{GNIS. 2410451
4. "Erick (city), Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau.
5. "The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". [[Oklahoma Historical Society]].
6. "West Winds Motel-Route 66: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". US [[National Park Service]].
7. Jim Hinckley. (2012-11-11). "The Route 66 Encyclopedia". Voyageur Press.
8. "Sayre, Oklahoma". Oklahoma Historical Society.
9. (21 October 2014). "The Illustrated Route 66 Historical Atlas, p.100". Voyageur Press.
10. ''The New York Times'', June 12, 1933, either page 1 or 4, depending on edition
11. ''Great Plains'', by Ian Frazier, Penguin Books, 1989, p. 244
12. (1990-08-01). "Route 66: The Highway and Its People". University of Oklahoma Press.
13. (2005-08-01). "Preserving Western History". UNM Press.
14. (2011-12-05). "Route 66 in Oklahoma". Arcadia.
15. Russell A. Olsen. (2008-09-24). "The Complete Route 66 Lost & Found". Voyageur Press.
16. (2003-03-01). "The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road; 1926-2001". Council Oak Books.
17. (1999-07-20). "Landmark eatery Cal's goes to auction block". Amarillo Globe-News.
18. Juozapavicius, Justin. (2007-05-21). "Route 66 motels endangered". [[USA Today]].
19. [http://blog.disneystore.com/blog/2012/04/get-your-kicks-on-route-66-and-some-cars-history.html] {{Webarchive. link. (April 18, 2012 [http://edgeoftheroad.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/mediocre-music-makers-erick-ok.html])
20. Chet Flippo. (2004-06-03). "Roger Miller Gets a Museum". CMT.
21. (July 21, 2003). "Western Oklahoma sees increase in tourism". Durant Daily Democrat.
22. (2004). "National Parks".
23. (2006-09-15). "Oklahoma 3". Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co..
24. (2011-06-06). "Ghost Towns of Route 66". Voyageur Press.
25. "Roger Miller - Memory Book".
26. "Oklahoma 2018-2020 State Railroad Map". Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
27. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
28. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
29. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
30. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
31. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Beckham County, OK". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].

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